More Student Newspaper Trash

It seems my local university is not the only one having problems with its student newspaper. The University of Southern Mississippi’s student newspaper The Student Printz is causing problems. Many in the community are questioning why the Administrators of the University aren’t doing something about the “Pillow Talk” column that is appearing in the weekly publication. Last month a “how to” article on oral sex caused some to call for the firing of staff members and others to criticize USM president Shelby Thames for doing little more than publicly condemn the content of the article.

I had a personal talk with the Executive Assistant to the President of our local University earlier this week about our own trashy student paper. He genuinely seemd disgusted about the article. He had not seen it personally and was going to get a copy of it to read for himself and see if there was anything that the University could really do. It seems that accreditation can be pulled if a University is deemed “too controlling” over its student newspapers. Seems First Amendment rights apply the same as they do to publications not associated with Institutes of Higher Learning. I have a hard time with that one, but then I’m not an attorney either. I know that there are standards of decency and laws against certain elicit publications in every community. Why wouldn’t this type of publication fall under such laws?

The paper's editor promises that the Pillow Talk column "will probably get racier by degrees each edition."

Since most student papers like this are distributed free of charge, and depend upon advertising dollars, I suggest that students, faculty and community leaders use their First Amendment rights to contact the advertisers and tell them they will not do business with them as long as they support this type of degenerate publication. Money talks, as the saying goes.