Liberty University presses charges against journalists who covered campus' being open during outbreak

[Orangesapples 1,954]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/liberty-university-presses-charges-against-journalists-who-covered-campus-being-n1180731

 

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CORONAVIRUS

Liberty University presses charges against journalists who covered campus' being open during outbreak

The evangelical university in Virginia, which is led by Jerry Falwell Jr., is pursing trespassing charges against two journalists.

 

Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. at the school's commencement ceremonies in Lynchburg, Virginia, on May 11, 2019.Jonathan Drake / Reuters file

 

 

April 9, 2020, 6:26 PM PDT

By The Associated Press

Liberty University has pushed for criminal trespassing charges against two journalists who pursued stories about why the evangelical college in Virginia has remained partially open during the coronavirus outbreak.

The college, in Lynchburg, Virginia, is led by Jerry Falwell Jr., a supporter of President Donald Trump who has suggested coverage of the epidemic was overblown. Falwell said the university is conducting classes online and obeying social distancing directives.

 

 

But he said he has kept the campus open for international students and those with nowhere else to go. On Thursday, there were about 1,000 students living on campus, roughly one-eighth of its normal residential population.

After stories were written saying Liberty’s decision caused concerns in the community, the university pursued charges against Alec MacGillis, a reporter for ProPublica, and Julia Rendleman, a photographer who illustrated a March 29 story in The New York Times.

Virginia Magistrate Kang Lee signed arrest warrants for Class 1 Misdemeanors against the two journalists, punishable by up to a year in jail. It’s up to Lynchburg Commonwealth’s Attorney Bethany Harrison to decide whether to prosecute, and she said Thursday she hasn’t seen any details on the case.

Liberty’s security forces investigated the journalists following publication of their articles, collecting witness accounts that they were on campus without permission, Falwell said.

He said it was a safety issue not to let outsiders in at a time of a global pandemic.

“When people are coming from known hot spots, we feel we owe it to our students and our parents not to let that happen,” Falwell said in an interview on Thursday. “The only way to send the message is to let them know they will be prosecuted.”

What’s really important is writing about a decision that goes against safety guidelines and puts people’s health at risk, said Richard Tofel, president of ProPublica. MacGillis’ article, headlined “What’s it Like on One of the Only University Campuses Still Open in the U.S.?” was published on March 26.

“Bringing an action on trespassing charges seems something beside the point,” Tofel said.

[sl1pstream 551]

If they don't think they've done anything wrong, why press charges?

 

If the reason behind this decision was keeping it open so that international students suddenly weren't without a home, why not just come out and say that instead of pressing charges? You can't pretend you're doing a good thing while simultaneously censoring the press who wants to report on it.

[Orangesapples 1,954]

10 minutes ago, sl1pstream said:

If they don't think they've done anything wrong, why press charges?

 

If the reason behind this decision was keeping it open so that international students suddenly weren't without a home, why not just come out and say that instead of pressing charges? You can't pretend you're doing a good thing while simultaneously censoring the press who wants to report on it.

But evangelicals are so moral! 

[sl1pstream 551]

1 minute ago, Orangesapples said:

But evangelicals are so moral! 

THE ONLY REASON TO BE MORAL IS TO GET INTO JESUS HEAVEN!!!!

Edited April 10, 2020 by sl1pstream

[Dashinka 24,743]

52 minutes ago, Orangesapples said:

But evangelicals are so moral! 

So it would have been better to leave students with no where to go to their own devices?  

[Dashinka 24,743]

1 hour ago, sl1pstream said:

If they don't think they've done anything wrong, why press charges?

 

If the reason behind this decision was keeping it open so that international students suddenly weren't without a home, why not just come out and say that instead of pressing charges? You can't pretend you're doing a good thing while simultaneously censoring the press who wants to report on it.

Apparently you did not read the article.  The reporters were trespassing.

[sl1pstream 551]

2 minutes ago, Dashinka said:

Apparently you did not read the article.  The reporters were trespassing.

I'm sure that they would've also been reported as trespassing if they wrote a nice fluff piece. 🙄

[Dashinka 24,743]

3 minutes ago, sl1pstream said:

I'm sure that they would've also been reported as trespassing if they wrote a nice fluff piece. 🙄

That is an unknown.  Liberty U kept their campus open to take care of students that had no where to go, and they were restricting outsiders much like we are now doing at hospitals and care facilities.  Once the article was published and there was signs they were on the campus against restrictions, they could prove trespassing possibly.  Regardless, it was much better what Liberty U did than the alternative of pushing out students that had no where to go, but I suppose that is a negative.

[Burnt Reynolds 5,058]

The real crime is clearly here:

Quote

The college, in Lynchburg, Virginia, is led by Jerry Falwell Jr., a supporter of President Donald Trump

 

The penalty for this crime is a barrage of irrational whining, media smear attempts, etc.

 

Next time, don't support the big bad orange man and you won't face the predictable onslaught designed to intimidate people from holding different views.