During the summer of 2024, The Post’s Facebook page, with over 9,000 followers, was taken down by Meta due to suspected impersonation of another news organization. Since then, the Audience Engagement team at The Post has worked to recover, focusing on rebuilding our following.
However, just as we’ve been making significant strides in expanding our audience across all of our platforms, not just Facebook, our Instagram account was removed Thursday.
With around 5,000 followers, The Post’s Instagram account is our most prominent platform, driving the highest engagement in terms of impressions, likes, comments and shares. When we received the news early Thursday morning the account had been taken down, panic ran through our bodies.
For those who closely follow The Post on social media, you might know last week we published several stories relating to Ohio legislation regarding diversity, equity and inclusion, issues which were highlighted on the cover of last week’s print edition. Among the stories “flagged” by Meta were “Ohio Schools Prepare for ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill” and “Ohio SB 1 Threatens DEI Programs at OU, Sparks Student Concerns.”
As the national political climate around DEI continues to shift, Meta has also scaled back its fact-checking efforts and moved toward “community notes.” According to Meta, community notes allow “contributors to write and submit a Note to posts they think are potentially misleading, inaccurate or incomplete,” with the option to include background information, a tip, or insight people might find useful.
Moreover, Meta recently stated it will limit the amount of political content recommended and viewed by Instagram users. They define political content as anything related to laws, legislation, elections and social issues. The political landscape is a topic that must be covered in depth, and we will continue to prioritize informing our readers through these crucial stories.
However, by removing The Post’s Instagram based on these articles alone, Meta contradicts its own mission, which allows users to “talk openly about the issues that matter to them, whether through written comments, photos, music or other artistic mediums, even if some may disagree or find them objectionable.”
As the media and journalistic landscapes continue to evolve, the Audience Engagement team at The Post finds itself facing the complexities of navigating what can and can’t be posted. With mounting tensions between ethical guidelines, legal restrictions and personal opinions, frustration is inevitable.
Questions about free speech, editorial responsibility and censorship have begun to dominate our internal discussions, sparking debates that extend far beyond individual opinions. It is our opinion that, in this digital age, where content can quickly go viral, there’s a heightened responsibility to ensure that every post meets journalistic standards while not violating laws or ethical codes.
Ohio University has been a beacon for freedom of speech and is evident in the university’s first publication The College Mirror. Published in October 1874, the publication's statement reflects a commitment to using the power of the press responsibly. The editors declared their intent to wield this "engine of power" not merely for profit or sensationalism, but to further a greater good, which is what The Post will continue to do in 2025 and beyond.
“The press is an engine of power and it is as such that we intend to use it. Having continued to lay our hands on energies so potent, we feel bound to employ them in a legitimate manner and direct them to useful ends. We shall try to speak strongly and we are determined to speak honestly. Our utterances shall always be manly, and on occasion, we trust they will be brave.”
In an era where social media and the 24-hour news cycle magnify every story, the foundation of strong, brave and honest reporting remains essential. The College Mirror's message continues to resonate today, underscoring the importance of journalistic integrity and the responsibility of the press to inform, empower and uplift society rather than simply entertain or provoke.
But now, the challenge lies in the reality of balancing these ideals with modern constraints such as misinformation, public backlash and the ever-looming threat of censorship.
The struggle of what to post and what not to post is not just about adhering to a set of rules; it is about reconciling the timeless values of press freedom with the modern demands of digital communication, all while maintaining the trust of the public.
To our followers, rest assured that the Audience Engagement team and The Post will not stop covering the important topics of DEI, LGBTQIA+ issues, women’s rights and critical political commentary.
Support us by following our Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and X accounts.
Abby Waechter is a junior studying strategic communications and Chase Borland is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. The views of these editors reflect the opinions of the majority of The Post. You can contact the Editors via editor@thepostathens.com
