Christian Group Cries Foul When Boise State Student Newspaper Says 'No' to Ad For Creationism Event

Newspapers across the nation say "no" to some advertisers every day. That includes student newspapers.

"The law is clear on this. Student editors are empowered to use their editorial judgment in deciding what to print, and that includes ads," said Dr. Seth Ashley, assistant professor in the Boise State University Department of Communication and adviser to The Arbiter, the university's weekly student-managed publication.

Boise Weekly asked Ashley to weigh in on The Arbiter's refusal to sell advertising to three groups: Creation Summit Inc., the Northwest Science Museum and Engage Truth, an on campus faith-based organization, which are promoting the "Origin Summit," a two-day event to promote creationism.

"If the paper had said, 'Sorry, our ad space was all sold-out,' that would have been one thing. But that's not what they said. They told us that our content wasn't acceptable," said Creation Summit Executive Director Mike Smith, from the organization's Oklahoma headquarters. "But they never saw an ad. They saw our website and made a decision based on that."

http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/christian-group-cries-foul-when-boise-state-student-newspaper-says-no-to-ad-for-creationism-event/Content?oid=3585051

Because it's only fair to expect an institute of higher learning to accommodate creationist nonsense...