For those of us who have criticized the cancel culture in higher education for years, the attacks and shunning have been unrelenting. The media has played a role in that culture and none more prominently than the New York Times. Recently, however, the mob came for liberal professors and media who have remained silent for years as conservatives and others were targeted on campus. Suddenly, there is a new interest in free speech and academic freedom, including by the Times editors who blamed cancel culture for the recent demonstrations and disruptions on campus.
Until good liberals were targeted on campus, cancel culture was treated as free speech. It did not matter that preventing others from speaking or being heard is the very antithesis of free speech.
The New York Times reached true infamy in the controversy over publishing Sen. Tom Cotton’s (R., Ark.) op-ed where he argued for the possible use of national guard to quell violent riots around the White House.
It was one of the lowest points in the history of modern American journalism. Cotton was calling for the use of the troops to restore order in Washington after days of rioting around the White House. While Congress would “call in the troops” six months later to quell the rioting at the Capitol on January 6th, New York Times reporters and columnists called the column historically inaccurate and politically inciteful.
Reporters insisted that Cotton was even endangering them by suggesting the use of troops and insisted that the newspaper cannot feature people who advocate political violence. One year later, the New York Times published a column by an academic who had previously declared that there is nothing wrong with murdering conservatives and Republicans.
Later, former editors came forward to denounce the cancel culture at the Times and the censorship of opposing views.
At the same time, the Times has embraced “advocacy journalism.” Former New York Times writer (and now Howard University Journalism Professor) Nikole Hannah-Jones is a leading voice for advocacy journalism. Indeed, Hannah-Jones has declared “all journalism is activism.”
Now, however, liberal professors and writers are being targeted. After years of turning a blind eye to conservative and libertarian figures being purged from faculties or canceled in events, the Times is alarmed that
…students and other demonstrators disrupting college campuses this spring are being taught the wrong lesson — for as admirable as it can be to stand up for your beliefs, there are no guarantees that doing so will be without consequence.
For several years, many university leaders have failed to act as their students and faculty have shown ever greater readiness to block an expanding range of views that they deem wrong or beyond the pale. Some scholars report that this has had a chilling effect on their work, making them less willing to participate in the academy or in the wider world of public discourse. The price of pushing boundaries, particularly with more conservative ideas, has become higher and higher…
It has not gone unnoticed — on campuses but also by members of Congress and by the public writ large — that many of those who are now demanding the right to protest have previously sought to curtail the speech of those whom they declared hateful.
It is certainly good to see the “Old Gray Lady” have second thoughts about cancel culture. However, she might want to look inwardly before casting more cultural stones.
“[T]he Times is alarmed that . . .”
“You want my head in the guillotine?” asked an alarmed Robespierre.
Live by mob rule. Die by mob rule.
To all of the mothers on the forum, Cindy, Karen, Lin, and others, Happy Mother’s Day!
I am a huge fan of Maria Callas. In this piece she sings of love: sacrifice and fidelity. Fitting that a true Diva who was worshipped, sings of authentic love like that of a mother. Felicidades
Estovir,
Well said!
Happy mother’s day to all those great moms out there!
Estovir! I’ll call your Callas and raise you a Baltsa:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=px36njyCnVM
Ha! I will get to know her music. Thanks for the recommendation
Still, no one but Maria Callas could have stood silent on stage for 1.5 minutes and kept the audience and chorale members on the edges of their seats while the orchestra performed. At that point she did not perform Norma, she became Norma in Casta Diva. That was in 1958 and no one has come close to Maria Callas’ talent in 66 years.
God is found in beauty.
Estovir, I agree that nobody does the high C as well Maria Callas.
+1
The times is finally discovering that it has aided and abetted the creation of a French Revolution situation, which turns on its own members for not being radical enough once it chews through its enemies.
Radicals have to chew. Hate is all they have. It is their sustenance.
I would consider voting for Trump if Nikki Haley is his running mate.
Of course you would because Nikki Haley is not a ‘natural born citizen’ and does not meet the requirement to be the VP or Pres. Because we hand out citizenship like Halloween candy, she is a citizen as she was born on US soil, however her parents are/were not US citizens when she was born. It is not where you born so much as who you were born to.
Pray tell, exactly what are the issues that warrant your support of Nikki?
Turley said: “Suddenly, there is a new interest in free speech and academic freedom, including by the Times editors who blamed cancel culture for the recent demonstrations and disruptions on campus.”
Baloney. This is nothing but a panicked, cynical, belated attempt staunch the bleeding engendered by their adherence to the wokist mantra. My assumption is that it finally dawned on someone high up in the CEO or CFO offices that if they did not improve the marketplace perception of their rag, in a decade there might no longer be a NY Times (an outcome I would heartily embrace). I guarantee that nobody in the newsroom, or editorial or lower-level management offices has had anything remotely resembling a change of heart. These nihilists are still devoted to socialism., collectivism, and the demise of Western civilization as we have enjoyed it.
