RAW: The CI's Vivian Bostick Speaks with NewsLink Indiana Regarding Censorship in University-Managed Media

Editor's Note: The Cardinal Independent (The CI) is owned by Vivian Bostick. Bostick asked an attendee to hold her phone and record this conversation.

    MUNCIE, Ind. - The following is a transcript from Vivian Bostick's interview with NewsLink Indiana (NLI) regarding censorship in university-managed media. The full video is posted below in its entirety. 

AIDEN (NLI): Just to make sure everything's right, can you say your name, how you spell it out, and what your position here for today's protest is?

VIVIAN (THE CI): My name is Vivian Bostick, V-I-V-I-A-N, last name B-O-S-T-I-C-K. I'm an independent journalist, I'm the founder of The Cardinal Independent, and I just saw that when I was waiting to go home.

AIDEN: Okay, so, kinda similar questions from what I've asked before, how do you personally feel, on Ball State's campus, the student-run media has silenced voices on campus, whether that be through paper, print, digital or through administration?

VIVIAN: I will say this right now, I have created an email address, and I have received six anonymous tips from people involved and formerly involved with student media in regards to censorship.

AIDEN: Okay, how have their voices kinda impacted what you believe is the silencing of student--by student media?

VIVIAN: Sorry, can you repeat the question one more time? Sorry.

AIDEN: How has their thoughts and input in your, as you said, your emails, how has that influenced how you believe that student media is silencing voices on campus?

VIVIAN: That, personally, I'd say it hasn't influenced me as a person. I would say that is what's going on, that's what they're saying, and that's what I'm seeing. There has been limited coverage about the protests, except for when protesters have been arrested or when administration has been called. There have been zero--sorry, gotta restart. I'm sorry. You can keep that in there! If I make a mistake, keep the mistake if I made a mistake.

AIDEN: It's fine. You're good.

VIVIAN: Hold me accountable.  That's your job as a journalist, and, as journalists, we are supposed to be holding each other accountable. And, unfortunately, there has been a lack of coverage, I've seen this as well, in regards to Brian Gallagher and Michael Conner. Brian Gallagher, he's a Board of Trustee member. He used to work at United Way, there's been some allegations. And then Michael Conner, he is a Ball State police officer. I spoke with Tiffanie Williams over Zoom. He broke into her apartment without a warrant. And both of them work with the university, and there has been zero coverage about this--there has been one sentence I've read in a recent article that's basically like, "Students are protesting because of this," but they're not investigating as to what happened. I've obtained body-- 

Vivian accidentally touched the microphone. 

VIVIAN: Sorry, I've touched the mic. I've obtained--I've obtained body camera footage, I've obtained court records, I have done a lot of digging and a lot of searching, and I believe that student media--media that is endorsed by Ball State University--should be doing the same. I also believe that, regardless of your political beliefs or personal opinions, you should have a voice. I've been in numerous newsrooms in the State of Indiana where there are democrats, there are republicans, there are conservatives, there are a lot of in-betweens and outliers. And what do they do? They work together in one newsroom to create one story that is unbiased to publish to a population, and that's what The Ball State Daily News should be doing. And The Ball State Daily News, they fired--I'm trying to remember his name, I am so sorry. I am so sorry.

ATTENDEE: Jeffrey. 

VIVIAN: The Ball State Daily News fired Jeffrey Dreyer, who was an editor for them, because of his political beliefs and association with the Young Democratic Socialists of America. If there was someone from Turning Point USA who was fired--I have my own personal opinions, I have my own personal beliefs. I have not exercised these beliefs here. I have spoke--I have given my input on student media, but I have just been on the side with my phone getting information, because, as a journalist, that's my job, and that's what The Ball State Daily News, that's what NewsLink Indiana, that's what everyone should be doing, and they are missing the mark, unfortunately. It's not just me. If you open up YikYak right now, one of the trending posts--I did not post this, I woke up to this this morning--"The Ball State Daily News is failing its students."

AIDEN: So, I kinda want to touch base on you talking about accountability. You said a lot of the protest on campus have not been covered by student media. I do know that The DN has covered the one back in August. It was over at the Peace Plaza, it was on August 22nd, I remember DN covering that, and then there were three protests the week before fall break that, I understand that NewsLink and The DN also covered all of those. I'm just kinda wondering, you talk about accountability, but we have all covered these events, and we've done our best to give these students a platform to speak about their problems and keep it as unbiased as we can, just kind of amplifying student voices and their beliefs on campus. So, I was kinda wondering what your thoughts are on that, seeing how there has been coverage, but...

