Northwestern students apologize for reporting protest, face backlash for apology
Student paper apologizes to students for reporting news; reaction from New York Post columnist Miranda Devine.
A New York Post columnist ripped Northwestern University's college newspaper for apologizing over its coverage of students protesting an appearance by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Miranda Devine, who told Fox News host Dana Perino she was embarrassed for the school -- where she completed her master's -- said Tuesday on "The Daily Briefing" that junior reporters were "committing journalism" and have nothing to apologize for.
Devine characterized the students who complained as being, "so weak and cowardly and plagued by anxiety that they can't bear to be interviewed or to be portrayed in the student newspaper when they went out and were protesting."
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY STUDENT NEWSPAPER APOLOGIZES FOR PRACTICING JOURNALISM
"That is a public act. If you don't want anyone to notice you protesting, then stay home."
Perino said student reporters used the college's directory to obtain their protesting classmates' contact information and reached out to solicit comments for their stories.
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Devine suggested the newspaper would have been better served by telling offended students to "grow up" than by pandering to them/
"If they're at university, which is sort of a safe space, and they can't cope with their tiny little infringement in their privacy, how on earth are they going to cope with the real world?"
Following the outrage, the paper expressed remorse for taking photos that some students found “retraumatizing and invasive” and contacting students through the school’s directory.
“We recognize being contacted like this is an invasion of privacy, and we’ve spoken with those reporters -- along with our entire staff -- about the correct way to reach out to students for stories,” the paper wrote.
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The Daily Northwestern also removed the name of a protester from its coverage.
Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.
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