Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Bosley, Viking News receive awards in St. Louis


While the St. Louis Cardinals were parading around with the 2006 World Series trophy Sunday, Karen Bosley and the Viking News picking up some hardware of their own in the Gateway City.

Bosley received the 2006 Louis E. Ingelhart First Amendment Award recognizing educators who defend the First Amendment rights of student journalists. The award, which is conferred annually by College Media Advisers, Inc., was formally announced at the Associated Collegiate Press/College Media Advisers-sponsored National College Media Convention in St. Louis, Oct. 29.

Meanwhile, the Viking News earned the 2006 College Press Freedom Award. Sponsored by the Student Press Law Center, the award is given each year to a college student-journalist or student news organization that has demonstrated outstanding support for the free press rights of America's college student media.

Three editors at the Viking News filed a lawsuit in May against college President Jon Larson and several other administrators after the school removed longtime newspaper adviser Karen Bosley. The lawsuit alleges that Bosley’s removal was the result of retaliation for several stories the newspaper wrote critical of the school’s administration.

In July, a federal district court judge issued a preliminary injunction that ordered school officials to reinstate Bosley as adviser while the lawsuit continues.

"Thanks to the Viking News' perseverance and commitment, their adviser — who for more than three decades has put her neck on the chopping block to stand up for her students — is back in the newsroom today," SPLC Legal Consultant Mike Hiestand told the gathering of college student journalists and advisers from across the country.

"Student media advisers everywhere can breathe at least a little bit easier thanks to the precedent their case has established," Hiestand said.

Read the full text of the SPLC's College Press Freedom Award press release.

To read the text of the Louis E. Ingelhart First Amendment Award press release, right-click or ctrl+click on the images below and open the image in a new window or tab. If you click regularly, you may need to sign in to Flickr or Yahoo to view the full-size image.

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(National College Media Convention graphic from CollegeMedia.org)

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