Boston College is an academic institution committed at every level to furthering academic, religious and political discourse on its campus. Accordingly, no action has ever been taken to stifle the first amendment rights of any student newspaper.
The Heights, an institution that has long standing credibility issues with the students, faculty, administration and staff at Boston College has foolishly thrust private negotiations between the university and student newspapers into the public light.
Unfortunately, a lack of understanding of the true nature of the situation has contributed to a variety of misstatements in the local and national media concerning the issue at hand.
Outside the BC community, these gross inaccuracies have cast a negative light on the university and those who support its policies, but within the college the irresponsible actions of The Heights in this matter have only darkened the cloud that has loomed over their publication for many years.
It is a principle rule of business that ongoing contract negotiations of any sort are kept free of public scrutiny until final deals are made. The Heights’ blatant denial of this fundamental tenet demonstrates their lack of integrity and immaturity as an institution.
If The Heights expects to be treated with respect by Boston College, its readers and the public it must conduct itself reputably, and recent events have demonstrated the exact opposite. In short, if they are a legitimate independent business, they should conduct themselves within the confines of proper business practice, and not flee to outside media interests when they feel slighted.
The Observer condemns journalistic censorship of any kind and has a history of uncovering stories that have upset the administration of Boston College and brought about major changes on this campus this is the role of an effective student newspaper. However, we stand by the university’s ability as a Catholic institution to ensure that all organizations operating in its offices are doing so with respect to its Catholic identity.
In summary, The Heights has yet again confirmed its lack of journalistic and organizational integrity, and in doing so compromised private negotiations that included other independent entities like The Observer. They have acted recklessly and without regard for proper business ethics. If The Heights is to begin on the long arduous road to the re-establishment of its credibility on campus and beyond, they must abandon their current course of action, and respect the deep-seated standards of conduct that guide legitimate business practice.
Christopher L. Pizzo Editor-In-Chief, The Observer Boston College College of Arts and Sciences ’05