IU Media School dean David Tolchinsky announced members of the task force he created after the university fired its director of student media and was accused of censoring the Indiana Daily Student.
"The group, working independently, will make forward-looking recommendations to safeguard the long-term sustainability, educational mission, journalistic integrity, and credibility of student media at Indiana University," Tolchinsky's announcement said.
The task force members:
- Elaine Monaghan, IU professor of practice of journalism; co-chair
- Raju Narisetti, MA’91, partner and global leader, McKinsey Publishing; Dean’s Council for Student Media member; co-chair
- Mike Arnold, IU executive director of integrated public media and interim director of student media
- Beth Cate, IU clinical associate professor of law and public affairs
- Joseph Coleman, IU professor of practice of journalism
- Anthony Fargo, IU associate professor of journalism
- Thomas French, IU Riley Endowed Chair in Journalism, professor of practice
- Johnathan Gustin, student, WIUX station manager
- Michael J. Hayes, BA’88, president of Hearst Television; Dean’s Council for Student Media member
- Brendan Healey, partner, media law firm Baron Harris Healey
- Katie Higgins, IU Media School assistant dean of finance
- Mia Hilkowitz, student, Indiana Daily Student co-editor-in-chief
- Gerould Kern, BA’71, former senior vice president and editor, Chicago Tribune; Dean’s Council for Student Media member
- Kristen Desmond Lefevre, BAJ’97, editor-in-chief of Jupiter Magazine and Stuart Magazine; Media School Alumni Board member
- Katie Mettler, BAJ’14, reporter, The Washington Post
- Andrew Miller, student, Indiana Daily Student co-editor-in-chief
- Laynie Pitts, student, IU Student Television executive director/producer
- Curt Simic, IU Foundation president emeritus
IU came under intense criticism for firing student media director Jim Rodenbush after he refused to prevent the IDS from putting news in a themed print edition.
The university also ended the few remaining themed print editions.
The situation became national news in the New York Times and on CNN. The moves were denounced by, among others, Media School faculty, billionaire IU alumnus Mark Cuban, and the national Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
Forty-eight Media School faculty members issued a letter saying they felt "betrayed" by the administration's actions.
"IU is not seen as a safe place for free and open expression, which undermines the educational mission not just of The Media School but of the entire university," the letter said. "How can it be a safe place for free and open expression, when the university’s top administrators surprise us with censorious decisions that affect our students so directly?"
Chancellor David Reingold said in a statewide IU faculty council meeting that the IDS "has full control of its editorial content."
He added, "We do, however, have an obligation to ensure the financial sustainability of student media while honoring their editorial independence."
Reingold referenced "long, longstanding university subsidies for the IDS." He also said the Media School must prepare students for modern digital journalism.
IU later reinstated the themed print editions.