Advertisement misrepresents readers
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by Michelle Ephraim
Asst. Professor of English Literature |
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As an advocate of the First Amendment and as a child of Holocaust survivors, I am writing in strong condemnation of your decision to publish an advertisement for CODOH (The Committee for an Open Debate on the Holocaust), a hate group that denies the historical reality of the Holocaust. The group, as historians Christopher C. Lovett and Sam Dicks have recently pointed out, is shunned by major newspapers such as The New York Times but picked up by some college papers because "many naïve editors fall prey to the money and the ["free speech"] message" (Perspectives, November 2000).
"Freedom of Speech" does not simply mean publishing every advertisement that comes your way (even if it carries some much-needed cash). As a college paper and as a public representation of the University, you must do more than cite "free speech" when dealing with issues of profound historical and emotional impact. Indeed, the cry for "free speech" does not in itself answer the more complicated questions one faces as a responsible journalist.
Some college papers that have chosen to run the CODOH ad have added a caveat or disclaimer (i.e., that this group does not reflect the views of the paper). To be honest, this would not satisfy me. But a gesture such as this would at the very least suggest that you do not thoughtlessly-and naively-promote any misogynistic, anti-Semitic, racist, or homophobic group that happens to have a check in hand. At the very least, Tech News should convey a sense of ethical professionalism with regards to its readership in this kind of a situation. In my experience, WPI students are smart, savvy, and thoughtful people, and I believe that you grossly misrepresent your readers by running the ad as it currently stands.
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