Reading or watching the “news” in today’s world is like watching a Hollywood movie “based on a true story” and taking it for fact.
Their Frankenstein is out of control. The supposed protests are not spontaneous. They are part of a larger propaganda campaign being directed and funded by left wing organizations, professional activists, foreigners and mindless lemmings who could not answer simple questions about the Mideast or history.
When you break a trivial rule of the Boy Scout charter, you are kicked out of othe Boy Scouts. Why isn’t Russia kicked out of the U.N. for violating the U.N. Charter with countless war crimes?
***
NATO will end-up having to use force to expel the Russian soldiers from Ukraine. After the war, we will be left asking “Why didn’t NATO use force two years ago to prevent the invasion in the first place? Wouldn’t that have been preferable?”
NATO provoked the outcome we currently have. The real question is “why is NATO (the US) pushing for Ukraine to be in NATO?”
Knowing Putin would send troops into action as if it was simply a meat grinder And knowing that they would overwhelm Ukraine and knowing that the Biden administration is hamstringing Ukraine from attacking key objectives, like power plants in Russia, the next question you need to ask is “who are the sick mofos in charge of US, err NATO, engagement policy?” The entire action is a designed war of attrition, killing the most people and destroying the most infrastructure in Ukraine, while keeping Putin in power and the US money wasting machine on double secret overdrive.
Haley, Biden, Cheney, obamma, and the rest of the sociopaths in DC that get off on death prefer this outcome because they designed and implemented it.
As Dr. Frankenstein might tell you, The problem with creating a monster is that you must feed it or it will eat you.
They are no better than Muslims who went after Salmon Rushdie for Satanic Verses, but knowing this and exposing this doesn’t change anything for the better. They will always be like this. They can’t be educated out of being like this. It is a lost and hopeless cause.
Are we sure that this is a real article from the New York Times and not just an AI writing machine run amuck.
Somebody must have broken a window at the Times building or threw a Molotov cocktail at their news stand.
I have been very down on Hilary Clinton in light of her dark side (which might be her only side) but even she has come down with some condemnation of the “mostly peaceful” Hamas demonstrators. She apparently feels that they know nothing of the history of the Middle East. How insightful, how totally late she is to come on board. There must have been a lightening strike right where she was standing. Sort of like a natural version of ECT. It can do wonders for refractory depression.
I believe they are sensiing a sea change in the American culture and they wish to stay relevant. The prog/left have gone several bridges too far and people such as Joe Manchin and certain industries, universities and groups are hedging their bets or else finally opening their eyes.
A weeping willow bending in the direction of the wind.
I’m skeptical….but Times will tell (joke)…I respected them 30 years ago, but they’d have to move a LONG ways to get back to something that I would consider journalism.
They were the same thirty years ago, but you grew up and became wiser: “All the news that fits.”
It was only a matter of time before the Radical Left went after the Left Wing DEM’s. History has shown that this would occur, the extreme radicals go after their own. The DEM’s deserve it, they allowed these radicals to take over their party. In the end they will self destruct.
The 1st amendment doesn’t give anyone the right to protest, takeover, and encamp on private property=NONE, NADA, ZERO
New York Times | WAPO Why aren’t they reporting about how they are quietly rebuilding the Iron Curtain in Eastern Europe. When was the last time you heard anything about South American Countries other than Oil interest countries. Same for Africa, Indonesia, …
Because they don’t want you to know about what’s going on there to control you. Keeping your World narrow and ruminating around what They want.
Eyes Wide Shut = The New York Times et.al. etc. etc. …
I agree, finding international news is difficult and the activities going on outside our country are concerning. BBC is one source, though not a great one!
Report24 (German) can be found on Telegram. Also very good. Google Translator can be used to read the articles if you don’t speak German.
There needs to be a distinction between speech and illegal action such as taking over property through camping, blocking access to buildings, etc. I have no problem with activists speaking out on campus, even if it is racist speech, but taking over property or disrupting campus activities is going beyond free speech.
Prof. Turley should begin a new blog entitled “Left-wing Hypocrisy”. It would have unending material.
Edwardmahl,
Well said.
@Edwardmahl
He already does! 😂 Writing anything at all about the modern left will do given what they have become. Why do you think they have spent the past few years so very actively trying to squash any dissenting opinion? It’s absurd that Elon Musk buying Twitter would be the monkey wrench, but here we are. 🤷🏽♂️
American Journalism – now that’s oxymoronic
Don’t you just hate seeing them eat their own?
Pass the popcorn