CONTACT:
James L. Highland, Vice President for Campus Chapter Affairs, 270/745-5837 or jhighland@spj.org


INDIANAPOLIS - Society of Professional Journalists President Irwin Gratz Monday appointed a task force to look into a decision by Marquette University to deny a contract renewal to Thomas Mueller, the adviser to the student publication, The Marquette Tribune. Mueller has alleged the action in his case amounts to administration interference with the student newspaper.

The task force will conduct fact-finding interviews and report back to the Society's Vice President for Campus Chapter Affairs, Jim Highland. If circumstances warrant the Society may offer assistance to individuals and the school. The task force also has been asked to make any further recommendations it believes necessary to SPJ's executive committee and national board.

The task force members are: Dave Aeikens of St. Cloud, Minn., SPJ's Region 6 Director, Chuck Sanger of Oak Creek, Wis., Maryann Lazarski of Milwaukee, Wis., Gordon Govier of Madison, Wis., President of SPJ's Madison Pro Chapter and Kathy Lawrence of Austin, Texas, president of College Media Advisers.