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Title: ‘I Need Some Muscle’: Missouri Activists Block Journalists (Concerned Student 1950)
Source:
The New York Times
URL Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/10/u ... ists-press-freedom.html?ref=us
Published: Nov 10, 2015
Author: AUSTIN HUGUELET and DANIEL VICTOR
Post Date: 2015-11-10 10:35:15 by Hondo68
Keywords: None
Views: 8288
Comments: 36
COLUMBIA, Mo. — A video that showed University of Missouri protesters restricting a student photographer’s access to a public area of campus on Monday ignited discussions about press freedom. Tim Tai, a student photographer on freelance assignment for ESPN, was trying to take photos of a small tent city that protesters had created on a campus quad. Concerned Student 1950, an activist group that formed to push for increased awareness and action around racial issues on campus, did not want reporters near the encampment. Protesters blocked Mr. Tai’s view and argued with him, eventually pushing him away. At one point, they chanted, “Hey hey, ho ho, reporters have got to go.” “I am documenting this for a national news organization,” Mr. Tai told the protesters, adding that “the First Amendment protects your right to be here and mine.” The protesters accused him of acting unethically and disregarding their requests for privacy. “What is so hard about respecting our wishes?” one protester asked. “Because I have a job to do,” Mr. Tai answered. That elicited a retort: “We don’t care about your job.” Video by Mark Schierbecker As the video nears its end, the person taking the video, Mark Schierbecker, emerged from the scrum and approached a woman, later identified as an assistant professor of mass media, Melissa Click, close to the tents. When he revealed that he was a journalist, Ms. Click appeared to grab at his camera. She then yelled, “Who wants to help me get this reporter out of here? I need some muscle over here.” At another point in the video, Mr. Tai was also challenged by a university employee. Janna Basler, the director of Greek life and leadership on campus, approached Mr. Tai and, spreading her arms out, demanded that he “back off.” As he tried to defend his right to be there, Ms. Basler explained, “You are infringing on what they need right now, which is to be alone.” Ms. Basler and Ms. Click could not be reached for comment. Months of protests over the University of Missouri administration’s response to racial tensions and other issues led the president of the university system, Timothy M. Wolfe, and the chancellor of the flagship campus in Columbia, R. Bowen Loftin, to step down on Monday. Demonstrators gathered at the heart of the campus broke into cheers with the news. Mr. Tai said in an interview on Monday that he tried to explain that he had a right to be there. “We’re documenting historic events with our photographs, and when people are crying and hugging when Wolfe resigns, it becomes a personal issue that people all over the country can connect with,” he said. “It’s my job to help connect those people to what’s going on.” On Twitter, students who participated in the protest defended their decision to create a “safe space” without journalists. There were media personnel who were very hostile toward us when we asked to have certain spaces respected. — ConcernedStudent1950 (@CS_1950) Nov. 9, 2015 It's typically white media who don't understand the importance of respecting black spaces. — ConcernedStudent1950 (@CS_1950) Nov. 9, 2015 If you have a problem with us wanting to have our spaces that we create respected, leave! — ConcernedStudent1950 (@CS_1950) Nov. 9, 2015 Black people and our true allies, we love you and will continue to fight. — ConcernedStudent1950 (@CS_1950) Nov. 9, 2015 We truly appreciate having our story told, but this movement isn't for you. — ConcernedStudent1950 (@CS_1950) Nov. 9, 2015 The campsite is inclusive of all identities has it's always been, but it was created by black students! — ConcernedStudent1950 (@CS_1950) Nov. 10, 2015 We ask for no media in the parameters so the place where people live, fellowship, & sleep can be protected from twisted insincere narratives — ConcernedStudent1950 (@CS_1950) Nov. 10, 2015 White, black, and all other ethnicities have been able to converse and build from fellowshipping at the camp site. That isn't for your story — ConcernedStudent1950 (@CS_1950) Nov. 10, 2015 As the video circulated online, Mr. Tai, who won an award in June for Best Single Photograph in a college journalism awards program, received widespread support, much of it from members of the news media. Very impressed with how @nonorganical handled himself while being intimidated. In hostile times like this it'd be hard not to give in & walk — Ron Davis (@bigRONDO74) Nov. 10, 2015 Thank you for both standing your ground and doing it in a respectful way today @nonorganical — Christine Jackson (@Cjax1694) Nov. 9, 2015 Wow. Didn't mean to become part of the story. Just trying to do my job. Thanks everyone for the support. — Tim Tai (@nonorganical) Nov. 10, 2015 Poster Comment: She should wear a burka to avoid being photographed. 
Melissa Click, an assistant professor of mass media at the University of Missouri, ordered a journalist to leave an area where demonstrators had gathered on campus.
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#2. To: hondo68 (#0)
A university campus is probably the least "free" place in the U.S. Forget about your first amendment freedom of religion, speech, press, and assembly. 2nd amendment? You gotta be kidding me. Innocent until proven guilty? Due process? Not if you're a lacrosse player or a member of a fraternity or a college president. Freedom of association? Sure. If you're a minority.
It has been that way my whole life. I was kicked out of college and lost my GI bill because I stood up to a history professor in class and told he was wrong and teaching lies. Yes,I DID threaten to beat the shit out of him,but only because he started running his standard "I am a professor and a superior intellect,and you are just a dumb ass VN vet" attitude at me and refusing to discuss the differences. Yeah,he ended up losing his job over it,but that didn't keep him from writing a formal letter to the VA to complain about me "ripping off the VA for GI Bill money because I wasn't attending classes every day like everyone else." I was going to the VA hospital every Wed afternoon at 2 PM for physical therapy,and this SOB changed his test day from Friday afternoons to Wednesday afternoons so he could give me a zero and flunk me out. No,he wouldn't allow any make up tests. He claimed "It wouldn't be fair to the other students."
#5. To: sneakypete (#4)
I had a asshole prof like that.
You got what you deserved for threatening violence on him. We had many Vietnam war protestors on my campus in the mid-60s and no-one tried to muzzle them, much less threaten violence on them. It depends on the college. But in general, I agree with you that these there are a precious few colleges/unversities that will defend or even promote a dissenting word from the right of center crowd, and most of those are private institutions. However, in the classroom there comes a point when both sides of the argument need to shut up and get go with the course material.
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#4. To: misterwhite (#2)
A university campus is probably the least "free" place in the U.S.
Replies to Comment # 4.
#6. To: sneakypete (#4)
Yes,I DID threaten to beat the shit out of him,but only because he started running his standard "I am a professor and a superior intellect,and you are just a dumb ass VN vet" attitude at me and refusing to discuss the differences.
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