Student Media Mission
The Maroon as a University Publication
The Maroon is a university publication charged with the responsibilities outlined in the 1973 policy statement. As such, the paper is to serve as an effective voice, especially of the students, of and to the university community. The paper is published by the university in association with the School of Mass Communication, with whom the paper shares facilities and resources. The Maroon’s budget comes under the umbrella of the Student Media budget, which includes the yearbook and the student magazine. The staff adviser is the budget authority.
The Student Media as a student enterprise
As a student enterprise, Student Media publications shall remain open to any students who wish to contribute their services. There shall be no course prerequisites established for the selection to any position. Competence and the skills necessary for any particular position suggest themselves as truer measures of an individual’s ability to fulfill the responsibilities of the position sought.
Student Media as a laboratory for the School of Mass Communication
As an organization, the Student Media is available to the School of Mass Communication as a laboratory for student experience. The use of Student Media pubications for credited experience is a function separate and distinct from the operations of the publications as organizations. The requirements for the teaching of journalism shall not interfere in the functioning of the Student Media as an organization or impede the publications staffs in the fulfillment of their responsibilities. The evaluation of a student’s work for credit shall be conducted by the faculty of print journalism responsible for the laboratory experience or by whichever faculty member assigned that work. This function may be fulfilled by the staff adviser if the adviser is the faculty member of record.
The editor
As the chief student officer of their publications, The Maroon editor in chief and The Wolf editor each have the responsibility to provide leadership to their staffs, select and remove editorial staff, direct the daily operations of their publications, make editorial decisions, maintain the quality of the publication, act on complaints — especially about fairness — and carry out those policies established by their editorial boards and the university.
Each editor shall seek consultation in matters of potential libel, obscenity or other matters involving potential liability, as well as matters that may be judged in contradiction to the values and sensibilities of Loyola University as a Catholic and Jesuit institution.
The editor in chief and Wolf editor are to be selected by their respective editorial board in conjunction with faculty representatives of the School of Mass Communication.
The editorial board
The editorial boards of The Maroon and The Wolf shall be comprised of the student editors of each publication with the publisher’s representative serving as a non-voting ex officio member.
The editorial board is empowered to formulate editorial policy, select and remove the editor in chief, establish qualifications for editors and standards for the evaluation of editors’ performances, promulgate operating procedures and standards for the publication of the publication and to take those steps necessary to assure proper stewardship of the Student Media’s resources.
The editorial boards have the responsibility to publish their publications according to their published schedules. The Maroon should be published each week school is in session, excluding the Summer Session.
The editorial boards also have the responsibility of securing independent professional criticism of their publications and to provide for the necessary training of volunteer staff who wish to be of service.
The editorial boards shall also serve as a review board for those matters in dispute between the editor in chief and the publisher’s representative or anyone else.
The staff adviser
The production of a quality publication is strongly aided by the nurturing of a professional journalist who is competent and experienced in the technical production and publication of a paper.
Such a person, serving as staff adviser, is to be in the Student Media office providing daily guidance to the staff in the preparation and publication of each issue. This is to be a constant working relationship rather than one of overseer on an occasional basis.
This position may be a full- or part-time administrative appointment depending upon the demands of the position.
As staff adviser, this person is the professional journalist in most immediate contact with the publications and their staff. The adviser is expected to provide the editors, staff and editorial board with constructive criticism both during and following the preparation of the paper for publication.
The staff adviser, however, is not empowered to intervene directly in the daily operation of publications as an organization. His or her function is to advise and instruct those persons responsible for the publications and their proper functioning.
Issues of concern to the staff adviser are brought to the attention of the editor in chief and/or the editorial board for consideration. Upon continuing demonstration of poor quality, the adviser is empowered to initiate action within the editorial board for the removal of the editor.
One of the adviser’s administrative responsibilities is the financial condition of the Student Media. The adviser is empowered to cease publication when financial resources are inadequate.
The Student Media will be a separate budget assigned to the Division of Academic Affairs. The staff adviser is budget authority.
The staff adviser is recommended by the School of Mass Communication and appointed by the university president. The adviser also serves as publisher’s representative.
The adviser as publisher’s representative:
As publisher, the university president is authorized to intervene in the editorial policy and publication decisions of the Student Media when the interests of the university are compelling.
