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Gramblinite Responds To Jena Six Incident
Issue date: 9/27/07 Section: Front
Statement from The Gramblinite
Gramblinite Press Release
For more information: 318-274-3333, De'Eric M. Henry
On Friday, The Gramblinite's editor in chief De'Eric M. Henry received a phone call from one of the advisers to the paper, reporting that some community and faculty members were outraged about some of the photos that were published on the The Gramblinite's Web site of the Alma J. Brown Elementary School events staged in support of the Jena Six.
The editor in chief and news editor Darryl D. Smith had a conference call to discuss the photos. They decided to remove the three (3) photos of the girl with her head in the "noose." The editor in chief then spoke to the acting department head of the Department of Mass Communication, Dr. Martin Edu, and explained to him why the three (3) photos were removed.
The decision to remove the three (3) photos did not come from GSU President Horace Judson. It was an editorial decision. However, the decision to remove all photos and the story (Students at GSU's Alma J. Brown sound off on Jena 6 protest) came from the office of the president and no student editors were present in the office at the time (Friday, Sept. 28).
One (1) Gramblinite adviser was ordered to remove everything pertaining to the Alma J. Brown Jena Six march by the president's office. Student editors found out early Monday morning that everything regarding the Alma J. Brown demonstration had been removed from the site. Henry ordered that everything be re-uploaded to the Web site (thegramblinite.com) immediately with the exception of the three (3) photos.
"The Gramblinite only did what our motto stands for: 'We don't make the news; we report it,'" said Henry. "We do not approve of censorship or prior review, and we stand by our editorial decision to inform the students of Grambling State University of news events that effect them on campus, in the community and everywhere."
UPDATE: The three (3) Jena Six photos in question are copyright of The Gramblinite. There is NO permission being granted to use the photos for ANY publication.
Gramblinite Press Release
For more information: 318-274-3333, De'Eric M. Henry
On Friday, The Gramblinite's editor in chief De'Eric M. Henry received a phone call from one of the advisers to the paper, reporting that some community and faculty members were outraged about some of the photos that were published on the The Gramblinite's Web site of the Alma J. Brown Elementary School events staged in support of the Jena Six.
The editor in chief and news editor Darryl D. Smith had a conference call to discuss the photos. They decided to remove the three (3) photos of the girl with her head in the "noose." The editor in chief then spoke to the acting department head of the Department of Mass Communication, Dr. Martin Edu, and explained to him why the three (3) photos were removed.
The decision to remove the three (3) photos did not come from GSU President Horace Judson. It was an editorial decision. However, the decision to remove all photos and the story (Students at GSU's Alma J. Brown sound off on Jena 6 protest) came from the office of the president and no student editors were present in the office at the time (Friday, Sept. 28).
One (1) Gramblinite adviser was ordered to remove everything pertaining to the Alma J. Brown Jena Six march by the president's office. Student editors found out early Monday morning that everything regarding the Alma J. Brown demonstration had been removed from the site. Henry ordered that everything be re-uploaded to the Web site (thegramblinite.com) immediately with the exception of the three (3) photos.
"The Gramblinite only did what our motto stands for: 'We don't make the news; we report it,'" said Henry. "We do not approve of censorship or prior review, and we stand by our editorial decision to inform the students of Grambling State University of news events that effect them on campus, in the community and everywhere."
UPDATE: The three (3) Jena Six photos in question are copyright of The Gramblinite. There is NO permission being granted to use the photos for ANY publication.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 77
Rico Rivers
Rico Rivers
posted 10/01/07 @ 1:12 PM CST
Way to go, Gnite Staff!!!
That's the Gramblinite I remember from back in the day!! Continue to Shake da haters off!!
Rico Rivers
John Davis
posted 10/01/07 @ 2:20 PM CST
Way to go Grambling. If you are going to teach blacks to hate whites, you need to start early. Keep dividing the races by scaring kids and putting nooses around thier necks and race relations in America will never change. (Continued…)
D
posted 10/01/07 @ 3:36 PM CST
So, why aren't you publishing or allowing the publication of the three banned/censored photos?
An explanation would be nice.
EBARNES
posted 10/01/07 @ 5:20 PM CST
In my opinion the current controversy has nothing to do with race relations, and ALL to do with Freedom of the Press. More specifically, the right of the Gramblinite to report the news as it happens. (Continued…)
Brian G
posted 10/01/07 @ 5:47 PM CST
How horrible of those teachers to put a noose around the neck of a small child. Shame on those teachers for instilling fear into children. Teachers should be a source of safety, peace and comfort for children. (Continued…)
John Nevius
posted 10/01/07 @ 7:06 PM CST
Please don't give me the excuse of Freedom of Speech. This falls short of a hate crime, but it's exactly what it promotes, H A T E. If that was my daughter that had the noose around her neck, and it the pictures found their way into your paper, there would be a legal suite against the elementary school, and everyone involved in the incident. (Continued…)
a parent of an Alma J. Brown student
posted 10/01/07 @ 7:39 PM CST
I am a parent of student there at Alma J. Brown Elementary. The teachers there were trying to demonstrate and talk to the children about the Jena 6 situation, but as I was saying those are young children with young minds with wild imaginations. (Continued…)
Dr. Gramblinite88
posted 10/01/07 @ 8:19 PM CST
I'm all for freedom of speech and what have you, but these are children - babies. At my kids school, in order to have pictures of my children published, I had to sign a release granting permission to do so. (Continued…)
HeWhoMustNotBeNamed
He Who Must Not Be Named
posted 10/01/07 @ 8:51 PM CST
Dr. Gramblinite...get out of here with that. The Gramblinite only reported the truth and the facts in this situation. The Gramblinite did their job. (Continued…)
AJB Parent
posted 10/02/07 @ 9:49 AM CST
I just wanted to know,have the parents of the students involved been contacted to see how they feel about the whole situation? All the attention is being focused on the teacher(grandmother) who led the kindergarten and first graders on this march. (Continued…)
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