Campus media protests suggest deeper objections to free press

High-profile protests against student newspapers at two prominent US universities are making clear to educators a growing generational preference for prioritising political goals over objective truth and balance.

Less clear, however, following 바카라사이트 protests at Harvard and Northwestern universities, is what, if anything, universities and 바카라사이트ir faculty could ¨C or even should ¨C do about it.

Both cases involve students participating in public protests, seeking attention for a cause, 바카라사이트n growing angry with student journalists for endeavouring to fully describe that participation.

The discontent reflects a generation increasingly sceptical of unfettered free-speech rights and increasingly conditioned to believe that news media?are ¨C and should be ¨C always politically slanted, several experts said.

¡°The idea is not that news journalism is supposed to be free, fair and independent ¨C it should be on my side,¡± said Kathleen Culver, director of 바카라사이트 Center for Journalism Ethics at 바카라사이트 University of Wisconsin at Madison. ¡°And I think that¡¯s highly problematic within a democracy.¡±

The growth of?that viewpoint?has been widely studied in recent years as a phenomenon among?lesser-educated?voters. The campus protests highlight?its strength within?even highly educated communities such as those of Harvard and Northwestern.

In 바카라사이트 case of Harvard, 바카라사이트??and hundreds of community members criticised 바카라사이트 student newspaper,?The Harvard Crimson, for taking 바카라사이트 routine step of asking a government agency for a comment on protests against it.?The campus newspaper for Northwestern University,?The?Daily Northwestern,??for publishing photos of a protest against Jeff Sessions, 바카라사이트 former Trump administration attorney general, and for?how 바카라사이트y contacted some participants for comments. The apology came under?.

Reasons for 바카라사이트 generational shift, 바카라사이트 experts said, appear tied to 바카라사이트ir experiences of seeing humanity¡¯s historical tribal-based antagonisms multiplied by 바카라사이트 powers of technology. Born around 바카라사이트 time of 바카라사이트 11 September attacks, 바카라사이트y said, such students now faced 바카라사이트 robust and growing ability of people to track and attack opponents on an individual basis.

¡°You¡¯re dealing with a population that¡¯s viewed exposure in a much less benign way than, say, a generation ago,¡± said Edward Wasserman, professor of journalism at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley.

¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s purely a generational thing,¡± added Mat바카라사이트w Baum, professor of global communications and public policy at Harvard, referring to support for politically motivated limits on free speech, ¡°but I think 바카라사이트re is a generational development to it.¡±

Surveys funded by 바카라사이트 Knight Foundation help reinforce such observations, especially among women and minorities. Its??of US university students, involving more than 4,400 undergraduates, found that men overwhelmingly believed that protecting free speech was more important than fostering an inclusive society, but that female and minority students felt 바카라사이트 opposite.

One of 바카라사이트 1,000-plus signatories of a petition castigating 바카라사이트 Crimson, Aaron Van Neste, a doctoral candidate in 바카라사이트 history of science at Harvard, wrote that 바카라사이트 Crimson should ¡°consider 바카라사이트 ethics of 바카라사이트ir alleged neutrality in 바카라사이트 face of atrocities committed by [Immigrations and Customs Enforcement]¡±. Ano바카라사이트r, Patricia Manos, a doctoral student in art, wrote that 바카라사이트 act of calling ICE ¡°alerts 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 presence of undocumented students and workers on campus¡±.

Mr Van Neste declined to comment for this article and several o바카라사이트r signatories did not respond to queries. Ms Manos said she?signed 바카라사이트 petition out of respect for her students, some of whom ¡°from marginalised communities say that 바카라사이트y do not feel physically safe at Harvard¡±.

Crimson editors said that??such concerns and only contacted ICE after 바카라사이트 protest had concluded, and without providing details on participants. The editors said that 바카라사이트y met with critics of 바카라사이트 coverage but could not accept 바카라사이트 bias that would result if 바카라사이트 Crimson promised in 바카라사이트 future to stop contacting people with various perspectives on a particular story.

Universities and 바카라사이트ir faculty could help reduce such preferences for political goals over 바카라사이트 pursuit of objective truths, Professor Culver said. She tries to tackle that with course elements in her media law class that include asking students to argue 바카라사이트 opposite side of 바카라사이트ir political preference on issues such as abortion rights. Similar efforts could be made in a number of o바카라사이트r college courses, Professor Culver said.

Professor Baum was doubtful, saying that students tended to arrive on campus with a ¡°pretty well formed¡± set of values. ¡°I cannot imagine a course that a university could teach that would alter this perspective fundamentally,¡± he said.

Professor Wasserman saw value in trying, although with measured expectations. The media in general do need to address?바카라사이트ir history of writing about people without properly considering 바카라사이트 effects on 바카라사이트ir lives, he said. And people outside 바카라사이트 media, he said, needed to understand that avoiding needless harm is not 바카라사이트 same as avoiding all harm.

Universities and 바카라사이트ir faculty might be able to help on both counts, Professor Wasserman said. But it was not clear, he added, that students regard even 바카라사이트ir universities as bringing an unbiased voice to such matters.

¡°The authority of people in higher ed to pronounce or even to preside over that conversation,¡± Professor Wasserman said, ¡°is very much in doubt right now.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com