Dan Froomkin (Presswatchers.org): Reporters covering the college protests against Israel’s war in Gaza have adopted an overwhelmingly negative tone about something they should be celebrating: the peaceful free expression of college students understandably devastated by Gaza. presswatchers.org/2024/04/the-...

Reporters covering the college protests against Israel’s war in Gaza have adopted an overwhelmingly negative tone about something they should be celebrating: the peaceful free expression of college students understandably devastated by Gaza. presswatchers.org/2024/04/the-...

The media should be celebrating college protesters instead of demonizing them | Press Watchpresswatchers.org Too many reporters have embraced the toxic assumption that any anti-Gaza-war protest is inherently antisemitic.

My recollections over the years, starting with protesting Viet Nam and on through marches for solar, against apartheid, etc. is that we've almost always gotten bad press, bolstering the "chaos & mayhem" claims of the far right so they can push their desire to bring back the Spanish Inquisition...

This is an interesting & revealing report by WNYC on WKCR the Columbia FM radio station run by students who are covering the protests. They have access where MSM and other Press do not. one.npr.org/i/1246682897...

🔊 Listen Now: Columbia University's student radio is on air nonstop covering campus protestsone.npr.org All Things Considered on NPR One | 4:01

Wild …. I’ve listened to wkcr in the car for years for the jazz. Never thought a lick about it. And now it’s ground zero for a national story.

And yet, while one can certainly be upset with Columbia University’s (and Israel’s) tactical choices, it’s still the case that the protesters are expressly supporting the elimination of Israel and excusing the rape, kidnapping, and murder of Jewish people. Is what they’re supporting “peace”?

No they are not expressly or quietly supporting that. You, however, are arguing, right now, that Palestine needs to be genocided. You are expressly supporting the rape, kidnapping, and murder of Palestinians.

there is nothing wrong with wanting the elimination of Israel, a genocidal settler colony. it's possible for a state, a thing people create and run, to simply go away for something new, cf FGR and GDR

on the other hand, why are you making excuses for an apartheid state creating conditions that necessitate violent resistance? would you be saying the same things about casualties of the Warsaw ghetto uprising?

Should be. But Chait & Powell and Company have a different job. bsky.app/profile/froo...

Reporters covering the college protests against Israel’s war in Gaza have adopted an overwhelmingly negative tone about something they should be celebrating: the peaceful free expression of college students understandably devastated by Gaza. presswatchers.org/2024/04/the-...

The media should be celebrating college protesters instead of demonizing them | Press Watchpresswatchers.org Too many reporters have embraced the toxic assumption that any anti-Gaza-war protest is inherently antisemitic.

But it is a negative. Both the presidents (w their ham-handed, law-enforcement heavy tactics) and the protestors (w the amount of non-students agitators now involved, who are sometimes easily mixing w the students) have lost control of the protest narrative. It's not going to end up well for anyone.

Student protestors are in no way responsible for what trolls and chaos actors do, and to hang their actions on the neck of students is to give every bigot, every single bad faith right winger or psychopath a heckler’s veto over peaceful citizens.

- Some of the students are happily mixing w these folks (there's unfortunately plenty of video) - But generally, you are right. But is the public going to care? No. Are politicians? No again. So it's a reality that needs to be taken into account. I wish it weren't that way, but it is.

What video of what students and are they the leaders? This is the other problem, we coronate every single child at a college as a spokesperson for the left. The organizers, the majority are the ones who should get to be heard. We are the public too, we don’t have to accept toxic politics & framing.

Again, you & I don't have to accept it. But the public, overall, will. There is zero chance student encampments lead to change students want -- if anything, it makes Bibi, Trump, etc more "needed" ('we need a strongman to get control of this!"). Meanwhile, students get expelled, arrested, etc.

BTW, you asked for video, this is an example. Jill's summary aligns w my views. This type of thing, even though non-violent, is a public relations disaster for student (yes, student) protestors. No administrator, let alone politician, is going to be OK with this. x.com/JillFilipovi...

x.com

Only students are allowed on campus at Columbia. You don’t know what you are talking about.

1) What does that have to do with the point that there is video (e.g., the human chain) of bad behavior of student protestors? 2) There is tons of video where known, non-students are on campus. It's not an armed prison camp. People can get in / out if they really want.

1) it’s only stopping people from going inside their encampment. Nothing wrong with that. 2) I guess you haven’t been to Columbia. It is like a fort. Brick walls with only a few entrances that all have 10 foot tall gates. You can’t just walk on.

Post