A university with a strong reputation for academic excellence removing funding and displacing a student publication from the heart of campus sends a concerning message about the repression of student journalism.
As reported in a Facebook post, Today’s Carolinian (TC), the official student publication of the University of San Carlos (USC), received a notice to vacate their remaining office at Downtown campus by USC Administration, effective Jan. 15. A similar case happened in August 2024 when the publication was also removed from Talamban campus.
TC started operating in 2019 without institutional funds after doing extensive coverage regarding the Tuition and Other Fees Increase. Although the administration promised to reinstate funding and institutional recognition after a meeting, TC was required to register under the Office of Student Formation & Activities (OSFA). TC declined this offer due to concerns about bureaucratic delays and the office’s history of red tape.
What’s happening to TC resembles a form of administrative intimidation. It is a fear we thought occurred only in national media and yet here we are fighting for free expression.
Student publications are no exemptions from these challenges. These censorships against TC reflect a disregard for the principles of campus press and reveal the priorities of the ones in power.
Such administrative decisions disempower students, stirring frustration and disengagement. The removal of TC’s offices deeply concerns all campus press defenders.
It is time to start recognizing student journalism as legitimate journalism. Like their professional counterparts, student publications serve their constituents with essential information about campus life. As such, they deserve the autonomy to deliver these stories with journalistic integrity.
Let us remember that we bear the responsibility to speak the truth as the voice of campus, upholding the principle of shaping public opinion by igniting conversation.
As a student publication that has faced oppression since martial law, the Weekly Sillimanian remains strong today. Despite occasional administrative interventions, we continue to make editorial decisions, knowing we are protected by the Campus Journalism Act of 1991.
We hope TC will persist and resist the difficulties they are currently dealing with regardless of how challenging it may appear.
We stand in solidarity with TC and denounce all repressive actions by the university administration that restrict the students’ right to access information. This includes reinstating TC’s funding, waiving their registration with OSFA, and recognizing them as a progressive student publication on campus.
