Student journalists on what’s really happening on campus
POLITICO Magazine asked leaders of campus news organizations to set the record straight about campus unrest, antisemitism and what the media is getting wrong.
Campus protests pushing universities to cut academic and economic ties with Israel have captured the nation’s attention. Pro-Palestinian tent encampments in public spaces drew the ire of lawmakers and sparked counter-protests. Nearly 2,000 people have been arrested.
“We’re in the midst of the most widespread campus unrest since the 1960s, sparked by the war between Israel and Hamas,” writes POLITICO Magazine assistant editor Catherine Kim. But with chaotic scenes playing out at over 50 schools across the country, it’s nearly impossible to get a clear, unvarnished image of what’s really going on.
Enter student journalists.
For months, top student journalists have been reporting on the turmoil firsthand. “As neutral observers able to interact with all sides,” Kim writes, “they can provide unique insights, even as they watch friends get arrested or worry if their graduation ceremonies will even take place.”
For this week’s Friday Read, we reached out to editors-in-chief at 13 different publications to find out what the protests are really like, what the mainstream media gets wrong about them and how they will shape academic and political life.
“My message to the students inside the encampment is go back to class and stop the nonsense. Stop wasting your parents’ money.”
Can you guess who said this about Columbia protesters? Scroll to the bottom for the answer.**
A24 Takes On Jan. 6 — Quietly … The ultra-hip production company A24 is known for hits like Everything Everywhere All at Once and the recent Civil War. This week, it’s out with a new documentary by Oscar-winning filmmakers about Jan. 6. But you probably don’t know that — the marketing for the movie has been scarce at best, and some people interviewed for the film say there just might be a political reason for that as a potential second Trump term looms, writes Michael Schaffer in this week’s Capital City column.
When South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem shared the story of shooting her over-excitable puppy Cricket after it killed her neighbor’s chickens, she may have thought she’d come across as a tough, farm-hardened politician. Instead, she seems to have shot her career in the foot. Haven’t followed the story? No worries — these lines will have you sounding like a political pet expert at the dog park this weekend. (From Peder Schaefer)
- Point out Noem’s lack of marksmanship skills to the NRA members in your life: “For such a 2nd Amendment crusader, Noem doesn’t sound like a great shot. After she killed Cricket, it took her two rounds to put down her ‘nasty and mean’ goat.”
- Offer a glimmer of bipartisan unity to your friends who are sick of division: “Noem has created some across-the-aisle agreement — Montana Democrat Ryan Busse dubbed her a ‘puppy-killer,’ while Republican Meghan McCain said, “You can recover from a lot of things in politics … but not from killing a dog.’”
- Show off your knowledge of political pet history: “Richard Nixon used a sob story about his dog Checkers to deflect accusations that he had taken illegal funds. It worked for him, but Noem has gone more in the direction of Mitt Romney tying his dog to the roof of his car — only worse.”
- For those skeptical of Noem’s VP aspirations, arguing that she has little experience in federal politics, mention that she’s already moving and shaking on the Hill: Shooting her dog inspired the newly launched Congressional Dog Lovers Caucus.
Why Late Night Goes Soft on Biden … For decades, late-night hosts have reliably lampooned presidents. But apparently President Joe Biden — despite his previous reputation as a gaffe machine — is no laughing matter. And former President Donald Trump might be the reason why. “As these hosts approached the task of poking fun at Trump, they moved from being comic mercenaries to understanding themselves as part of a media apparatus that had to stand up to the dangers of Trump,” writes Calder McHugh. “And as he’s loomed over the Biden era, they’ve pulled their punches on the new president, styling themselves as defenders of democracy rather than stiletto-wielding stand-ups for whom anyone was fair game.”
How Both Parties Became Empty Shells … The Democratic and Republican Parties are everything. All political power in America flows through them. And they’re also nothing — unable to perform basic functions like building coalitions or enforcing ideological discipline on officeholders. That paradox is the subject of a new book, Hollow Parties: The Many Pasts and Disordered Present of American Party Politics, written by a pair of political scientists who argue that the parties have become hollow shells of their former selves: “Strong on the outside, but nothing on the inside.” That’s not just a problem for Democrats and Republicans, they tell POLITICO’s Ian Ward — it’s a problem for democracy.
**Who Dissed answer: It was Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, who called for the university’s president to resign and advocated for the National Guard to deploy against student protesters. When he spoke at Columbia last week, students drowned him out with shouts of “Who are you people?”, “Mike, you suck!” and “Free Palestine!”
