Seeing Red Over Editorial

Sen. Ida G. Ruben accuses a school paper that backed a rival of failing to give her a chance to talk with it.

By Lori Aratani
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 15, 2006

A piece on Blair students fighting for immigrant rights. A profile of the new student board representative.

But an editorial endorsing Jamin Raskin, an American University law professor running for the Democratic nomination for state Senate in District 20, has rankled the district's longtime incumbent, Sen. Ida G. Ruben (D-Montgomery).

Ruben said the paper's staff members failed to give her an opportunity to talk to them. Students at Silver Chips say the state senator did not respond to their requests for an interview. Now some are questioning whether high school newspapers should even be in the business of endorsing political candidates.

The disputed endorsement, written by the paper's six-person editorial board, says Raskin's "steadfast dedication to protecting the voice of students, especially our own Blazers, makes him the ideal choice for students in the State Senate race." In 1997, Raskin defended Blair students fighting to air a documentary featuring a debate on same-sex marriage.

After Ruben's staff spotted the endorsement on the Internet and told the senator, she contacted Blair Principal Phillip Gainous and complained that she had not been allowed to participate.

Isaac Arnsdorf, 16, the incoming co-editor, said a staff member called both candidates to arrange interviews. He also called Ruben and spoke to her briefly. He said the reporter told Ruben that he was writing an editorial and wanted to interview her. The senator said she was not able to talk at that moment but would call the reporter back.

The reporter left four messages over three days, but his calls were not returned, Arnsdorf said.

Ruben said she does not recall a conversation about the editorial and did not receive any follow-up messages. She believes that the editorial, with the headline "The Right Choice for District 20," distorts many of her positions.

But Silver Chips staffers said the endorsement was based on extensive research.

"We stand by our story, and we hope it speaks for itself," Arnsdorf said.

Ruben has asked the paper's adviser, Maureen Freeman, for a follow-up interview.

"I should be able to have an interview with the young man and have a column written, which would give me equal time in the newspaper, which I believe is appropriate," Ruben said. "I did make one request -- that when I'm interviewed by this young man, that someone be in this room with me. I don't want people to say I intimidated the young man."

But, Ruben acknowledged, it is unlikely a follow-up interview will happen; students are on summer vacation.

Still, the editorial has raised questions in some quarters about how involved high school editorial boards should be in endorsing political candidates. Student papers at Rockville, Springbrook and Walter Johnson high schools do not make endorsements, according to their advisers, although students can write opinion columns about candidates or issues.

Mike Hiestand, a lawyer and legal consultant to the Student Press Law Center, said that although some high school papers endorse local political candidates, it is not common. Politicians have occasionally tussled with high school papers, but none of the cases has amounted to much.

For Silver Chips, candidate endorsement is not without precedent. Two years ago, the paper endorsed Valerie Ervin (Silver Spring) in her school board campaign.

"I support the newspaper as a whole," Gainous said. "I don't have a problem with the students, but this is something the paper need not have done."

He added, "For the newspaper -- the school newspaper -- to endorse a candidate, that's not appropriate." He was unaware that the paper had endorsed Ervin.

Gainous said he suggested that the staff do an article about Ruben for its online edition. "There is freedom of the press and, in [particular], freedom of the student press," said school board member Patricia O'Neill (Bethesda-Chevy Chase). Still, "it is unusual that student newspapers are endorsing political candidates. It doesn't usually happen."

The student journalists have been reluctant to discuss the matter. Their adviser has also declined to comment. But Arnsdorf defended the endorsement. "Silver Chips is a public forum for student expression. It's an unsigned editorial representing the viewpoint of the editorial board and not necessarily the school," he said.