VIVIAN: Personally, I thank you. I thank everyone with student media, but, unfortunately, from what I'm hearing, it's from the top level, it's not from the students. The students want to journal, and they have gone to these protests. You're at a protest right now. The problem that we're facing right now is not all perspectives are being shared. Student media is willing to say, "Students are upset about Michael Conner and Brian Gallagher," "Students want divestment from things they are thinking is investing in genocide," but they're not naming Duo Mobile, the are not naming Brian Gallagher--what Brian Gallagher was alleged to do, they're not speaking with Tiffanie Williams, the victim of Michael Conner, who is now in Mexico on political asylum. So, my question I have for student media, and a question I have still yet to find an answer to, is why are not all perspectives being shared? And again, I've said it earlier, you've--not you, but the upper levels fired an editor at The Ball State Daily News for his political opinions, his personal political opinions outside the newsroom. I don't care if you're a democrat, I don't care if you're a republican, I don't care if they're just a random person in the middle of the street! You can't just fire someone because of their personal opinions, and I understand as journalists we're not supposed to be biased, and I personally believe, to the best of my ability, I've tried to be as neutral and unbiased as possible, given my platform, given my minimal amount of money. I am spending hundreds on infrastructure for my own news platform, out of pocket, money I don't even have.

AIDEN: So, I think another question I will add is, as an independent journalist, and not only as that, as a student here on Ball State's campus, how do you believe that people in student media can work better to amplifying people's voices, telling more stories that you believe are not fluff pieces, as some people have said, but more to-the-point and really highlighting the problems you guys believe are the most serious currently, not even in Indiana or the country, but in the world?

VIVIAN: I'm gonna be broad with this and I'm gonna quote my professor, actually, Corey Ohlenkamp. He said, "Say a cow, see a cow." That means if you see something, you gotta say that you saw it. What I've header, and this is just--

"Bella Ciao" plays as cars honk.

VIVIAN: I have spoken with a political candidate, I'm actually trying to reach out to Victoria Spartz as well to get her perspective. I'm trying to reach out to everyone, because, as a journalist, as an independent journalist, I'm providing a service to the community, and that's what student media should be doing. I'm sorry, could you repeat the original question, I was sidetracked.

AIDEN: Just kinda, not even as an independent journalist, but as a student here at Ball State, how do you believe that, as student media, we can do better at amplifying the voices of people who believe that there are bigger problems than what Ball State's campus is currently facing?

VIVIAN: As I brought up earlier, "Say a cow, see a cow," Corey Ohlenkamp said that in his lecture. I'm in one of his classes. So, "Say a cow, see a cow." If you see something--if you see protesters in the background right here, you should be focusing your story about the protest. The story you're reporting on should not be about "Are students upset at student media?," because, honestly, personally, I am, giving the framing and coverage of this situation right now.

AIDEN: That's my last question. Is there anything you'd like to say that we didn't touch base on kinda last minute?

VIVIAN: If you want to get involved with independent student journalism, visit CIMuncie.org. There's a form on there. I'm also launching an independent news initiative, so if anyone wants to start their own platform, if you are dissatisfied with student media, if you are--if you are satisfied with student media and want to share that input, just let me know! Contact me! I am working for you, I work for you, I want to share and provide all perspectives, and it's just frustrating to me that not all perspectives are being shared in university-owned media outlets. I have created an email to report censorship and expression concerns on campus. That is BSUExpressionConcerns@CIMuncie.org. BSUExpressionConcerns@CIMuncie.org. So, if anyone watching this believes they have been censored by the university, I encourage them to email me, because if student media's not investigating it, I will.

AIDEN: I do actually have one clarifying question. Can you touch base on--you said there are six students who you have received anonymous emails about. They were voicing their anger or concerns with student media. Have you talked to them about maybe coming forward, publishing their word, staying anonymous, or--

Shafer Tower starts chiming.

AIDEN: --just kind of saying what their problems are, in a sense, so that we can understand what the problems are and work towards them?

VIVIAN: I'll wait for the chime to finish. 

Shafer Tower stops chiming.

VIVIAN: After the firing of Jeffrey Dreyer, the people who have reached out to me--I have their names, I have their emails. When you send an email, it's not anonymous, I see it, but per Indiana code you have the right to remain anonymous when speaking with a news platform, which I qualify under. So, they're scared. They're scared to speak out, and I'm actually going to reach out to them after this to see if they want to post anything anonymously, because right now, it's just...I am receiving emails, an ongoing amount of emails. Right now it's six, but it was originally one, that became three, that became five, and it's just growing of students who are with student media and formerly with student media who are concerned that their stories are not being published if the university disagrees with them. I'd also like to point out that The Ball State Daily News, on the top of their website, says they're an independent news source. However, Jeffrey Dreyer--I'm still getting this confirmed, I'm gonna file an APRA request to get this information, that's a legal, formal request--Jeffrey Dreyer said, and I'm getting this confirmed, that The Ball State Daily News is getting paid $115,000 from the university, and the university's killing stories that it dislikes. If that's true, The Ball State Daily News is not independent, and needs to [unintelligible] on that respects.

AIDEN: Alright, thank you so much for your time. 

VIVIAN: Thank you. I appreciate you for your time--I respect what all y'all are doing, I just wish that you had the freedom to say everything.