Hundreds of Harvard students have signed a petition condemning the campus newspaper, The Crimson, for trying to get a comment from ICE following recent protests.
Campus protesters demonstrated in favor of the abolition of ICE on Sept. 12. The protests were sparked by the expiration of the Temporary Protective Status for immigrants from El Salvador with nearly 100 students participating.
As part of its coverage of the protests,The Crimson attempted to get a comment from an ICE representative. The agency did not respond.
Although The Crimson was ignored by ICE, its attempt to show the agency’s views on the protest sparked outrage on campus.
An online petition condemning the newspaper for attempting to get a comment from ICE has nearly 650 signatures.
The petition notes that students from the protest met with editors from The Crimson and were disappointed in the outlet’s decision to stand by its reporting.
“We are extremely disappointed in the cultural insensitivity displayed by The Crimson’s policy to reach out to ICE, a government agency with a long history of surveilling and retaliating against those who speak out against them,” the petition says, later adding. “In this political climate, a request for comment is virtually the same as tipping them off, regardless of how they are contacted.“
The petition demands The Crimson apologize to the student body for its attempt to speak with ICE, change the newsroom’s policy on reaching out for comment from the agency, and affirm a commitment to “protecting undocumented students.”
“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 says. “Responsible journalism includes being conscious about the impact caused by their actions as a news organization.”
Kristine E. Guillaume, president of The Crimson, defended the newsroom, saying, “This policy demonstrates a commitment to ensuring that the individuals and institutions we write about have an opportunity to respond to criticisms in order to ensure a fair and unbiased story.”
Eleven student groups signed the petition, including the Harvard College Democrats.
