Another group censures OCC

The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication has passed a resolution censuring Ocean County College for terminating Prof. Karen Bosley from her roles as journalism instructor and Viking News adviser, according to this Student Press Law Center report from Aug. 14.

Here is an excerpt...

In addition to censuring the college, the AEJMC resolution also calls on Bosley’s reinstatement both as adviser and as a journalism professor — the college has also reassigned her to teaching English courses.

The more general resolution calls for the maintenance of student newspaper advisers’ rights and condemns requiring advisers to review content prior to publication or in any way determine student newspaper content.

The resolution says AEJMC will communicate the association’s concern about student press censorship to the Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications and urge “that such behavior be given special consideration in accreditation decisions.”

“A threat to accreditation is a powerful weapon in the fight against censorship,” said Mark Goodman, executive director of the Student Press Law Center. “This resolution should have some schools very nervous.”