Apology from New U
Posted by: Jonathan Constantine | 05/19/2008 8:37 PM
Here is the update on the New University article from the previous post:
In a conversation earlier tonight, New University writer Paul Backus offered me a sincere apology for allowing Marya Bangee's misstatements to remain unchallenged. He told me that he was operating on a very short deadline and regrets that he didn't contact me for my side of the story.
According to Backus, the paper's editors re-described the incident as "harassment" despite the fact his original copy was written otherwise. He said a correction was forthcoming as he had just contacted his editors.
Backus stated unequivocally: "The word harassment should not have been used in the article."
It's unfortunate that the editors of a campus newspaper would play thought police and meddle with a student's journalistic integrity. But more unfortunate is the criminalization of student journalists by administrators effectively enforcing directives on behalf of the Muslim Student Union, and further attempts to prohibit who, what, and where they document in public.
Paul Backus deserves credit for his honesty and integrity.
Paul Baukus certainly deserves credit for his honesty in this case.
It is a shame that the editorial staff with the university would alter the article and use the word "harassment" without consent from the author of the piece. It shows either incompetence or bias on the part of the editors.
I hope we'll see a proper retraction in the paper next week where people will actually see it.
What's really scary is that these are the NY Times, LA Times of the future.
I guess the editors are threatened by RC Campus Watch and Reut's Blog, so they are trying to run the competition out of town. Too bad, it won't work.
Still has the word "harassment", for instance...