The University That Told Its Newspaper to Stop Covering News

Jim Rodenbush spent years training the next generation of journalists at Indiana University, where he served as Director of Student Media and adviser to the Indiana Daily Student — one of the oldest and most respected college newspapers in the country, with roots going back to 1867. His job was to guide student editors, protect the independence of the newsroom, and help young reporters learn what it means to do the work with integrity.Then, in October 2025, he was fired.Deadliners is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.The reason, Jim says: he refused a direct order from university administrators to strip traditional news coverage from a print edition of the paper. What followed was a very public censorship dispute, a lawsuit alleging violations of his First and 14th Amendment rights, and a national conversation about who gets to decide what a student newspaper publishes — the students, or the institution that funds them.The lawsuit has since been voluntarily dropped and is being refiled in state court. Jim says he intends to see it through.This fall, he begins a new role as an associate professor of journalism at Western Kentucky University. For this week’s Deadliners podcast we chatted about what happened, what it means for press freedom in America, and what Jim tells students who are wondering whether journalism is still worth fighting for. Get full access to Deadliners at deadliners.substack.com/subscribe