The United States has among the strongest legal protections of speech for its citizens in the world, but my experience in the newsroom would serve as a juxtaposition to that fact.
Since I joined The Daily Beacon in the fall of 2024 and began covering political topics, I’ve seen people’s fear of commenting firsthand. Across the political spectrum, they are scared of potential backlash to their comments: losing their friends, their jobs or their reputation.
I’ve seen professors and staff alike cite uneasiness when approached for comment. I’ve personally had several sources recoil at the idea of going on the record. Recently, I have had to direct writers to include lines reporting that a majority of those approached for an interview refused.
When there is a chilling effect on speech, and when people overwhelmingly decline our interviews, it affects our reporting. It becomes more difficult for us to serve our community and to provide well-rounded coverage on issues.
I’ve observed and can describe the dichotomy between the silence exercised by students and faculty. When students choose not to comment, it’s often because they fear jeopardizing their careers, damaging friendships, or being doxxed, attacked or called out online. When declining interviews, faculty and staff have cited an uneasy or unfriendly atmosphere originating from their administrators.
In the wake of the termination proceedings against Tamar Shirinian, faculty have clamped down further. Faculty have spoken to me and my writers, on and off the record, to describe a climate of fear at UT and a preference against speaking their minds publicly.
The University of Tennessee has an extensive public relations network that funnels almost all communication through a few individuals. The result is that a significant number of our requests for information are redirected, and so many of the responses we do receive are brief, evasive or unhelpful.
University officials routinely decline our offers for conversation or sit-down interviews, instead choosing to email us brief, preapproved statements which lack meaningful answers. This erodes the authenticity of our interactions with members of the university. It limits how clearly we can understand the university’s perspective. It’s disturbing when, as a public, land-grant university, we cannot get the answers to questions students are asking.
From what I’ve seen, there is a great “falling in line” effect taking place on our campus. The university has worked in many instances to assure it is in step with state and federal politicians and laws on potentially contentious matters. Students have watched others face retaliation online and as a result, many seem genuinely afraid to have their names attached to any form of political statement.
I’ll reiterate that our nation has strong, constitutional protections for everyone’s right to free speech, but how important is that fact if people are afraid to exercise their speech? Right now there are serious disincentives to doing so, and as long as that is the reality, our community will suffer. It is never a good thing when people are afraid to talk.
To those who have spoken to me and my team on sensitive topics, I personally thank you. You are in the minority. It is with dismay that I say it takes a level of courage in this moment to exercise the American ideal of free expression.
Free expression goes beyond enabling quality journalism that serves its community. It is the bedrock of this nation and a privilege most people around the world don’t have. Use it.
