ARN: How do you separate your responsibilities as a leader in the newsroom, but then also as a friend of many of these student journalists that are working alongside you, especially when it comes to a dilemma like removing a published story or a byline because somebody has a fear of deportation, and then, to the same effect, Christina for you, how do you encourage the student leaders to maybe separate those responsibilities?
Khan: Well, I just, I think it’s hard, like I think we’re learning, and I still think we’re all evolving, even as leaders, if it is a friend, I immediately do my best to involve people who are in the same leadership as me, and like faculty advisors, who can also maybe give me a counter view, or sort of play devil’s advocate if needed, or even sort of talk it through with me, even if I’m the one sort of bringing in the idea that, hey, like this was something that was flagged to me. So it’s something that I always use, like I’m not doing anything unilaterally and I’m doing something alone.
Bellantoni: Like people are vulnerable right now for a variety of reasons, many of them political. And so maybe when you do that interview, you want to be triple sure the person really knows. We face it in the situation about revocation of student visas, certainly, but also in the idea of someone who might be undocumented, because that person might be willing to be out there. But we always have to push that journalist who’s interviewing them to say, and you’re sure you understand this, and this might come to your family, and is everybody kind of on board with this? And so if you inform people, then at least you’re training people who come to the table with all of the information. And I also one of the reasons I’m in this role. I’ve been here six and a half years, and why I love it is because I feel like we are training the newsrooms of tomorrow to think about things differently. Yes, having name sources is really important. It gives you integrity to your journalism. And also, there are ways to build that trust with your audience and still have that integrity without putting someone in serious risk.
Khan: There’s no one size fits all, I think, especially in times like this. And I think if we did that, that would now be a disservice to journalism, in my opinion, because we can’t say that. Maybe in this situation, we did not give this person anonymity, but we’re going to do the exact same thing in this situation like I don’t think that’s acceptable, because probably the stakes have changed. The situation is different these days. I think identity has informed a lot of things, but I think the biggest thing is that we don’t rush to conclusions, even in the newsroom when we’re under a deadline.
ARN: And so as far as things go, with the appeal process and anonymity rules in the newsroom here, do you see that evolving even more from where it’s already been? As this situation potentially evolves itself or maybe worsens, if more journalists, student journalists are targeted. I know, for example, you know, in their piece that the inquirer just put out, they explain how in Drexel student newspaper, their paper is the Triangle, and so they said a lot of their bylines are changing to the Triangle staff rather than one person. So I don’t know how you guys feel about stuff like that.
Bellantoni: It’s to me, that is the worst thing that could possibly happen. I understand why they’ve done it. Well, if there’s a strike, like if there is a unionized newsroom workforce and there’s a strike, people who cross that pick a line, they’re called scabs, they’ll write something, but maybe they’ll say, we’ll withhold our bylines, and it’ll say, you know, by such and such staff. So you’re saying you’re going to equate the same thing and not give your name and your credence to your story because of fear of that. And again, there is a real risk, and that, to me, is horrifying, and I think everybody has to be thoughtful and mindful of consequences, but that that shouldn’t put the chilling effect on it, and that’s one of the reasons why this moment is is a big moment, because it has put a chilling effect on things.
Khan: Well, I also think that there’s it’s not our place to just say if you’re undocumented, you’re not going to be named. We know so many people who are undocumented out in the open, activists who want their experience to be heard, who want people to be like, we’re just not like something you read like, DACA in quotes in a paper, and, like, push it aside you. We want you to associate our name and our face and know that we’re humans. We’re people, right? I don’t think we can ever take away from journalists or from anybody else, the idea of owning their words, of owning their opinions, especially if they want to. And I think that’s why, like now we’re also working as a newsroom to try to establish sort of a letter to the editor and an opinion section. That’s something that a conversation we’re having right now is like, how can we figure out avenues to give people a place where, as a newsroom, we cannot cover everything.
Bellantoni: When you have a student who maybe comes to you and says, you know, I wrote this piece that has to do with the deportations in ICE and everything, but I’m scared to publish it, because I’m scared that’s gonna paint a target on my back, and they feel like the university at large, based on their actions, is not going to protect them.
ARN: What do you guys say to them in those moments to reassure them that they should publish they should go forward with that?
Bellantoni: We’ve talked about it in here, like the faculty. In the Newsroom are extremely dedicated to the truth and and that freedom, and we will fight for it.
ARN: As the next batch of leaders comes in, as Malcolm and Sophie come in to take over your and Lila’s roles. What are the conversations you guys are having? Because I imagine that this issue in particular will be one that they’re gonna have to hit the ground running with in their first, you know, couple days, you know, or weeks, months in the position. So are those conversations you guys are already having, and what are those kind of look like to help get them ready?
Khan: They’re probably going to have conversations that we never thought of we probably would need to talk about, you know, three years before it was all the conversations probably Christina had with then executive editors about all the cases of sexual assault on campus, with Greek life, and with, with the George Tyndall stuff, right? Those are the conversations she had --
Bellantoni: There’s always something at USC --
Khan: Yes, and now with, with me and Lyla and Tess, last year, the conversation she’s been having is about protests, and, more recently, about, like, undocumented students, international students. And that is probably going to continue and change for Malcolm and Sophie, and then whoever comes after that, and then whoever is executive editor in 2030 you don’t have to have an answer, per se, for even when the students come up to you, but you do need to not be caught off guard, especially if you’re a leader, because if you’re a leader in the newsroom, you at least need to be giving people that courage and that strength, or that the fact that, hey, we’re also talking about this, you are not the only one that’s thinking about this, right? And I think there’s some merit even that idea of them knowing that, okay, thank God I’m not the only one talking or thinking about this, and there’s other people thinking about it.
Bellantoni: I couldn’t agree more.