National Review editor Rich Lowry has a new book coming out, “The Case for Nationalism.” In advance of his scheduled discussion about it tonight at NYU, Lowry took out a full-page ad in NYU’s independent student newspaper, the Washington Square News, to promote the event. Sunday night, before the ad was scheduled to run, the paper’s editor-in-chief decided to pull it.
The NYU paper finally explains why it pulled an ad at the last minute for a talk at NYU tonight about my new book–just seeing the word "nationalism" "would have marginalized people of color on our campus and staff" https://t.co/xHSWgesHLO via @nyunews
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) October 24, 2019
More from Washington Square News editor-in-chief Sakshi Venkatraman:
Last week, conservative pundit Rich Lowry purchased a full-page advertisement to be printed on the back page of WSN’s Monday, Oct. 21 issue. The ad promoted his Thursday talk at the Silver Center, an event sponsored by the College Republicans and the NYU AEI Executive Council, as well as his most recent book. In prominent lettering across the top, the ad read “Nationalism is a good thing.”
On Sunday night during our weekly print production of the paper, I decided to pull the ad from the issue. The ad’s pro-nationalist message does not align with the values of our paper, and after much thought, it was my decision to cancel it. The word “nationalism,” as it exists in today’s political lexicon, connotes xenophobia and white supremacy, and printing it in large letters on the back of our paper would have marginalized people of color on our campus and our staff. I prioritized the sensibilities and trust of our audience over the ad revenue, and I stand by my decision.
Removing ads from the paper last minute is not a standard practice — in fact, it almost never happens. I made a judgment call while my colleagues on the business side of the paper were asleep, and we have put practices in place to ensure that an ad of this nature does not again get so far along in the process before being canceled.
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“An ad of this nature”? You mean, an ad promoting a civil discussion?
One wonders if anyone at NYU is allowed to mention that Alexander Hamilton, Henry Clay, Abraham Lincoln, and TR were all nationalists, or if this would be too triggering
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) October 24, 2019
According to the paper, "The word 'nationalism' as it exists in today's political lexicon, connotes xenophobia and white supremacy…"
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) October 24, 2019
This poisonous and lazy misunderstanding of the word nationalism–and the idea behind it–is why I wrote the book, and why people inclined to reflexively reject it should pause and actually listen
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) October 24, 2019
NYU students are certainly free to disagree with Lowry, but isn’t it up to them to make up their own minds? Why does Venkatraman think it’s up to him to shield students from the “xenophobia and white supremacy” that Lowry regularly denounces and is not remotely endorsing in his book or anywhere else?
And, of course, free discussion and the exchange of ideas don't marginalize people, they potentially change our minds and, at the very least, sharpen our arguments.
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) October 24, 2019
And God forbid college students be exposed to free discussion and exchange of ideas.
Is this a joke?
— RebeccaThrockmorton (@RebeccaThrockm9) October 24, 2019
Absolutely bonkers https://t.co/7bI7oh73cf
— Eliana Johnson (@elianayjohnson) October 24, 2019
This Dem says, “WTF?”
— Amelia Glamourama (@AGlamourama) October 24, 2019
How is that statement anything but insulting, in a benevolent racism sort of way, to "people of color?"
— Brian Garst (@BrianGarst) October 24, 2019
Sounds like those staff members are well on their way to becoming Ben Rhodes-approved journalists. Maybe they should worry less about being “marginalized” by the speech of others and more about being infantilized by their editor.
— Impudent Warwick (@ImpudentWarwick) October 24, 2019
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