The adviser to the Indiana Daily Student, Indiana University’s student-run newspaper, has been fired in a dispute over content of a homecoming-themed print edition.

Jim Rodenbush, director of student media at the university’s Bloomington campus, was fired Oct. 14.

Rodenbush worked for TribLive about 20 years ago.

Rodenbush was fired before a homecoming-themed edition of the newspaper could be printed. He demonstrated “a lack of leadership and ability to work in alignment with the university’s direction for the Student Media Plan,” according to his dismissal letter, which was shared on social media.

In October 2024, the school announced that weekly print editions of the Indiana Daily Student would cease in spring 2025 and be replaced by periodic special publications, such as the one for homecoming. In September, as students were readying the homecoming edition for publication, they were advised that no “news” content would be allowed in the edition, only stories and information about the homecoming events.

As reported in The New York Times, Rodenbush said that school administrators wanted him to tell the student journalists to comply. Rodenbush refused. He was fired and future print editions were scuttled. The Indiana Daily Student continues to publish online.

The Student Press Law Center, an advocacy group that upholds the rights of student journalists, condemned the move.

“This disregards strong First Amendment protections and a long-standing tradition of student editorial independence at Indiana University,” said Jonathan Gaston Falk, an attorney for the law center. “If the abrupt ousting of the student media director was related to his refusal to participate in such censorship, the message is clear: IU no longer welcomes a free student press.”

Rodenbush held similar roles at Colorado State and Penn State universities. Before that, he worked in the sports department of TribLive in the 2000s, where his assignments included writing about the Pirates’ futility and regional college sports news.

Indiana University doesn’t comment on individual personnel issues, according to David Reingold, chancellor of Indiana University Bloomington.

The Indiana Daily Student has published since 1867. Its former staffers include World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle.

The move to end all print editions of the newspaper was announced to the staff hours after Rodenbush was fired.

It was part of a plan for student media that shifts to a digital content model, Reingold said.

“To be clear, the campus’ decision concerns the medium of distribution, not editorial content,” Reingold said in an emailed statement. “All editorial decisions have and will continue to rest solely with the leadership of IDS and all IU student media. We uphold the right of student journalists to pursue stories freely and without interference.”

The editors of the newspaper were wary of the university’s moves and the explanation behind them.

“As it stands, we have no way to trust this. To cut print entirely is a clear, blatant reaction to our protests. Or maybe the university cut print this week by pure coincidence?” IDS editors Mia Hilkowitz and Andrew Miller wrote in a “Letter from the Editors” posted online Wednesday.

In another online letter, Hilkowitz and Miller described the series of events: The newspaper had planned to publish themed issues that previously were supplements to the newspaper. “The Media School directed us to print no news in the paper,” they wrote. When Rodenbush bristled at the idea, he was fired.

Hours after he was fired, Rodenbush was in Washington at the Society of Professional Journalists president’s awards.

While he appreciated the support of journalists, he said in a video posted on Facebook, the important thing is for student journalists to continue to have advocates in place and platforms to learn their craft.

The issues faced by the college journalists in Bloomington are similar to those faced by professional journalists across the country, as President Donald Trump routinely dismisses critical reporting as “fake news” and access to the inner workings of the national defense is being limited at the Pentagon.

Last year, Penn State student journalists at the Daily Collegian saw access to their work hampered when the university removed newspaper racks from buildings because of political advertisements.

Rodenbush and Indiana Daily Student staff members didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

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