Last week, the Supreme Court declined to review a June ruling by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that gave university administrators unprecedented power to censor certain kinds of student papers. Though the decision applies directly to only three Midwestern states, its effects continue to be felt across the country, including in California.

“[T]he case appears to signal that CSU campuses may have more latitude than previously believed to censor the content of subsidized student newspapers,” the general counsel of the California State University wrote to the system’s chancellor in a September memo.

Because of college papers’ unique commitment to democratic ideals, the decision and other national examples of administrative interference with press freedom are particularly worrisome. Unlike regular media companies, student journalists are largely unrestrained by market pressures and demanding shareholders, giving them a unique opportunity to publish work that challenges conventions and offers valuable social commentary.

As shrinking advertising dollars squeeze traditional media, the college press has a larger duty to provide critical oversight of government institutions — including public universities. They will surely have a tougher time if administrators have veto power over content.

Universities are often seen as marketplaces for new ideas; administrators must realize that college media provide the currency for these marketplaces. As the dissenting judges in the 7th Circuit ruling correctly argued, “restrictions on free speech rights have no place in the world of college and graduate school.”