If It's War Max Karson Wants...

Hence, Voakes set up another meeting on March 3 — and this time, Herdy and Press reps such as Oldland were invited. The first draft of a memo about the gathering, penned by Voakes, pledges to study "whether the Campus Press should operate independently from the school's curriculum" — a shift that would distance CU from dust-ups and erase ambiguity about responsibility for content.

In addition, the draft outlines the formation of an "editorial policy group" to "assist the Campus Press in the formulation of new editorial standards, particularly regarding opinions policy, as well as the revision of its ethics code" and a "faculty sounding board" that would "make itself available to students for consultation on upcoming articles or feedback on articles already published" — duties that sound very much like Herdy's job description. Finally, the memo notes that a "faculty task force" would be asked to "conduct an investigation into the decisions that led to the hiring of Max Karson" and the publication of "If It's War..." and "No Hablo Ingles," a column by Press scribe Lauren Geary. Voakes points out that the word "investigation" was changed in later drafts for fear that it sounded too "legalistic and punitive." It now says that the task force has been asked to "learn more about" the Karson hiring et al.

Will these additional layers of bureaucracy have a chilling effect on Press independence? Herdy and Oldland don't think so. For one thing, the memo twice emphasizes that the activities of the various groups "will not involve any form of prior restraint." For another, consultation with the editorial-policy group and the faculty-sounding board is voluntary. "They're there if we need them," Oldland says, "but we don't have to use their advice."

Ignoring the faculty task force will be more difficult. Given that the Press has already published an article detailing what went on, its mission seems simple — but finger-pointing and blame-casting is muddying the water. On February 26, for example, Luke Morin, Maggie McDermott, Emily Tienken and Justin Kutner, all of whom were editors at the Press when Herdy took over as advisor during the fall 2007 semester, circulated an e-mail throughout the journalism department accusing her of engaging in everything from unprofessional communication to "editorial totalitarianism."

Herdy calls the e-mail the most hurtful event that happened in the wake of the Karson column — even worse than accusations of racism that ignore a journalism career filled with articles championing minority causes. She categorically denies the editors' allegations, just as Kutner rejects suggestions that the e-mailers' complaints are more about ax-grinding and settling old scores than substantive issues.

Meanwhile, Herdy's got the enthusiastic backing of current Press editors: Both Hewlings and Oldland call her the best advisor they've ever had. Support for her and Voakes among faculty members isn't as universal; the dean is up for review in April, and Herdy thinks politically motivated rivals are trying to use the Karson mess to undermine his position. She hopes he survives such maneuvering and is able to set the Press free, since, in her view, independence is the best way for the publication to move forward.

Numerous instructors disagree, as Herdy concedes. In a debate with a colleague who wants the faculty to exert greater control, "I said, 'They didn't sign up to be censored or restricted or reined in,'" Herdy recalls. "'That horse is out of the barn.'"

And Max Karson is holding the door.