Lori Meadows
Liberty University is an evangelical liberal arts institution with 15 colleges and schools. The university has been involved in several controversies, including allegations of censorship and abuse of power regarding its student newspaper, the Liberty Champion. In 2016, Joel Schmieg, the sports editor of the Liberty Champion, resigned after his article criticizing Republican nominee Donald Trump was banned from publication by then-president Jerry Falwell Jr. In 2018, Jack Panyard, the Editor-in-Chief of the Liberty Champion, and reporter Erin Covey were fired after the newspaper came under fire from Falwell Jr. for its critical stance on certain issues. Additionally, in 2019, Will Young, a former editor of the Liberty Champion, described a culture of fear and censorship at the university, leading to student journalists creating an independent newspaper, the Lynchburg Torch. These incidents have sparked debates about the university's relationship with the press and allegations of hypocritical abuse of power.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Incident | 2016, 2017, 2018 |
| Student Editor's Name | Joel Schmieg, Andy Ngo, Jack Panyard, Erin Covey |
| Reason for Firing | Criticizing Trump, publishing unapproved content, recording a discussion by a Muslim student |
| Action Taken | Resignation, Firing |
| Newspaper | Liberty Champion, Vanguard |
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What You'll Learn
- Liberty University's student newspaper is accused of being censored by the administration
- Former editor-in-chief Will Young described a culture of fear and thought-control
- Student editor Joel Schmieg resigned after his article criticising Trump was banned
- Student editor Andy Ngo was fired for reporting unapproved truth
- Editors have to seek approval from the university president for articles mentioning Trump
Liberty University's student newspaper is accused of being censored by the administration
Liberty University's student newspaper, the Liberty Champion, has been accused of being censored by the university's administration. The newspaper's former editor-in-chief, Will Young, described a "culture of fear" and "an infrastructure of thought-control" at the university, alleging that school officials often overrode student editors' decisions and imposed censorship. Young's claims are supported by other former editors and reporters at the Liberty Champion, who have also spoken out about the university administration's interference in the newspaper's content.
In one instance, writer and sports editor Joel Schmieg claimed that his article criticizing Republican nominee Donald Trump's "locker-room talk" was banned from the final print by then-university president Jerry Falwell Jr. Schmieg resigned from his position at the Liberty Champion following the incident. Similarly, reporter Erin Covey shared how her pursuit of an article about a gathering of a group often critical of the university, the Red Letter Christians, was shut down by Falwell, who said, "Let's not run any articles about the event."
Another former editor, Jack Panyard, recalled feeling uncomfortable during his interview with the dean of the College of Communications, Bruce Kirk, who later fired him from his position at the newspaper. Panyard claimed that Kirk made it clear that the content of the student newspaper was dictated by the university president. These incidents have led to criticism of Liberty University's actions toward its student newspaper as a hypocritical abuse of power and an attempt to control the dissemination of information related to the university's interests.
As a result of the perceived censorship and administrative control, student journalists at Liberty University launched an independent newspaper called the Lynchburg Torch to cover stories that the administration tried to suppress. The creation of this independent platform highlights the students' commitment to journalistic freedom and their desire to report on topics that may be considered sensitive or critical of the university.
The accusations of censorship and administrative interference in the student newspaper have sparked concerns about the university's values and its commitment to fostering a free and unbiased press on campus. These incidents also raise questions about the role of student media in holding institutions accountable and the challenges they face when navigating institutional pressures and maintaining editorial independence.
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Former editor-in-chief Will Young described a culture of fear and thought-control
Liberty University's former editor-in-chief, Will Young, described a "culture of fear and thought-control" in a lengthy Washington Post article in 2019. Young detailed his experiences of censorship and interference from school officials during his time as editor of the student newspaper, Liberty Champion. He claimed that the university imposed censorship and controlled the content of the newspaper, overriding student editors' decisions.
Young recalled an incident from his first week as editor when he attempted to access the campus police blotter and was rebuked. He also wrote about the university's response to his resignation, where they opted to turn the newspaper into a "faculty-run, student-written organ" rather than appointing a new student editor. This move was seen as a way for the university to seize complete control over the content of the newspaper.
In addition to Young's experiences, other instances of censorship and control at Liberty University have been reported. In 2016, Joel Schmieg, a sports editor at Liberty Champion, claimed that an article he wrote criticizing Republican nominee Donald Trump was banned from the final print by then-president Jerry Falwell Jr. The article, which discussed Trump's "locker-room talk", was removed after Falwell advised the editors to "get rid of the one by the male athlete about the videotape". Schmieg ultimately resigned from his position, stating that the decision was his choice.
Furthermore, in 2018, Jack Panyard, who was granted the position of Editor in Chief of Liberty Champion, and another staff member, Erin Covey, were fired by the dean of the College of Communications, Bruce Kirk. This incident occurred after Panyard felt uncomfortable with the direction from Falwell and Kirk, who made it clear that the content of the newspaper was to be dictated by the university president and in the university's interests.
The actions of Liberty University's administration have been widely criticized as a hypocritical abuse of power and an attack on the freedom of the press. Young's description of a "culture of fear and thought-control" highlights a concerning trend of censorship and interference in student media, with the university prioritizing control over the free exchange of ideas and information.
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Student editor Joel Schmieg resigned after his article criticising Trump was banned
Liberty University is an accredited evangelical liberal arts institution with 15 colleges and schools, including a law school, medical school, and school of divinity. The school's official student newspaper is the Liberty Champion. In 2016, Liberty University student and sports editor of the Liberty Champion, Joel Schmieg, resigned after his article criticising then-Republican nominee Donald Trump was banned.