The authority of the president is vested in the publisher’s representative who is empowered to challenge the decisions of the editor and mandate a review of the editor’s decision by the editorial board. In exercising such authority, it is imperative that the immediate interests of the university be balanced against the broader interest of the university to establish and maintain a university press of high integrity, which can serve as a medium of free inquiry and expression in the pursuit of truth.
“Recognizing that there are at times when the university and The Maroon, even when both are acting in the best interests of the university, may disagree, the following guidelines are established to ensure the preservation of the university’s health; and the integrity of the university press.”
The publisher’s representative is entitled to review copy and advertising prior to publication. Copy and advertising which presents a distinct potential of being libelous, obscene or which may subject the university to legal actions may be withheld from publication pending review of the questionable copy by the editorial board and, if necessary, the university attorneys. Such copy will either be withheld or immediately released upon completion of those modifications necessary to remove the potential danger.
Beyond this, however, the university maintains its own standards as a Catholic and Jesuit institution of higher education. From time to time, copy or advertising may be introduced into the paper that, although it does not expose the university to legal action, may be strongly offensive to the values and sensibilities of the Loyola community and its Christian heritage.
In such cases, the publisher’s representative is empowered to contest the decision of the editor to publish the copy or advertising in question and to require a review by the editorial board. The specific portions of copy or advertising in question will be withheld from publication pending this review and any other further appeal to the University Board of Communications.
In the event the publisher’s representative exercises the authority to contest the judgment of the editor, the judgment, copy or advertisement in question must be explicitly identified and defined in the narrowest of terms.
The exercise of the authority of the publisher’s representative to challenge the judgment of the editor is a serious matter and should be used only in those instances where the issues raised are truly compelling and pose a serious challenge to the best interests of the university and its values.
As publisher, the university president is empowered to remove his representative.
In those instances where the editorial board affirms the judgment of the editor and the publisher’s representative cannot accept this decision, the matter may be appealed to the University Board of Communications. The recommendations of the University Board of Communications are forwarded to the university president for his review.
Code of ethics for college media advisers
The adviser serves as:
- A professional journalist, who has the skills and education requisite to teach all aspects of that particular medium
- A professional educator, who should explain and demonstrate, commend and critique and urge students to understand their role and responsibility as journalists learning and applying their craft
- A professional manager, who can provide sound fiscal and technological guidance to the staff in running business and production operations.
The adviser’s personal code includes:
- A dedication to the goal for media to be accurate, fair, factual, unbiased and honest.
- A deep conviction that the adviser’s role, by law, is to guide and advise, but not to censor or prohibit.
- An unyielding commitment to defend and uphold the student’s Constitutional rights under the First Amendment to a full and vigorous freedom of expression without fear of prior restraint.
- The integrity to reject any situation or instance that might be construed as a conflict of interest to advising duties or which might violate any of the high ideals of the journalism profession.
- A determination to uphold the truth in dealing with students, colleagues, administrators, suppliers and the public.
- A commitment to encourage in staff members the goal to be as professional as possible through accurate reporting, through coverage, editorial opinion labeled as such and based upon verified fact and a recognition of the public’s right to know the truth.
- An open door for consultation and advice.
The adviser teaches by example, by having a strong personal code of ethical values, by possessing journalistic skills and professional experience in the area to be advised and by being an understanding counselor who encourages high journalistic ideals in media staffs.
The University Board of Communications:
The University Board of Communications is responsible to the president of the university. As a tripartite board comprised of representatives of the constituents of the university, the Board of Communications is well-positioned to reflect the standards of the university community. For this reason, it will fulfill an appellate function to review those decisions of the editorial board that are contested further by the publisher’s representative. In addition to those responsibilities enumerated in section four: Student Communications Media of the Rights, Freedoms and Responsibilities document, the University Board of Communications will also review and make recommendations on the editorial policy, and any revisions thereto, formulated by the editorial boards of the Student Media.
This policy statement is to be regarded as an amplification and clarification of the Loyola Maroon Policy Statement approved by Father Kennelly in 1973. The interpretations rendered in this statement shall supersede any previous understandings and will henceforth constitute the basis for the function relationships between the effected units of the university. Updated with minor changes for 2008.