Journalistic Freedom and College Campuses

Journalistic freedom in 2020

Rae’Lee Klein posted a tweet. The internet went crazy. What was this tweet? You’d think she went on a full blown racial tirade or some other belligerent rant. Nope. She tweeted the arrest warrant for Jacob Blake, and encouraged people to look at all the facts before reacting. A couple years ago, this would’ve been perfectly acceptable, but do this in 2020? Think again.

Here are her exact words:

“Always more to the story, folks. Please read this article to get the background of Jacob Blake’s warrant. You’ll be quite disgusted.”

Outrageous right?

That tweet sent people into a rage. How dare she share facts and encourage others to get a more full picture and read an article. The audacity. The ASU student-run radio network has halted production, held open forums, and many other conversations about what to do about it. Many people have called for her resignation as the station manager, called her every name under the sun, and even issued threats against her. But hey, that kind of stuff is trendy in 2020. #newnormal

Klein has said that she will stand her ground and not resign her position. Some of her colleagues have said that they will not work until she leaves. It’s a good old fashioned stalemate. The board has yet to come to a decision, although they voted to not recognize her as the program manager, even though she still has her job at the station.

The station's reaction to all the uproar is a bit over dramatic. Halting all production, holding all kinds of meetings, etc. Over what? Klein said something that some feel uncomfortable about. She said something that some people may disagree with. It’s hard for me to understand why someone would disagree with what she said. Her tweet was labeled as racist. What isn’t these days? I saw no actual racism in it myself. Suggesting that people get more facts and read an article is in no way racist. I can see the fiat racism though. Klein is white, and Blake is black after all. And when white person posts something about a black person, that’s clearly racism, fiat racism.

Klein, of course, has the Constitution on her side. You know, the first amendment: freedom of speech and of the press and all that. But those unfortunate souls that were subjected to the suggestion of reading an article and getting all the facts have social justice and hurt feelings on their side. Who will win? I couldn’t say. But it’s becoming more clear every day that if you say something your boss or colleagues don’t agree with, you’ll be cancelled.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions. Everyone, even journalists. Whether you agree or not. That’s part of what makes America special. This is a defining moment for this young woman’s career, the United States, and the Constitution. We can’t let cancel culture stifle free speech. We can’t let hurt feelings rule over others' rights. We need to all stand together in solidarity, regardless of political affiliation, to put a stop to this. When you set the precedent for one, it will, no doubt, come for you one day. Out of chaos, the good and the just will prevail as they have always done.

"He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from opposition; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach himself." -- Thomas Paine