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** OPINION
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** Major controversy and hard knocks journalism lessons from Indiana University
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A man walks on the campus of Indiana University earlier this year. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

What a mess we have going on at Indiana University involving the student newspaper, the Indiana Student Daily.

It’s a mess created by the leadership at Indiana University, and it’s drawing the attention and ire of those who have been a part of that proud and respected journalism program.

In case you’ve missed it, Jim Rodenbush, the director of student media and an adviser to the Indiana Daily Student, was fired this week. This decision came after disagreements between the paper and the university’s leadership about what information gets published in the special print editions of the newspaper. The university insisted that no news content would be in the print edition. Instead, breaking news would be on the IDS’s website.

The editors of the paper and Rodenbush, as you would expect, pushed back on the idea of being told what could or could not be published in the print product. The school says Rodenbush was fired for a lack of leadership, but Rodenbush told the IndyStar on Wednesday ([link removed]) , “I was terminated because I was unwilling to censor student media. 100%. I have no reason to believe otherwise.”

The university claimed it was not about censorship, but about concentrating on the digital product. But, it should be up to the staff — not the university — to decide whether news should be in the print product. Now comes word that the university has fully cut funding for the print product.

In a column for the IDS ([link removed]) , co-editor-in-chiefs Mia Hilkowitz and Andrew Miller wrote, “So the newsstands Thursday, and all other Thursdays from now on, will not have news, sports, arts or investigative stories. No letters. Not even the special publications they had originally wanted us to print. We didn’t make this call. Media School Dean David Tolchinsky sent the order to us in an email responding to our appeal that the school not censor our newspaper. He didn’t respond when we asked for clarification.”

They went on to write, “To cut print entirely is a clear, blatant reaction to our protests. Or maybe the university cut print this week by pure coincidence? What happens to our advertising contracts, which make us money? Does the university care if our reputation among advertisers plummets?”

They added, “The Media School is more focused on censorship than real solutions for student media. Is this really the best use of the university’s resources? Or of ours? Editorial decisions, including the contents of our print product, firmly lie in the hands of the students. This is not about print. This is about a breach of editorial independence. If IU decides certain types of content are ‘bad for business,’ what stops them from prohibiting stories that hold them to account on our other platforms?”

The pushback isn't coming solely from the Indiana Daily Student staff.

Mark Cuban, an Indiana grad, tweeted this week ([link removed]) , “Not happy. Censorship isn’t the way. I gave money to IU general fund for the IDS last year, so they could pay everyone and not run a deficit. I gave more than they asked for. I told them I’m happy to help because the IDS is important to kids at IU.”

Over the past two days, I’ve heard from several Indiana graduates who are now in journalism who are furious with what has happened.

A former Poynter colleague, Annie Aguiar, who is an arts and culture correspondent for Lookout Eugene-Springfield, wrote a piece for Poynter: “At Indiana University, the journalism school forgot what journalism is for.” ([link removed])

In it, Aguiar writes, “As a former editor-in-chief of the Indiana Daily Student and an alum of Media School, I find IU’s conduct to be the truly unacceptable act.”

Aguiar added, “Without trying to actually benefit student journalism, the IU Media School is offering up some key lessons for college reporters. Fight tooth and nail for your independence. Admins are not your friend, despite what they say with a smile. Keep going. I know the student journalists at the IDS will continue to put out good work, regardless of whether their university and department administration care about actually supporting it. This situation makes me ashamed to be a graduate of the IU Media School. But I’ll never be ashamed to be a graduate of the Indiana Daily Student.”


** Wait, there’s more
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On Thursday, the Indiana Daily Student published an e-edition ([link removed]) with the blaring headline in school color red: “CENSORED.” The subhead read, “This is not about print. This is about a break of editorial independence.”

Flip through the 24 pages online and you’ll see some clever design work. Where there are normally advertisements, the spaces are black with large, white block lettering that states what the paper lost in advertising dollars. For instance, one full page in the digital edition was blacked out except for the words, “$1864.94 in lost revenue.”

It was brilliantly effective. And proof that you might not want to mess with smart journalists and clever designers.


** CNN launches subscription service
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OK, here we go again. CNN is starting up another subscription service. Launching on Oct. 28, the new “All Access,” — priced at $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year — offers subscribers access to live and on-demand content, as well as the digital content on CNN’s website.

Those who sign up before January 5, 2026 are eligible for a special introductory price of $41.99 for the first year.

Alex MacCallum, Executive Vice President, Digital Products and Services, CNN Worldwide, said in a statement, “No one covers the world like CNN. With this new subscription offering, our audience will now have access to the best of CNN across platforms, including multiple live stream channels, our signature video-led journalism and all articles on CNN.com and in the mobile app. It’s an essential step in CNN’s evolution as we work to give audiences the complete CNN experience in a format that reflects how audiences engage with the news today.”

