Editorial: We stand with the student journalists at Emporia State

Since the Constitution was ratified in 1788, the concept of the First Amendment, more specifically freedom of speech and press, has confused some people. There are a lot of common misconceptions surrounding it, and oftentimes people get mistaken on what the First Amendment actually means.

On April 15 however, an actual violation to the First Amendment occurred at Emporia State University. The Bulletin, ESU’s school newspaper, had its news baskets tampered with inside the Memorial Union at ESU. 

An unknown person covered the papers up with manilla folders, shielding the front page story from others in the building. The story, written by former Hutchinson Collegian Editor In Chief Samarah Bailey, featured a young woman who was being sued by ESU for unearned aid after having to drop out due to a mental-health crisis. 

The story is a bad look on ESU’s behalf, which is a possibility as to why the basket was tampered with. 

Realistically, the feature on the former student would have been somewhat forgotten by the time the next edition of the Bulletin was published. Now, the school has to deal with the fact their student body’s newspaper was violated. 

Unless a student themselves covered the papers, whoever committed the violation also tampered with someone else’s property. The student paper is paid by student fees, making it the property of the student body.

The Hutchinson Collegian stands with the Bulletin and supports them as they have to face backlash for writing stories that need to be written. 

• For the Collegian Editorial Board

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