Former Daily Collegian news advisor Jim Rodenbush made headlines across the nation when he was fired by Indiana University from his position as director of student media. At issue, according to Rodenbush: his refusal to limit the content of the student newspaper’s special print edition for homecoming.
Rodenbush was fired on Oct. 14. Hours later, the university announced that all print editions of the Indiana Daily Student would be eliminated, claiming the move was part of the university’s long-range student media plan. (Update: After backlash from alumni and students, the university decided to bring back the print edition.) The plan ended weekly printing to curb the newspaper’s debt, but it had been permitted to publish special themed editions, such as the one planned on homecoming.
Rodenbush told editors in an Oct. 7 email that administrators expected “that edition should contain nothing but information about homecoming — no other news at all, and particularly no traditional front page news coverage.” When he refused to limit the content, he was fired, Rodenbush has told reporters.
For its part, the university framed the issue as a dispute over Rodenbush’s failure to deliver on a switch from print to digital distribution of the IDS. In his termination letter, IU Media School Dean David Tolchinsky said Rodenbush’s “lack of leadership and ability to work in alignment with the University’s direction for the Student Media Plan is unacceptable.”
Rodenbush was news advisor at the Collegian for three and a half years, starting in January 2011. During his time at Penn State, the Collegian won numerous awards, in large part for its coverage of the Jerry Sandusky scandal and death of Joe Paterno.
He became adviser for the Rocky Mountain Student Media Corporation at Colorado State University in September 2015. He accepted the Indiana University position in May 2018.
Rodenbsuh is now suing the university for wrongful termination. NPR’s Morning Edition reported on the lawsuit in its Nov. 5 Morning Edition. It can be read/listed to here.
The Collegian has published an editorial about the Indiana Daily Student controversy. It can be read here.
PHOTO CREDIT: Devan Ridgway, WFIU/WTIU News, Indiana Public Media, Bloomington, IN
