Columbia Univ. President Calls for More Taxpayer-funded News Outlets, Grads Cheer

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By Ken Shepherd (Bio | Archive)
May 20, 2009 - 13:11 ET
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If the cheers of Columbia University's Class of 2009 are any indication, the future of journalism will be looking for a federal bailout.

Washington Times correspondent Christina Bellantoni live-tweeted today's event, noting the remarks from university president Lee Bollinger appealing for more government-owned media outlets. Bollinger also received "big cheers" for his call for increased spending on public broadcasting.

Here are the relevant tweets from Bellantoni's feed in reverse chronological order (emphasis mine):

  • Bollinger: "Must see foreign press as our press too" talks censorship, calls 4 press 2 have "full unfettered" access 2 war zones
  • Columbia prez Bollinger: More funding 4 pub. broadcasting, gets big cheers, we're roasting in hot sun - wearing hat made of newspaper
  • At Columbia grad Bollinger says "there will have to be new sources of funding" for press, lauds BBC, other govt supported news
  • At Columbia grad Bollinger says "unlikely the lone blogger could have had the wearwithal" to do Pulitzer level work
  • Columbia prez Bollinger: "Crisis in journalsim a crisis in democracy" & laments "shallow opinion mongering" not to be taken lightly


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I've heard about some of

May 20, 2009 - 13:33 ET by bigtimer

I've heard about some of the newest plans for some more control of our country, we all knew one way or the other the leftists are going to get their hands and control in the msm...they already do the TV airwaves, but talk radio is what they want now...big time.

Hugo Chavez has to be smiling.

I have never seen anything like this...if they can't do it via congress they'll do it anyway they can...people had better stay on top of this, and be aware.

Wow, Rush is talking about this all now.

 Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart

BT

May 20, 2009 - 13:43 ET by NorthCoaster

I guess now that the Libs are in power, government control of the airwaves is OK. I recall there having been a big stink made about a conservative pundit who helped promote a program of Pres. Bush's. I don't recall the exact situation, but this last election cycle and the suggestions for government support and takeover of the private sector, cause that instance to pale in retrospect.

We already have NPR, which is government funded. These journalists should sign on to one of the hundreds of local NPR affiliates to find government work.

Oh, I forgot the MSM, as they might as well be funded by our Leftist government since the function as the propaganda arm.

→ Columbia's chickensss!

May 20, 2009 - 13:49 ET by Cool Arrow

Are coming home to work at KFC.

"I was fighting a war in Iraq!" - Nancy Lugosi

Congratulations to Dr. Bollinger..

May 20, 2009 - 14:07 ET by dervish

for such a courageous speech before a hostile audience.  That was like going to a UAW meeting and suggesting federal guarantees for their pension plan.

I remember when these

May 20, 2009 - 14:12 ET by mattm

I remember when these hippies were telling us to question authority.  Now that they are the authority, it's a different story.

From a Havana cabana....

May 20, 2009 - 15:25 ET by Pilgrim1949

....Fidel and Raul would smile, exhale a cloud of cigar smoke and nod in agreement.

I am shocked literally....

May 20, 2009 - 14:27 ET by jdripper

I attended a seminar at Columbia University in 1979 where William S. Paley the former head of  CBS and CBSNews spoke.  He began by asking the audience of journalism students what was the first piority of a media outlet.  

Immediately hands went up all over the audience of alsmot 700 and Paley called on them one by one.  "To seek the truth, to represent those who have no voice, to inform the public" and so on and son.  

To each of these students Paley just smiled and said, "no" over and over.  Finally Paley leaned into the microphone and said, "the first priority of a media outlet is to be a business."

Journalism is dead in America.

Jack

"If at age 20 you are a conservative then you have no heart.  If at age 30 you are a liberal then you have no brains."   Sir Winston Churchill

Stop funding NPR and PBS.

May 20, 2009 - 15:11 ET by Kingfish17

Any politician expecting any conservative votes must have in their platform the immediate cessation of funding for NPR and PBS.  People hate the news media, and people are tired of funding these organizations through their taxes.

"I've sentenced boys younger then you to the gas chamber.  Didn't want to do it, but I felt I owed it to them."  Judge Smails 

Names

May 20, 2009 - 15:23 ET by BuffNBone

For the bulk of its duration, the USSR had two main news organizations, Pravda (Truth) and Izvestia (News).  Because of confusion between the two, and other reasons, the joke was, "The news is not the truth and the truth is not news."  Seems like we're headed that way on our own.

"Fighters are fun but bombers make policy"

Might as well add them officially...

May 20, 2009 - 15:50 ET by wnaegele

...to Bam's payroll.

Public media outlets and funding.

May 20, 2009 - 16:09 ET by trhug

T.R. Huggins IMHO , NO taxpayer money should EVER fund public media. I will gladly put up with loud (+10db above programming) ads so that I can find

some opinion other than from leftist, progressive hype.

PBS should be defunded as too government- centered. It rarely exhibits any matter that I deem palatable.

Our Country is in Big Trouble

May 20, 2009 - 16:43 ET by richb313

Our Country is in big trouble when college students cheer for Govt. Funded News. Be carefull what you wish for. The sheer stupidity of the left is daunting. Combined with thier arrogance our country is in real trouble. Never mind the transitory problems of the moment, we have always come out the other side, this is a new level of sheer willing blindness. I fear for the safety of all our fellow countrymen and they are supposed to be the smart ones.

→ Big trouble

May 20, 2009 - 16:54 ET by Cool Arrow

Shall we take comfort in their grasp of how unprepared they are, having chosen a field that needs so few of them?

Likely you'd find the same cheer in an Engineering School, but any of them worth their education would soon prefer the private sector.

"I was fighting a war in Iraq!" - Nancy Lugosi

If that clown Bollinger and

May 20, 2009 - 17:55 ET by fitzfong

If that clown Bollinger and these "Ivy League" dolts want to subsidize that crap, fine.  Seems to me that the Columbia snobs can afford to support these dinosaurs...but I'm sick and tired of this scum insisting that everyone else must have their money confiscated to keep PBS afloat.  Buy more Michael Flatley "Lord of the Dance" videos during pledge drives and stay the hell out of my wallet.

"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." -Winston Churchill