In a flashback to Missouri, student protesters at Smith College in Massachusetts have committed to bar journalists from sit-ins unless they pledge allegiance — to the protesters.
To “create a safe space free from potential insensitivity,” protestors blocked journalists from a sit-in on Wednesday, according to Masslive.
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For access, journalists would have to “participate and articulate their solidarity with black students and students of color” so they wouldn’t be “complacent in our fight,” Alyssa Mata-Flores, one of the sit-in’s organizers, told Masslive.
The action sparked outrage from journalists, especially when Stacey Schmeidel, Smith College’s director of media relations, supported the ban.
The media ban echoed a similar incident at the University of Missouri earlier in November, though the protesters quickly changed course and welcomed media coverage. In Missouri, however, protesters lacked administrative approval for their media ban.
Activists at Amherst College in Massachusetts have tried to place limitations on the media as well. To an extent, that is to be expected. Activists seeking media attention, as well as individuals and businesses who get thrust into media attention, want to control the narrative. For access, they want their narrative accepted as truth.
Journalists, however, aren’t supposed to be stenographers, obediently writing the stories their subjects and sources want. When journalism becomes activism, its loyalty shifts from the truth to an ideological platform. That is great for activists who want their interpretation to receive public support, but it’s less beneficial for the general public who doesn’t see a counter-argument or criticism of the activists.
The deeper concern lies in that mindset sinking into a top-ranked college amongst its student body and administration. Campus activism engages students with philosophical ideas that have a real-world effect. In ideal form, it generates and sustains an open atmosphere of thought and inquiry that encourages students to examine their beliefs and form relationships with someone who disagrees with them.
In this instance of Smith College, however, activism threatens freedom of the press and the foundations of a free society. Racism is a crucial social issue. It has powerful ramifications for its victims and those who perpetuate it. When activists curtail freedom of the press and speech in their effort to fight racism, however, they undercut the very tool to fight racism. Limiting freedom rarely benefits a minority fighting against the excesses of power.