The Board of Regents at Western Kentucky University has formally expressed support for public media, its value, and mission.
The university holds the license for WKU Public Radio and WKU PBS.
During its third quarterly meeting on Friday, Regents approved a Code of Editorial Integrity for Public Media, restating their support for editorial independence.
In the state legislature earlier this year, the Senate passed a bill to disband the board for Kentucky Educational Television (KET) and require future gubernatorial appointments be confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate.
Also in recent months, Murray State University and its NPR member station WKMS have clashed over the station’s investigative reporting involving state lawmakers and other public figures and institutions.
WKU President Timothy Caboni said it was important for the board to publicly validate its support for the editorial independence of public media.
“As president, what I want everyone to understand is that it also has complete autonomy to ask any questions it wants to ask, pursue any stories it wants to pursue, without any interference from the institution, its leadership, or its PR program,” Caboni said after the meeting.
In other business, the oath of office was administered to Regent Cynthia Nichols of Haverford, Pennsylvania, and Student Regent Sam Kurtz of Bowling Green. Nichols replaces her husband, George Nichols III, and Kurtz replaces Cole Bornefeld, whose terms both ended June 30.
Regents also approved the suspension of three academic programs, due to redundancy, low interest, or the loss of faculty. Among the programs was a minor in Photojournalism. The top-ranked university photojournalism program in the nation is revamping its curriculum to include more areas of study such as documentary and filmmaking.
Caboni said suspending the minor creates an opportunity for future growth.
“There are some students who are interested in photography, but don’t necessarily want to pursue a journalism career,” Caboni said. “Creating sub areas of study is going to create additional enrollment, but also allow folks to purse photography without the journalism slant—more artistic, perhaps.”
President Caboni will deliver his annual convocation to faculty and staff on Monday, Aug. 14. The new academic year at WKU begins Aug. 21.
