The media claims that President Trump threatens journalism. The reality is that it’s the Left that is waging a ruthless war against the norms of journalism. The latest battle is being fought in Harvard, where The Crimson is under attack, for sending a request for a comment to ICE, after a pro-illegal alien rally.
The petition — started by student-led immigration advocacy group Act on a Dream earlier this month — criticizes The Crimson for requesting comment from an ICE spokesperson for its Sept. 13 article, “Harvard Affiliates Rally for Abolish ICE Movement.” The article covers a Sept. 12 protest hosted by Act on a Dream and quotes several students’ criticisms of ICE, including calls for its dissolution. The article notes that ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“In this political climate, a request for comment is virtually the same as tipping [ICE] off, regardless of how they are contacted,” the petition reads. “The Crimson, as a student-run publication, has a responsibility to prioritize the safety of the student body they are reporting on — they must reexamine and interrogate policies that place students under threat.”
The petition, which Act on a Dream started a month after the article’s publication, demands that The Crimson change its policies on requesting comment, apologize for “the harm they inflicted” on undocumented students, and declare a commitment to protecting undocumented students on campus.
Ten other campus organizations have also signed onto the petition.
The group tweeted Saturday calling for individuals and organizations to decline interview requests from The Crimson until the publication changes its policies regarding requests for comment. The Harvard College Democrats and Harvard-Radcliffe RAZA tweeted similar statements.
The claims that The Crimson “endangered” anyone by asking for a comment after the rally is a nonsensical lie.
The real issue is that lefty groups, including the Harvard College Democrats, are pushing to deplatform ICE and any groups and organizations they oppose by pressuring the media not to even reach out and ask them for a quote.
Movements like these begins on campuses, then they create new norms there, and migrate outward until they set national norms.
Unlike President Trump’s critiques, this is a fundamental threat to the norms and ethics of journalism. And, instead of vigorous pushback, there are defensive explanations, which suggests to me that this campaign will eventually succeed.
Article posted with permission from Daniel Greenfield
