Otterbein University’s administration continues to speak about transparency as an important tenet of their values. This is reflected in campaigns such as the Model Community and in the rhetoric of the administration. However, we believe that Otterbein’s policies as they stand fail to uphold these values and, therefore, the interests of its students.
Otterbein360 reporter Logan Meyst attended Otterbein’s board of trustees meeting, which has traditionally been a meeting open to the public, on Feb. 14. Meyst kept a digital recorder on and visible to board members. During this meeting, the board members discussed a topic that was apparently deemed sensitive by Otterbein’s president, Kathy Krendl.
Krendl approached Meyst and asked if he was recording. Meyst told her that the recorder was on and asked her if she was asking him to delete the recording, to which Krendl responded that she was and that the members shouldn’t have been speaking about the topic.
We as journalists cannot ignore the request of the president of the university to delete information gathered at a public board meeting. We believe that while this act is not illegal in any way, the president's request constitutes an act of censorship that has been characteristic of Otterbein’s policies in recent years.
Otterbein University’s board approved a strategic plan in 2014 that cites a desire to create a “Model Community.” On the list of 14 “Core Values” and “Guiding Principles” are service; defined as a “commitment to fostering a culture of social responsibility, civic engagement and meaningful service to our communities.” Integrity, which is defined a “pledge to be honest, just and consistent in word and deed.” and Transparency: “We will work together to promote a culture of openness and transparency that ensures efficiency and effectiveness, and builds trust.”
These values, while admirable, mean nothing when not backed up by action. An institution promoting these values that cannot deliver them is delivering only an empty promise. We as a news organization are bound by the professional standards of journalism and we believe that the pursuit of truth should not be opponent to the goals of the university in which we serve.
Asking us to censor our journalism is contrary to our standards and puts us in a compromising position as a news organization. These actions are also contrary to the definitions presented by the university.
Recently, Otterbein360 staff received an invitation from the president's office to have monthly meetings with Krendl and her staff. This is an important offer of access that many student media organizations would clamor to have. We as a staff want these meetings to happen as long as they are on the record. We believe that if the administration is serious about its “Model Community” and in being transparent, that they would agree to these terms.
We believe truth is among the highest virtues and certainly the most important to the field of journalism. It is our hope that in the future the administration will take action to represent these values rather than spending time and money simply talking about them. If the university truly means to build trust, this would be an excellent place to start.
