|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Last Wednesday, among others, a Stanford Daily student news reporter and a then-news editor were arrested after pro-Palestinian protesters barricaded themselves in a Stanford University administrative office.
Now, the university and leaders at the student newspaper disagree about whether the District Attorney should file charges against the reporter.
According to a statement from The Daily, the student reporter was there reporting on the demonstration. The news editor, however, participated in the demonstration in her personal capacity, the statement says. The news editor was immediately demoted for her participation and resigned after a discussion with The Daily’s leadership, according to the paper.
Stanford suspended the news editor and reporter along with the other dozen students arrested for occupying the building. The university then revoked the reporter’s suspension, but Stanford President Richard Saller and Provost Jenny Martinez wrote in a statement that the school “fully supports” the criminal prosecution of the reporter.
“Since the time of the arrests, the university has been engaged in reviewing the evidence received to-date,” the Stanford statement reads. “We believe that The Daily reporter reporting from inside the building acted in violation of the law and University policies and fully support having him be criminally prosecuted.”
The former news editor and reporter did not respond to requests for comment.
In its statement, The Daily claims the reporter had no knowledge of the plans to occupy the administrative office and became barricaded in, with no way to leave.
“We ask the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office to decline pursuing criminal charges against [the reporter], which would be plainly unfounded,” the paper’s statement says.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office says it has yet to receive the cases.
Stanford argues that both students knowingly engaged in criminal activity and are not protected under the First Amendment in this case.
“Both Stanford Daily staffers were among a small group of individuals barricaded inside a locked office building, after gaining unlawful entry,” the statement reads. “They had no legal right to be there, under the First Amendment or otherwise, and the conduct in this case was deeply problematic.”
The university’s statement also questions whether the editor’s involvement led to The Daily learning about the demonstration and added, “it is certainly an unusual confluence of events and raises some serious questions of journalistic ethics.”
The Daily denies any relationship between both students’ involvement. In its statement, The Daily countered that “[The news editor’s participation] in the June 6 demonstration had no bearing on The Daily’s and [the reporter’s] role covering it.”
Stanford harshly criticized both student’s participation: “We are disappointed in the conduct of The Daily staffers on this occasion. The integral involvement of one of their managing news editors in the occupation of the building as a protestor is certainly concerning. The fact that the two reporters knowingly came along for planned criminal activity is also deeply concerning. And we would expect even a student journalist to understand that they had no right to be barricaded inside the president’s office.”
The university added, “Indeed, we would expect quite a bit more of The Stanford Daily, which has historically been one of the best college newspapers in the country.”
In its response, the student newspaper objects to the university’s characterization of its reporter’s actions.
“Independent student journalism benefits the entire Stanford community, and The Daily takes seriously its role upholding the highest professional and ethical standards,” the statement says.
Editor’s note: It is Embarcadero Media’s policy to withhold the names of those arrested for most crimes until the District Attorney’s Office has determined that there is sufficient evidence to file charges in the case.