Lori Falce’s article “Professor Watchlist alerts students of ‘radical’ instructors” is a disappointing — and potentially dangerous — piece of journalism.
By simply restating the platform of the conservative organization behind the website without conducting any critical analysis of its ideological goals, this article essentially makes the CDT a megaphone for right-wing propaganda.
From the very title of the article, Falce advertises this website as if it is simply another student “resource” without considering either the purpose or repercussions of a conservative activist group placing professors’ names (and pictures) on an online surveillance site.
Is this website for parents who don’t want their adult children to feel “uncomfortable,” as Falce insinuates? Is it for students who want to avoid taking classes that might expose them to new ideas or contrasting points of view? Or — as the broader media has reported — is Turning Point USA’s purpose more insidious, such as stifling free speech, suppressing academic freedom and intimidating professors?
Falce’s reporting seems less like unbiased reporting and more like the irresponsible propagation of anti-intellectual harassment. CDT readers deserve better.
Melissa Poulsen,State College
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