HAMPTON, VA - After seizing copies of the Hampton Script last week, the university has now come to an agreement with editors of the student newspaper, which resulted in distribution of a revised copy of the publication.

Campus Trucking Services removed copies of the newspaper from the office of the Hampton Script, before they were distributed when editors failed to comply with the wishes of the acting president, JoAnn Haysbert, that her letter addressing previously reported problems at the cafeteria and criticizing the paper’s coverage of the matter, be printed on the front page. The letter was instead printed on page three, where letters to the editor are usually printed.

Haysbert and the editors agreed that the newspapers would be reprinted with her letter on the front page, as the acting president had requested, in exchange for the establishment of a panel to develop guidelines for the operation of the newspaper. The reprinted papers contained the following disclaimer on page one beside the Haysbert letter: “The editorial staff of the Hampton Script does not approve of the placement of this memo. The placement goes against all principles of journalism. We agreed to print this memo on the front page in exchange for the establishment of a task force, whose purpose is to examine the relationship between the university and the newspaper. We have agreed to the placement of this memo in order to preserve the future of the university newspaper. We firmly reiterate that the editorial staff does not approve of the placement of this memo. We know we practiced sound journalism in deciding this and thank those who supported our efforts to maintain our First Amendments rights. Details of the agreement are in the story below.”

Talia Buford, editor of the Hampton Script told University Faculty Voice the agreement was a “move toward progress.” In a university prepared statement, Haysbert said: “There is indeed a lesson to be taught from all of this. And I propose that through research, discussing our differences and listening to one another, we will uncover valuable insight that will collectively make Hampton stronger.”

Journalism at Hampton University has consistently been in the news since the opening of the new media school, the Scripps Howard School of Journalism about one year ago. The journalism department chair, Charlotte Grimes, resigned on November 1, 2002 over a dispute about the direction of the journalism program at Hampton. Then president William R. Harvey is reported to have said journalism is “to do good, not muckraking,” and to have stated “our students didn’t need to learn investigative journalism.” Grimes told UFV at that time that concerns of censorship and a fear of repression lead to her decision to terminate her position at Hampton. At that time, Harvey would not comment to UFV.

Christopher Campbell was hired as the director of the Scripps Howard School of Journalism this summer, and veteran journalist Earl Campbell was named the endowed professor of journalism. Campbell is the chairman of the newly appointed task force.

©2003 University Faculty Voice