Northwestern University’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Northwestern, recently brought the racist and problematic culture of its football program to light.
In a story published on July 8, The Daily Northwestern detailed hazing allegations that former players brought forward. The hazing was reportedly encouraged by then head football coach Pat Fitzgerald.
A second story, published on July 10, detailed how Fitzgerald and other coaches and players enabled a racist environment, according to former players.
The university initially gave Fitzgerald a two week suspension on July 7, but after The Daily Northwestern published the stories, he was fired on July 10.
In a letter to the university’s community, University President Michael Schill said that he “may have erred in weighing the appropriate sanction” for Fitzgerald.
“I focused too much on what the report concluded he didn’t know and not enough on what he should have known,” Schill wrote. “Coach Fitzgerald is not only responsible for what happens within the program but also must take great care to uphold our institutional commitment to the student experience. … Clearly, he failed to uphold that commitment, and I failed to sufficiently consider that failure in levying a sanction.”
This story shows exactly why student media at universities is so important.
Without The Daily Northwestern’s investigative reporting and commitment to giving a voice to its student body, Fitzgerald would have been given nothing more than a slap on the wrist.
Northwestern’s student journalists were able to help provide truth and corroborate the university’s investigation into its football program. Thanks to student journalism, the university reconsidered its verdict and gave a more appropriate punishment to Fitzgerald.
The bravery of the sources who helped contribute to The Daily Northwestern’s story should also be noted. Without them being willing to speak out on such a sensitive and personal topic, the story never would have had the impact that it did.