Editors of University of Virginia's student paper were wrongly punished-Our view

Members of a student-run newspaper at the University of Virginia have learned a very important lesson recently –– no good deed goes unpunished.

Editors on the Cavalier Daily’s managing board have come under fire after they published a Sept. 12 editorial revealing and condoning plagiarism issues at the paper.

The managing editorial board used the column as a way to let readers know that one writer, who was left unnamed and no longer works at the paper, had plagiarized at least three printed articles.

And while the board even reported the writer to the school’s Honor Committee, that same committee is coming back at the Cavalier Daily, claiming their editorial violated the school’s Standards of Conduct.

According to a Student Press Law Center attorney Adam Goldstein, who was quoted in a Poynter.org article written by Jim Romenesko, the action by the Honor Committee was an example of censorship.

“Punishing students for publishing an editorial? I think it’s laughable that a university entity has the authority to punish truthful information,” Goldstein said.

And that’s just what the original editorial aimed at doing –– being open and honest with their readers.
In an editorial run Tuesday to address the issue, managing board editors said they thought publishing the previous column was necessary because the paper “strives to remain accountable to readers for the accuracy and authenticity of the content that appears in its pages.”

As the editorial board of another student-run newspaper, we feel that the Cavalier Daily did what they had to while remaining both factually correct and respectful to the audience. So, suck it University of Virginia. Stop trying to nitpick an already sensitive situation and recognize these editors for what they are –– credible journalists.