As a journalist and graduate of the Roy H. Park School of Communications, I was extremely disturbed by President Tom Rochon’s response to the article “Final Word: The Violence Must End” written by Emily McNeill ’08 in IC View.

Rochon wrote in response that, “There are processes for editorial review of articles in IC View, and they were not followed in this situation … there is an appropriate way to discuss controversial issues in the alumni magazine … in this case we failed to do so in a fully balanced and unbiased manner.”

I recognize that IC View is published in the Office of Marketing Communications, and administrators, like Rochon, must balance the marketing needs of the college and its commitment to journalistic excellence. But McNeill’s article was published in a section reserved for op-ed articles, not in the magazine’s news departments. She used fact-based reporting to establish her point of view. It is distressing that Rochon believes he has a right and a need to regulate what points of view IC View publishes, even if the magazine is primarily a marketing tool.

Rochon wrote that he will establish an editorial board to review future IC View publications. While Park School student media are not affected by this decision, I am concerned the board’s establishment sets dangerous precedent. Rochon must remember that student journalists learn best through experience, even if student reporting covers topics deemed unfavorable by administrators. The school and its students will be all the better for it.