"In April 2024, students set up encampments at universities across Canada and the United States to protest Israel's bombardment of Gaza. Columnists with prestigious outlets wrote condescending op-eds about the protesters. At the Wall Street Journal, they were called "cowardly" and "not compassionate," with the writer claiming that onlookers were "relieved to see the NYPD come in [and drag] the protesters away.""
"Meanwhile, the student press meticulously covered the encampments. They interviewed protesters, carefully constructed timelines of events, and produced near-round-the-clock radio coverage in the case of Columbia University. The student press also fulfilled one of the most important tenets of journalism: making sure those in power were being watched. In the weeks leading up to the launch of an encampment at the University of Toronto that spring, a group of students staged a sit-in at Simcoe Hall, outside the offices of leadership, including President Meric Gertler."
Students set up encampments at universities across Canada and the United States in April 2024 to protest Israel's bombardment of Gaza. Prominent columnists published condescending op-eds labeling the protesters "cowardly" and "not compassionate" and claiming onlookers were relieved when police removed demonstrators. Student journalists provided meticulous coverage of the encampments, interviewing protesters, building timelines, and running near-round-the-clock radio at Columbia. A student sit-in at Simcoe Hall sought investment disclosures, divestment from suppliers of military resources to Israel, and an end to partnerships with institutions supporting settlements. The visible presence of a campus journalist pressured university administrators to act.
Read at The Walrus
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]