The Mercury is a student-run publication at the University of Texas at Dallas. On the publication’s website, there are news stories on the student senate. There are columns on politics and film. There are stories in the “Life & Arts” section about Hispanic Heritage Month and the State Fair of Texas. There is sports coverage ranging from baseball to chess.
None of these stories, however, are on the homepage. Instead, “MERCURY ON STRIKE” is painted in bold white lettering at the top of the screen against a black background. In place of sports coverage and columns is a statement dated Sept. 14. The statement explains that Sept. 13, the Student Media Operating Board voted to remove The Mercury’s Editor-in-Chief, Gregorio Olivares Gutierrez.
Director of Student Media Lydia Lum said Olivares violated Student Media bylaws by holding multiple student jobs, causing budget overruns and thus not allowing Lum to sufficiently perform her role as The Mercury’s advisor. Olivares refuted the allegations and said the situation was really happening because Lum wanted prior review of the paper and had a different vision for The Mercury.
The Mercury’s management team said Lum provided insufficient reasoning and evidence for these claims and Olivares was removed unfairly with no opportunity for remediation. The Mercury said this was a continuation of UTD’s administrative retaliatory action following the publication’s coverage of arrests of students and faculty May 1 at a pro-Palestine encampment.
Prior review refers to the practice of allowing school officials outside of the publication’s publishing staff to read the content of a publication prior to publishing. Prior review of a collegiate publication is widely considered to be unconstitutional. Most journalism education groups have condemned prior reviews as educationally and journalistically unsound. Allowing a university’s administration prior review of content published by students only opens the doors to potential intimidation and censorship.
Although prior restraint, referring to school officials taking action to prevent the publication of certain content, is different from prior review, both open a publication up to incredibly difficult, complicated and uncomfortable situations. Running a student publication is difficult enough without administrative intervention in any capacity.
The press is often referred to as a watchdog. Although most journalists have heard this notion a nauseating number of times, this is the truth. When a journalist is going after the truth, and that truth upsets those who hold the power, the press is simply performing the function it exists to perform. When the institution that students give thousands of dollars in tuition each year acts in a way that jeopardizes the well-being of the students, and student press reports this and the administration reacts negatively, it simply means journalists are doing their jobs. For an academic institution to want to control the angle from which student journalists are reporting has gross implications.
In the statement on The Mercury’s website, the publication makes three demands to conclude the strike: the reinstatement of Olivares as Editor-in-Chief, for SMOB to, “amend its procedures so that anyone in violation of a Student Media bylaw is given an opportunity for remediation instead of immediate dismissal,” and “For the Editor-in-Chief position at The Mercury to be democratically elected by official Mercury members rather than appointed by SMOB.”
To support the strike, add your name to The Mercury’s Strike Statement Consignatory Form here. Student journalism is journalism and demands the same respect as any other news outlet. The Post stands with The Mercury and with student journalists everywhere.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post's executive editors: Editor-in-Chief Alyssa Cruz, Managing Editor Madalyn Blair and Equity Director McKenna Christy. Post editorials are independent of the publication's news coverage. The Post can be reached via editor@thepostathens.com.
