AS IT faces criticism over the alleged censorship experienced by student publication La Stampa, the UST senior high school (SHS) administration vowed to promote responsible campus journalism and expressed readiness to hold dialogues to support the support systems for campus journalists.
UST SHS principal Assoc. Prof. Mary Erika Bolaños said the administration is committed to working with the advisers and the editorial board of La Stampa to streamline approval processes, reduce delays and ensure that students’ voices are promptly heard.
“The University fully upholds freedom of expression and responsible campus journalism as provided under the Campus Journalism Act and the University’s existing policies,” Bolaños told The Flame in a statement sent on Sept. 5.
“The administration values the vital role of student publications in fostering critical thinking and responsible discourse within the Thomasian community. We remain open to dialogue with our student journalists to continuously improve the systems that support them,” she added.
The issue erupted after the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) denounced the alleged “blatant” censorship faced by La Stampa in a social media post on Sept. 3. According to the group, the advisers prevented staffers from publishing a press-freedom-themed cartoon.
“CEGP demands an immediate end to administrative and adviser intervention in the editorial independence of La Stampa and calls on the Thomasian community, alongside all campus publications nationwide, to resist and stand vigilant against all forms of censorship,” the post read.
In an interview with The Flame on Sept. 4, La Stampa editor-in-chief Laurice Escuin said the publication’s advisers had deemed the material “unfavorable” to UST’s image. The advisers supposedly ask the staffers to consider other topics such as artificial intelligence and fake news instead.
“We did consider their comments and offered them an alternative of inputting the said concerns to the pubmat’s caption once posted, however, they wanted to include it on the cartoon. We found their revisions a blatant act of revising the angle of a cartoon, which intended no harm for the student body,” Escuin said.
She claimed that the advisers’ “hyperfixation” on maintaining a positive image for UST had resulted in delays in releasing important content and the cancellation of crucial stories, including a report on addressing academic stress caused by class suspensions.
According to Bolaños, discussions were held between the publication staff and the administration regarding the cartoon. She said both parties have committed to ongoing dialogues to arrive at constructive solutions.
“The common goal is to support the students’ growth in responsible journalism,” Bolaños said.
“We remain open to further conversations, guided by the principles of truth, fairness, and the best interests of our students,” she added. F
