Purdue Exponent stocks Bloomington newsstands after Indiana University cuts Indiana Daily Student print editions

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana University halted production of Indiana Daily Student (IDS) print editions last week. The university’s decision to stop funding IDS print editions came in the aftermath of the firing of Director of IU Student Media Jim Rodenbush.

Now, IU’s greatest rival, Purdue University, is making headlines. Purdue’s student newspaper, The Purdue Exponent, stocked IDS newsstands in Bloomington over the weekend. The Exponent’s publisher, Kyle Charters, called the Exponent’s stocking of IDS newsstands “Operation Clandestine Delivery” in an X post.

In that post Charters wrote “we delivered special edition Exponents to the IU campus after the University admin there canceled IDS print editions.”

The front pages of the papers the Exponent delivered read “we, the student journalists, must stand together.

What started this

Rodenbush was ousted as head of the student newspaper when he reportedly refused to comply with direct orders to censor a homecoming edition of the IDS.

According to a Letter from the Editor published by the IDS, Rodenbush was given a directive by the university’s media school to include no news in the Oct. 16 Homecoming edition of the student newspaper. The media school ordered the paper to stick only to “information about homecoming” and leave out all other news.

In the fallout of Rodenbush’s firing, IU officials decided to cut print editions of the IDS, which sparked backlash from many, including IU staff and faculty, with the journalism department issuing the following statement:

“The Journalism faculty at Indiana University are appalled by Chancellor David A. Reingold’s decision to cut the print edition of the Indiana Daily Student hours before publication. This move broke with the Student Media Action Plan, threatened the editorial independence of our student journalists and breached the core values of journalism that we discuss every day in our classrooms.

“Indiana University has a long and proud history of student journalism. Our students have done the vital, difficult work of reporting and publishing in a very challenging atmosphere for reporters on campus and around the world. They have weathered many storms, including threats and harassment they received for their coverage of protests on Dunn Meadow. Our students have kept their composure again and again. We are so proud of them.

“In order to honor our students, repair trust with our alumni community and restore the long, proud legacy of journalism at IU, campus leadership should produce a complete, independent accounting of the events of the last week and take ambitious, meaningful actions to show their commitment to journalism’s future. This must include a restoration of the printed special editions of the Indiana Daily Student as agreed upon in the Student Media Action Plan. We stand ready to join a conversation about next steps.”

Billionaire and IU alum, Mark Cuban, also chimed in, expressing his frustration with IU’s decision on social media.

“Not happy,” Cuban wrote in a post on X. “Censorship isn’t the way. I gave money to IU general fund for the IDS last year, so they could pay everyone and not run a deficit. I gave more than they asked for. I told them I’m happy to help because the IDS is important to kids at IU.”