This is CNN’s second attempt at a subscription service. The first one, called CNN+, lasted only a month in March of 2022 before it was shut down. As CNBC’s Luke Fountain noted ([link removed]) , “The closure was partly the result of the merger between Warner Bros. and Discover in April 2022 and amid disappointing subscription numbers and internal challenges at CNN.”


** Media news, tidbits and interesting links for your weekend review
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* Nancy A. Youssef, who covers national security and the Defense Department for The Atlantic, with “The Last Days of the Pentagon Press Corps.” ([link removed])
* Speaking of the Pentagon press, just about every news outlet refused to sign the new press policy. More than 100 people cover the Pentagon, and most refused to sign. But a few did, including those who work at the Epoch Times, One America News and the Federalist. The list also includes several foreign outlets. The Washington Post’s Scott Nover has all the details ([link removed]) .
* NPR’s David Folkenflik with “NPR 'founding mother' Susan Stamberg has died.” ([link removed])
* The Associated Press’ David Bauder with “During troubled times in news industry, 168-year-old Atlantic thrives with newspaper-magazine hybrid.” ([link removed])
* And here’s another from the AP’s David Bauder: “Former UN Ambassador Andrew Young describes ‘dirty work’ of civil rights movement in new documentary.” ([link removed])
* Variety’s Brian Steinberg with “CBS News’ Standards Chief Exits Amid Chaotic Period for News Division.” ([link removed])
* White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt actually said this ([link removed]) on Fox News on Thursday: “The Democratic Party's main constituency are made up of Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens, and violent criminals.” Repeat, the White House press secretary said this.
* For Poynter, Pete Croatto with “Q&A: The New Yorker’s Susan Orlean on why she treasures ‘the stuff of life.’” ([link removed])
* Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy and Ryan Glasspiegel report ([link removed]) that ESPN has found a replacement for Molly Qerim, who abruptly left ESPN last month after a decade as co-host of “First Take” — the show whose star is Stephen A. Smith. Qerim left, presumably, over a contract dispute and a shuffled assignment at ESPN. Her replacement, according to McCarthy and Glasspiegel, will be Shae Cornette, who has been anchoring “SportsCenter” and has been with ESPN since 2020. ESPN had tried out different co-hosts after Qerim left, including Peter Schrager, Amina Smith, MJ Acosta-Ruiz, Courtney Cronin and Joe Fortenbaugh, but settled on Cornette.
* Warning: this is a really difficult, but really important, story to read. The Washington Post’s William Wan with “‘It broke me’: Inside the FBI hunt for the online predators who persuaded a 13-year-old to die.” ([link removed])
* The New York Times’ Melena Ryzik (with cool visuals from Thea Traff) with “The Reckoning of Ben Stiller.” ([link removed])
* Esquire editor-in-chief Michael Sebastian talks to the comedian and podcaster in “What I've Learned: Marc Maron.” ([link removed])
* For Los Angeles Times subscribers: It’s Jack Dolan with “72 peaks. 31 days. One mountaineering legend: Kilian Jornet’s mind-blowing mountain marathon.” ([link removed])
* Finally, today, I want us to head into the weekend on an upbeat note. So I turn it over to my Poynter colleague, Kristen Hare. Kristen writes, “The 50-year-old Poynter Institute might not be the place journalists think to come for a cathartic laugh, but thanks to the work of our colleague, TyLisa C. Johnson, that's changing. Johnson is the brilliant creator behind our funniest, most poignant memes, which you can find on Instagram. She shared four writing tips that help her use humor during difficult times. You can enjoy them, and her work, here: “How we’re using humor in fraught times.” ([link removed])


** More resources for journalists
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* Interested in learning more about funding local news? Start here ([link removed]) .
* Gain the skills to spot AI risks like bias, misinformation and hallucinations before they harm your work. Enroll now ([link removed]) .
* Journalists: It’s time to take care of yourself, too ([link removed]) . Enroll now in a free session on embodiment practices to rest and regroup.
* Amp up your editing skills, improve your work life and advance your career with Poynter’s ACES Certificates ([link removed]) .
* Stop wasting hours on repetitive tasks — automate them instead. Learn how ([link removed]) .
* Access a list of mental health reporting resources ([link removed]) on funding, source-building and more.
* Deepen your coverage of incarcerated women and women with incarcerated family members and get the chance to apply for one of five $10,000 reporting grants. Enroll now ([link removed]) .
* Master the tools to connect Washington decisions to local stories — essential coverage as the 2026 elections approach. Enroll now ([link removed]) .

Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .
The Poynter Report is your daily dive into the world of media, packed with the latest news and insights. Get it delivered to your inbox Monday through Friday by signing up here ([link removed]) . And don’t forget to tune into our biweekly podcast ([link removed]) for even more.
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