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SIUDENT PRESS: DAIHQJSIE GAZE'I'I‘E, SAINI' MARY'S JCXIRNAL, VICI‘IDB OF CENSORSHIP BY PRINTERS

HALIFAX (CUP) - A mildly ., cmtroversial photo _ cutline has becone the focal point of a major controversy on freedom of the press here after 1300 student newspapers were forced to change their content or not be published. 30th Papers, the Dalhousie Gazette and the SaintMary's University Journal , , the victims of their print—

ers, who refused to publish /

copy which they claimed w libelous. "We're not going to bend to. pressure," said an angry Tom Regan, editor of the ‘ Gazette, after the paper's printers told him the Gazette would not be published unless an offend- ing article was removed. "We intend to do the paper as we normally do it." 7

But Regan was forced to drop the article from the Oct. 25 edition in order for the paper to cone out at all.

lSyLAN DS . FE

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Due to the lengthy battle with the printers, Kentville Ptblishers, which involved lawyers on both sides, the Gazette was forced to cone out a day late ..

Regan vowed to publicize the censorship incident ‘ .

_ through other media in

Halifax,and by printing a story on the incident on a gestetner or, photocopier and distributing it on

canpus .

Ironically started 'a outline writ-,- ten for a photo ih the SMU Journal's Oct. 3 edition, and a similar coment in the Journal staff box.

Beneath a picture of Prime Minister Joe Clark and Nova Scotia Premier John Budaanan conferring, the Journal wrote "Er. . .yes, we had sex with Margaret \ Trudeau. . .er. . .hasny't ' everyone." 'Jhe photo was on the Journal's satire page and was a take-off of a Saturday Night Live tele—' vision skit. The staff box‘ said, 'We confirm rumours that the Journal staff had sex with Margaret Trudeau."

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' opinion flnat the Trudeau

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Centre LTD."

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THE UPEI SUN, Thursday; November 22," 1979,, page 2

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Kentville and the Free PresS are the only plblishers .in the Halifax area ableto ' print student papers, Regan says, so the Gazette and Journal are being held over a barrel.

The Kentvilleprinters also refused Regan's second requeSt, that the paper be left blank where the story had been. They insisted the Gazette fill the spot be— cause they did not want the censorship hnonn, said Regan,

Regan said Canadian University Press (CUP) lawyer Brian Iler. advised him that the story was not libelous but Kentville still refused to run the story. cup is a cooperative organiza- tion of 67 college and university newspapers, to _which the Gazette and Journal belong. \

Regan says .the censorship fight has not ended and the Gazette will find sore way to prlish without inter— ference fron printers. But under Canadian law, Iler said, printers can be sued for‘libel and have the right to refuse to pUblish articles they feel are libelous.

The Journal's printers, the Dartmouth Free Press, which publishes Halifax's finio daily papers, refused to print the paper unless the two sentences were removed because they clained the contents were libelon and as ptblisher they could be sued.

The Journal conplied but disCussed theincident with other Atlantic student newspapers.

The Dalhousie Gazette decided to report the story in their Oct. 25 edition. ‘ Their story On the Journal Censorship included the contents judged libelous and ‘ a picture of the page in question. The Gazette’head— line read "Free Press is not so free."

At this point the Gazette's printer, Kentville Publishers got into the act, also refusing to print the paper as long as the story was in it. Kentville was upset V about the JOurnal quotes. which the Free Press had refused to print but was also angry with a statement made by the Free Press management, Which was in the Gazette _ story. The Free Press had told the Journal that if they wanted the offensive contents to remain they. should haVe the paper printed at'Kentville, "because they'll print anything."

Regan disagreed with their

contents were libelous and threatened toado another

“ story on Kentville's censor- ship of the Gazette. Kent— ville's management responded

'by saying if a story was

' done on the incident-in— volving‘them,‘ they might refuse to print the Gazette

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