Schmieg's article focused on Trump's use of the term "locker-room talk" following a hot mic incident in 2005. The article was removed after the paper's editors received an email from President Jerry Falwell Jr. advising them to "get rid of the one by the male athlete about the videotape". Falwell attributed the decision to limited space in the paper. However, Schmieg claimed that the real reason was censorship by the university administration, which had a history of suppressing stories critical of Trump.
Schmieg's resignation highlighted a broader issue of censorship and control at Liberty University. Former editor-in-chief of the Liberty Champion, Will Young, also described a culture of fear and an "infrastructure of thought-control" at the university. Young recounted instances of school officials overriding student editors' decisions and imposing censorship. As a result of this interference, student journalists at Liberty University launched an independent newspaper, the Lynchburg Torch, to cover stories that the administration tried to suppress.
The actions of the university administration, particularly President Falwell Jr., were criticised by student journalists and external media outlets as a hypocritical abuse of power and an attack on freedom of the press. Despite the backlash, the university continued to exert control over the content published in its student newspaper, with articles mentioning President Trump requiring review by Falwell before printing. This included instances of Falwell adding information about the writer's voting preferences and cutting critical opinion pieces altogether.
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Student editor Andy Ngo was fired for reporting unapproved truth
Student editor Andy Ngo was fired for reporting what was deemed to be an "oversimplification and violation of journalistic ethics". The incident in question involved Ngo's coverage of a Muslim student speaker at an interfaith panel at Portland State University, where the speaker stated that "in a Muslim country, [...] disbelieving, or being an infidel, is not allowed". Ngo's summary of the event, which was picked up and circulated by Breitbart News, sparked a social media backlash and led to his dismissal from the Vanguard by editor Colleen Leary.
Ngo's reporting and subsequent dismissal highlight the challenges of ethical boundaries in journalism and the potential consequences of reckless simplification. Leary defended her decision by stating that Ngo's summary reflected a violation of journalistic ethics and was intended to incite a reaction. However, Ngo's supporters argued that he was "fired for reporting the truth". This incident also brought attention to the broader issue of self-censorship and political correctness in media organisations.
Ngo's case is not an isolated one, as Liberty University has faced similar controversies. The university's student newspaper, the Liberty Champion, has experienced instances of censorship and interference from school officials. In 2016, a student editor, Joel Schmieg, resigned after his article criticising Republican nominee Donald Trump was banned from publication by then-president Jerry Falwell Jr. Schmieg's article referenced Trump's "locker-room talk" controversy from 2005 and was removed due to limited space in the paper, according to Falwell.
The culture of censorship and control at Liberty University, as described by former editor Will Young, indicates a broader pattern of suppressing dissenting voices and imposing ideological alignment. Young's experience, along with Ngo's dismissal, underscores the ongoing tensions between institutional control and journalistic freedom, particularly in educational institutions with specific ideological leanings.
While Ngo's reporting may have sparked controversy and debate, it also raises important questions about the role of student media and the boundaries of acceptable discourse on college campuses. The incident invites a broader discussion on navigating between ethical reporting and ideological sensitivities, especially in educational contexts.
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Editors have to seek approval from the university president for articles mentioning Trump
Liberty University is an accredited evangelical liberal arts institution with 15 colleges and schools. The university's student newspaper, the Liberty Champion, has been criticised for being censored by the university's administration. In 2016, a sports editor, Joel Schmieg, resigned after Jerry Falwell Jr., banned his article criticising then-Republican nominee Donald Trump. The article discussed Trump's "locker-room talk", a term Trump used after his hot mic incident in 2005.
In 2018, Jack Panyard was granted the position of Editor in Chief of the Liberty Champion. However, he felt uncomfortable with some of the questions asked during the interview process and decided to record all future meetings. Soon after, Panyard and the rest of the staff were told by Falwell that the newspaper was for disseminating information related to and benefiting the university's interests. Bruce Kirk, the dean of the College of Communications, also instructed the staff to ensure that what they wrote could be dictated by the university president.
Articles mentioning President Trump had to be reviewed by Falwell before they were printed. He would make notes asking the editor to add information about how the writer was voting in the election, and sometimes he would cut critical opinion pieces altogether. Falwell prevented a piece critical of President Trump’s “locker room talk”, claiming that another article on Trump that week had already been published, so an additional opinion piece would be “redundant”.
In 2019, Will Young, a former editor of the Champion, recalled his experiences in a lengthy Washington Post article. He wrote about the "'culture of fear' at Liberty University" and how school officials often overrode student editors' decisions and imposed censorship. Young's article describes how the university introduced "an infrastructure of thought-control that Falwell and his lieutenants had inserted into every aspect of Liberty University life".
Student journalists at Liberty University became so frustrated with the censorship that they launched an independent newspaper, the Lynchburg Torch, to cover stories the administration tried to suppress.
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Frequently asked questions
Liberty University fired a student editor for reporting an "unapproved truth". The student, Andy Ngo, posted clips of a Muslim student discussing whether a sharia state can allow non-Muslims to live in peace.
Ngo's clips were picked up by conservative sites, including Breitbart, and were deemed ""predatory" and "reckless". The editor-in-chief claimed that Ngo had violated the paper's ethical standards by not "minimizing harm" toward the speaker.
The National Review Online (NRO) published an article with the headline "Fired for Reporting the Truth", arguing that Ngo was merely reporting the truth and highlighting the "unapproved" nature of it.
Yes, Liberty University has been accused of censoring its student newspaper and abusing its power. The Daily Collegian, a college media outlet, published an editorial opinion criticizing the university's president, Jerry Falwell Jr., for his actions toward the paper.
Yes, in addition to Ngo's firing, Jack Panyard and Erin Covey were also fired from the newspaper by the dean of the College of Communications, Bruce Kirk. This was due to their refusal to adhere to the university's interests and allow their writing to be dictated by the university president.
