Identity of Speakers
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Morgan State University Office of Public Relations and Strategic Communications (OPRSC)
Faculty/Staff
OtherManages the university’s communications through online, print, radio, and television media and oversees the institution’s reputation across various media outlets.
Resources
Additional Information
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Incident Nature:
Other
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Incident Political Orientation:
Not Clear -
Incident Responses:
University administration changed university policy as a consequence
State Campus Free Speech Act
Other
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Incident Status:
No litigation
- Was Speech Code incident
Summary
On November 25, 2025, Morgan State University sent updated guidance to students, faculty, and staff clarifying and tightening the university’s protocols for speaking to the press. The communication stated that all media and filming requests had to be approved in advance by the Office of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, replacing previous guidance that suggested individuals should coordinate such requests. The memo emphasized that only the communications office could speak for the university and that the same requirements applied to student media organizations, including The MSU Spokesman, BEAR TV, and WEAA, as well as to external outlets. University officials described the updated guidance as “a clarification of longstanding expectations, not a new policy.” The director of the Office of Public Relations and Strategic Communications said that “there has been no change in the protocol” and that the use of “must” in the email “doesn’t signify a new rule” but clarified that all media requests were to be coordinated through the communications office. He also said the university treated student media like external outlets and that the procedures were intended to ensure consistent messaging and manage institutional responses while still allowing individuals to speak on personal matters.
Under the revised protocols, students, faculty, and staff were required to seek prior approval before giving interviews or allowing filming on campus. The guidance specified that no cameras could be used in classrooms or other campus locations without authorization and that unauthorized recording could be stopped by university officials. The university stated that these steps were necessary to manage communications and ensure that only approved representatives issued statements on behalf of Morgan State.
The updates prompted concern from student journalists, press‑freedom advocates, and some faculty, who noted that the shift from should to must could restrict individuals’ ability to speak with the press, even on personal viewpoints rather than official university business. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and the Society of Professional Journalists emphasized that the requirements could create a de facto system needing prior approval for routine newsgathering. On January 6, 2026, FIRE’s Student Press Freedom Initiative and the Society of Professional Journalists sent a letter to Morgan State reminding the university that student journalists retained the right to gather news without prior authorization and that faculty and staff retained the right to speak on personal matters.
