Homepage photo: Earl Caldwell speaks in 1997 about the extent and limits of journalistic privilege, especially regarding compulsive release, confidential sources and other unpublished material. (Credit: C-SPAN)
The Columbia Graduate School of Journalism has announced that Jelani Cobb will be its new dean. Cobb is a professor at the school, a staff writer at The New Yorker, an author, a documentary producer, and the director of the Ira A. Lipman Center For Journalism and Civil and Human Rights.
On this week’s Kicker, Cobb speaks with Kyle Pope, editor and publisher of CJR, about the role of journalism at a politically fraught time, diversity efforts at the J-school and in journalism, and the high cost of degrees at institutions like Columbia.
The murder of George Floyd by four police officers in Minneapolis has unleashed a massive protest movement across the country. These protests, led by young people, are revealing years of pent-up frustration with racism and inequality. The militarization of policing in the United States and the unchecked violence perpetrated against communities of color by police who continue to act with seeming impunity, along with the promotion of white supremacy by the Trump administration, had created a combustible mix even before the COVID-19 pandemic added to an existing medical crisis and economic desperation, especially in marginalized communities of color.
Many have said that we need to have a conversation about racism and inequality. But a conversation is not enough. What we need is bold action to deal with institutional racism and inequality. While the lack of meaningful preparation for the pandemic has disrupted the lives of all Americans, the more long-standing lack of a meaningful response to endemic racism and inequality has compounded the impact of the pandemic on communities of color.
Clearly, looting and the destruction of property need to be condemned. But we also need to condemn the fact that only one of the four police officers involved in the murder of George Floyd has been arrested and recognize that Floyd’s death is just one more example of the senseless loss of an African American life at the hands of police. The actions of police across the country are enabled by political leaders who have failed to deal with institutional racism and inequality, and they also must be held accountable.
The AAUP supports the right of all citizens to engage in peaceful protests and calls for an end to police violence against protesters. We also recognize that our institutions of higher education have been part of the problem, but they can be part of the solution by marshaling the expertise of faculty and the energy of students in developing meaningful approaches to mitigating racism and inequality in our society.
2008-2009 Scholars Meeting: Wednesday, 15 October
Linda L. Carlson [linda.carlson@hunter.cuny.edu]
Sent: Friday, October 03, 2008 2:19 PM
Cc: elizabeth.beaujour [elizabeth.beaujour@hunter.cuny.edu];
gmorris [gmorris@hunter.cuny.edu];
robert.greenberg [robert.greenberg@hunter.cuny.edu];
mfader [mfader@hunter.cuny.edu]
Hello, 2008-2009 Scholars:
The next general meeting of all 2008-2009 Scholars will be held on Wednesday, 15 October, from 1.10pm until 2.45pm, in 615 West. You will have an opportunity to learn about the Thomas Hunter Honors Program from Professor Elizabeth Beaujour and current THHP students. Check out www.hunter.cuny.edu/honors/.
Film and Media’s Professor Gregg Morris and Journalism students Kisha Allison, Jacqueline Fernandez, and Jonathan Mena will give a multimedia presentation about their recent trip to the Democratic National Convention. The students, who are Hunter Word correspondents, had official press credentials and operated as professional journalists at the DNC. Check out http://hunterword.com/.
These group meetings offer opportunities for you to learn more about Hunter resources and to network with faculty, administrators, and other scholars. Future meetings will introduce you to the pre-professional advisors (law, health professions, engineering), Career Development Services (internships, résumés, jobs, academic/career inventories), wellness and stress management (Yes, mid-term exams are coming.), study abroad programs and application procedures, and more.
See you on 15 October! (Yes, I’ll bring snacks!)
llc
Linda L. Carlson
Acting Special Assistant to the President for Enrollment Management
Hunter College of the City University of New York
695 Park Avenue
East Building, Room 1004
New York, NY 10065
telephone: 212.772.4353
email: Linda.Carlson@hunter.cuny.edu
Our article on the First Amendment and what it means for free speech online, sheds light on what is and what is not guaranteed by the First Amendment in relation to online freedom of speech, file sharing, and anonymity online.
The internet as we know it is nearly 30 years old. Sure, the web is a bit more complicated — and more intricately connected — than it was 30 years ago, but it’s no less of a modern Wild West today than it was in the 90s (although you may need to dig deep into the darknet to experience the real gun-slinging). The freedoms and anonymity we enjoy online are, however, constantly under scrutiny, by both governments and businesses alike.
I’m trying to get background information on situations like the one I’m describing here (as succinctly as possible):
Three students in a journalism ethics class of 21 decided that they didn’t like the class (two flunked an assignment and one didn’t do the assignment) and met with a deputy chair of my department who told them how to file a complaint against this instructor and the deputy chair said that the department has been trying to get rid of this instructor and that their complaint would help.
The three students took the information back to the instructor’s journalism ethics class, relayed what the deputy chair said and tried to recruit students to joint in the complaint. The deputy chair also told the students that one they should tape the instructor’s class. One did. A dean told the instructor that at least 13 students supported the complaint but it was subsequently learned that this wasn’t true, that there was a hardcore of about as many as six students.Eventually, three students filed the complaint and, later, another student joined the complaint. Usually complaints about grades are settled by the grade appeal process.
I’m trying to learn how widespread is this abuse of a policy as well as the manipulation of students to attack professors this way.
Thanks for any information,
Gregg Morris
Assistant Professor
Tenured
How to Write an Editorial to Submit to the New York Times
Thursday, October 26th, 2023Posted in 2023, Archives Beginning May 3, Blogroll, Journalism, Journalism Education, Long Ago Pending Posts That Should See Light of Day, News/Commentary/Opinion | Comments Closed