Share
Due to reader response of the July 19’s letter from the editor, the Collegiate Times will no longer publish FLAME advertisements.
Our mission is to provide news to the Virginia Tech and Blacksburg communities, but it is clear that the nature of the ads alienates our readers and makes us unable to serve that goal.
We are your newspaper. We apologize for the harm these ads have caused.
Sincerely,
Michelle Sutherland
Editor-in-Chief
Nick Cafferky
Managing Editor
A version of this article appeared in the Aug 28 issue of the Collegiate Times.
Leave a comment 10 Comments Write a letter to the editor
All letters to the editor must include a name, e-mail, daytime phone number and affiliation to Virginia Tech. Affiliation includes: year and major for students; position and department for faculty and staff; current city for alumni and parents.
way to put restrictions on free speech ... says a lot. what if a student writes an article supporting the position of FLAME - will you then refuse to publish it? Even the supreme court has said that the westboro baptist church is entitled to the hate speech it promotes. In denying FLAME advertising because some people disagree with it, you're basically saying that free speech only applies if we agree with your position. It's like saying you want to have a presidential debate but only one candidate gets to attend the debate because his party thinks the other candidates position is wrong. I don't agree with flame's position but their advertisements hardly used any kind of harsh language, obscenity, or profanity, and at best were borderline hateful. The attitude of "you can have free speech as long as I agree with it" is seriously becoming way to rampant in this country. The CT is only contributing to this by making such a horrible error in judgement. By disallowing their advertising you just lowered yourself below FLAME's message because the inability to make a statement is far worse than making a negative statement. CT shouldn't play the role of moderator, but should encourage those who disagree to organise their own position and provide counter advertisements.
Reply to this Top
"nature of the ads alienates our readers".
One of the first principles one must learn in journalism is how to blame a nameless faceless entity for one's unwillingness to show courage. After all, it's not the editor's fault the ad must be removed. It's the reader's fault.
When the CT runs a controversial ad they do like:
"We believe our readers are mature and informed enough to make their own decisions. As a college newspaper, we do not feel it is our mission to protect readers from ideas that may be difficult to accept. A university is a community where a diversity of ideas should be celebrated."
Reply to this Top
Flame is welcome to print their own material and distribute it on campus.
The CT is also welcome to set limits on that they are willing to print. No free speech issue here.
Now, if people other than the CT editors set the limits on what they can print, that becomes a free speech issue.
Reply to this Top
I agree, but it is a free speech issue because it is so arbitrary. The CT hasn't publicly set any predefined boundaries as to what is acceptable content leading me to believe they'll publish anything. So in deciding to discontinue flame ads they're decision appears arbitrary with no limiting principle. My point wasn't that they couldn't do that, more that it makes them look dooshy and arbitrarily discriminatory towards people who don't share their world view.
Reply to this Top
What about when university personnel or students acting in their leadership or governance capacities at the University pressure students at the CT to put limits on what they print?
I've yet to see any University faculty or staff openly advocate free speech or even assert that open discussion of controversial, potentially offensive ideas is acceptable... All I ever hear or see is "we shouldn't say that or do that..."
I'm anxiously awaiting someone to say its ok to say or express ideas, which are offensive or controversial...
Anyone from Student Affairs think free speech and open, honest discourse that is controversial and potentially offensive to fragile minds and sensibilities is actually good for the university community and society as a whole? Or should we only say things that a not controversial and in way could offend someone? lol
I am hoping at least one or two academic faculty think it's acceptable to entertain and discuss ideas, even controversial, offensive ones...
Reply to this Top
By the first poster's logic, requiring ANYONE to pay for an ad is a free speech restriction. It's a business decision, and CT has decided not to take money from this organization. FLAME can start it's own student newspaper if it wants. Or would that be a restriction on free speech too?
Reply to this Top
no that's not my logic. i didn't say charging a fee for advertising is a restriction on free speech because that in itself is definitely not. and don't get me wrong, i certainly believe the CT has every right to say they don't want flame advertising, my disagreement is with the message the CT is sending by doing so. they are saying anybody is welcome to pay for an advertisement so long as we don't get a bunch of readers who want to tell somebody else that their opinion shouldn't be stated don't respond in force. if the CT did it right they would say, thank you for your voice and for debating the merits of flame, but we allow everybody to contribute whether it be through copy or advertising because we are community and everybody is allowed to state their opinion.
Reply to this Top
yeah didn't think so...
Reply to this Top
So this is what journalism has come to. Pretty sad, IMO.
Instead of pursuing the truth - even if that truth is not PC - journalism is now about pleasing its customer base regardless of whether journalistic integrity is ignored in that goal.
It is little wonder journalism has become what it has, i.e. a fight for market share, for eyeballs at any cost even if that means ignoring the truth. The MSNBC versus Fox News business plan in microcosm right here at Virginia Tech, i.e., the fight to be the most popular kid on campus.
Tell me again...what was it in the Flame ad that was untrue versus what was not PC?
Reply to this Top
This comment was deleted for violating our comment policy.
Top