Penn State removes independent student newspaper copies and racks from campus

Penn State removed all copies of The Daily Collegian, the independent student newspaper, as well as their distribution racks, from on-campus buildings earlier this week, saying the student organization violated the university’s advertising rules. Students and press advocates said the removal was an overstep by the state-related university, and threatened the free flow of information on campus.

“The newsroom was very shocked and very upset by it,” said Amy Schafer, the paper’s editor-in-chief. “Especially given the context that the university just launched a free speech website, and our president Neeli Bendapudi just put out a message saying that our university really cares about upholding free speech.”

The Daily Collegian first reported the story online.

The issue centered around the news racks that distribute The Daily Collegian’s weekly print editions. For about two years, the paper, an independent nonprofit published by Collegian Inc., has sold advertisements to display on its racks around campus. Out of roughly 35 indoor news racks, nine displayed ads this week paid for by NextGen Climate Action and the Kamala Harris campaign, Schafer said.

But on Thursday morning, she noticed that all of the racks, as well as the remaining copies of last week’s print paper, were missing from buildings across campus. She said no one from the university informed her or other student leaders that it was planning to remove the papers or the stands, and she had no idea at the time where they were taken or why.

Penn State told The Inquirer that The Daily Collegian broke the rules by selling ad space “outside the actual publication of its newspaper.” A spokesman said the racks were removed “for only a short period of time” and were back in place as of Friday.

“The University supports free news and information sources specifically for its students,” a spokesman for Penn State said.

Schafer said she could understand that the university wanted to enforce its advertising rules, but she did not understand why the university had removed more than just the offending racks.

On Friday morning, after the papers and the racks had been removed and returned, Michael Wade Smith, senior vice president and chief of staff at Penn State, sent an admonishing letter to the general manager of The Daily Collegian. The letter, which The Inquirer reviewed, said, “the rack advertisement is a commercial activity completely independent of The Collegian’s journalistic activities and which The Collegian has zero authorization or right to engage in on University premises.”

“It is the University’s hope that we can consider this matter closed,” Smith added.

The paper’s removals came at a particularly challenging financial moment for The Daily Collegian. While Penn State provided upward of $400,000 in funding to the paper in 2022, the school recently slashed that amount to zero, starting this year. The paper relies heavily on advertising: It brought in $393,643 in advertising revenue in 2023, according to its most recent tax filings.

“If we don’t have that advertising revenue, and we don’t have the university funding, it’s hard to fund our journalism,” Schafer said.

Bill Zimmerman, Penn State professor and Collegian board president, said the paper was still in the process of determining the refunds in billing associated with pulling the rack ads. When ad space in all 10 of the racks is sold, it can generate as much as $3,000 a month, he said.

”These newsstands provide enticing space to advertisers and are a major asset to us. This is a big blow,” Zimmerman said. “I hope the university reconsiders its stance on the matter.”

Despite the brief nature of the removal, Melissa Melewsky, a media law attorney for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, said the incident raises real concerns — not only about free speech violations, but also about government taking private property.

“Completely removing all news racks seems a significant overstep here,” Melewsky, a Penn State alum herself, said. “The Daily Collegian is right to be concerned. Students and alumni who rely on The Daily Collegian for information are concerned as well.”

The student paper, founded in 1887 by another name, has an editorial staff of about 90 students, and publishes 4,800 print copies each week. In recent years, it has faced the same headwinds as many local papers: Print circulation and advertising has declined, Schafer said. The paper used to publish a print edition five days a week, and now publishes in print only on Fridays, focusing more energy online.

Schafer said she and the other student journalists are planning to include the story in next week’s print edition.

“An issue like this ultimately proves the importance of student journalism,” she said, “and how big of a role we play in holding the university accountable.”