I am not the advisor for our student newspaper, the Norfolk State Spartan Echo, but I would be willing to serve as a panelist and explore this topic from an HBcU aspect. Cathy ________________________________ From: FOR THE MINORITIES AND COMMUNICATION DIV. OF AEJMC on behalf of Rios, Diana Sent: Mon 9/24/2007 3:43 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Teaching Panel Possibilty-- Campus newspaper--racism, misogynism Sharon, MAC people, I would be willing to be a respondent or side-liner, helper, but hesitate to organize and submit the panel because of other officer responsibilities in AEJMC and ICA. I will keep a close eye on this, however. Anyone can step forward and run with this panel. In addition to your contact at the LPRACommission in Hartford, Ruiz, I could contact Mendez, a Comm professor at Central and ask him to be on the panel as well. He is quoted in the op/ed piece written by Bessy Reyna. Bessy Reyna is a powerful speaker on race and women's issues, human rights issues, civil liberties (she's a writer, lawyer). She is also a possibility. AEJMC's Commission on the Status of Women may also be interested in this panel. For example, I am communicating with the Women's Center on my campus, UCONN, to address our student paper and insensitivity issues with regard to coverage on violence against women and other gender issues. Diana -----Original Message----- From: Stringer, Sharon [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Mon 9/24/2007 1:58 PM To: Rios, Diana; [log in to unmask] Subject: RE: Teaching Panel Possibiltiy-- Campus newspaper--racism, misogynism Sounds like a good panel discussion. I just finished speaking with Karlo Ruiz, public information officer with the State of Connecticut Latino & Puerto Rican Affairs Commission. He's an alum visiting campus today. He says that his office is fighting this issue in Connecticut. I might can get him to Chicago, if anyone is interested in organizing a panel. Sharon B. Stringer, Ph.D. Associate Professor Journalism and Mass Comm Lock Haven University 603 Robinson Bldg. Lock Haven, PA 17745 570-484-2092 570-484-2436 (fax) -----Original Message----- From: FOR THE MINORITIES AND COMMUNICATION DIV. OF AEJMC [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Rios, Diana Sent: Monday, September 24, 2007 1:18 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Teaching Panel Possibiltiy-- Campus newspaper--racism, misogynism Absolutely. This is a great topic for someone to take off with and create a panel proposal. This could be a Teaching Panel for some interested people. Here are some possible titles-- "Campus News, Radio, TV: Freedom of Expression or Racism-Misgynism?" "Campus News, Radio, TV: If we hate you, we have the right to say it" "The Future of Student Media: The Dark and Enlightened Sides of Freedom of Expression" -----Original Message----- From: Meta G. Carstarphen [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Mon 9/24/2007 12:55 PM To: Rios, Diana Cc: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Campus newspaper--racism, misogynism Thanks, Diana. Maybe the topic of campus newspapers (and radio & TV) should be a topic for a panel proposal. Meta Meta G. Carstarphen, Ph.D., APR Gaylord Family Endowed Professor & Associate Professor Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication University of Oklahoma 395 W. Lindsey Room 3510C Norman, OK 73019-4201 PHONE: (405) 325-5227 FAX: (405) 325-7565 E-MAIL: [log in to unmask] ************************************ On Sep 23, 2007, at 10:29 AM, Rios, Diana wrote: > We should be aware of the lack of ethics, lack of common sense, the > racism and misogynism at this campus newspaper at Central Connecticut > State University. > This makes us ask the question, How are our campus newspapers doing? > Sincerely, > Dr. Diana I. Rios > Associate Prof. of Communication Sciences and Institute for PRLS > Dept. Communication Sciences, U-1085 University of Connecticut Storrs, > CT 06269 > 860-486-3187 > [log in to unmask] > > > ---------------------------------------------- > > PLEASE SEND LETTERS. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT > courant.com/news/opinion/columnists/hc- > reyna0921.artsep21,0,7243759.column > Courant.com > Tolerating A Climate Of Hostility > Bessy Reyna > September 21, 2007 > Publication of a racist and misogynistic cartoon depicting a 14- > year-old Latina, hungry, bound, locked in a closet and apparently > being urinated upon casts a pall across the celebration of Hispanic > History Month in Connecticut. > > Printed by the Central Connecticut State University student paper, The > Recorder, the cartoon has caused an understandable uproar on campus > and off. Is CCSU teaching its students to be tolerant of those who > make fun of victims or humiliate and belittle others because of their > ethnicity or gender? I wonder. This is the same paper - under Editor > in Chief Mark Rowan - that caused an outrage on campus last winter > with the publication of a piece suggesting that a rape could be a > "magical experience" for an ugly woman. > > At that time, the CCSU administration's response was to create a Task > Force on Journalistic Integrity and "sensitize" Rowan by having him > join. Obviously, that effort has failed. Rowan and his staff published > this cartoon, which is not only intrinsically hateful toward Latinos > and women, but also features the commission of crimes including risk > of injury to a minor, assault and unlawful restraint. I'm sure they > thought that their addition of a disclaimer beneath the cartoon - "The > Recorder does not support the kidnapping of (and subsequent urinating > on) children of any age or ethnicity" - was a clever and funny jab at > the task force. > > One highly disturbing element is how little the students at the > newspaper seem to care about the fact that hate crimes against women > and minorities are an extremely serious social issue. One that we need > to deal with as a society, not make fun of. > > I couldn't help but think about Megan Williams, the 20-year-old > African American woman, who recently was found after being locked up > and brutally tortured by six people in West Virginia, or the 14- > year-old runaway from Bloomfield who was found a year later locked in > a small closet in a West Hartford house. > > The publication of this cartoon seems to be a symptom of a much bigger > problem at CCSU. The response by university President Jack Miller > leaves much to be desired. He wrote that the cartoon "demonstrates > [the students'] lack of understanding of how words can hurt and of how > their editorial decisions to publish deeply offensive materials can > undermine the civility that should bring us together as a campus > community." Miller sounds like a disappointed father, not the leader a > college president should be. He is only now, in the face of more > controversy, recommending implementation of some of the proposals that > were presented last May by the task force on journalism. > > In a letter to the CCSU community, Professor Serafín Méndez-Méndez, > chairman of the communication department and a member of the task > force, said that Miller has exhibited poor leadership by failing to > create an inclusive and tolerant environment for women, African > Americans, Latinos, gays and others. > > Psychology Professor Francisco Donis, president of the Latin American > Association at CCSU, told me the problem is a climate that fosters > such obnoxious behavior. Underrepresented groups on campus feel > threatened and unwelcome. He noted that "CCSU is the only CSU > [Connecticut State University{rcub} campus without Latino > representation in the administration or at the dean level." > > Miller should consider that the lack of Latino administrators and > deans in his administration demonstrates his lack of understanding of > how invisibility can hurt and of how hiring decisions can undermine > the civility that should bring a campus community together. > > This year, Connecticut citizens observing Hispanic History Month > should celebrate the Latino students at CCSU and their counterparts > throughout the country for having the strength and fortitude to > continue to strive for an education in the face of such hostility and > harassment. > > Bessy Reyna is a free-lance writer whose column appears the third > Friday of every month. To leave her a comment in English or Spanish, > please call 860-241-3165. Or e-mail her at [log in to unmask] > Copyright © 2007, The Hartford Courant > > > Bessy Reyna > www.bessyreyna.com