Harvard's student government agrees with activist snowflakes that student newspaper shouldn't've sought comment from ICE in story about ICE

Sarah D | 12:45 PM on November 11, 2019

Last month, hundreds of Harvard students (possibly including David Hogg, because he’d do something like that) signed a petition slamming the student newspaper, the Harvard Crimson, for having the gall to seek comment from ICE in a story about an anti-ICE protest.

Stupid, right? Well, it gets stupider. Reason’s Robby Soave reports that Harvard’s student government has sided with the ostensibly openminded activists over actual openmindedness and journalistic fundamentals:

So now Harvard's student government is openly siding with activist students against The Harvard Crimson, which committed the unspeakable crime of… asking ICE for comment in an article. Will no one stand up and say, um, this is completely insane? https://t.co/iQzCXMSUdY

— Robby Soave (@robbysoave) November 11, 2019

More from Reason:

The council’s statement does not specifically endorse the boycott. But it does express solidarity with Act on a Dream [the activist student group calling for a boycott of the Crimson], whose members want the student newspaper to apologize for seeking comment from representatives of U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement in articles.

As I noted in my previous coverage of this kerfuffle, seeking comment from relevant parties is standard journalistic practice and ought to be commended. Instead, the activists have somehow convinced themselves that when The Crimson talks to ICE, it makes the campus less safe for undocumented immigrants.

…

“It is necessary for the Undergraduate Council to acknowledge the concerns raised by numerous groups and students on campus over the past few weeks and to recognize the validity of their expressed fear and feelings of unsafety,” the statement said.