I was very troubled to see the Justice article titled “Task force engages talk on campus free speech” on the front page of the March 14, 2017 edition of The Justice. For those who did not see the article, it featured a photograph of a person of color, speaking on the lack of diversity at an open meeting of the Presidential Task Force on Free Expression. The speaker kindly asked not to be photographed. In response, the paper brandished her photo across its front page. Perhaps your paper can publish what it wishes, but the tone and disrespect shown to other Brandeis students is unbecoming of a student newspaper, and makes me wonder if your staff has any inkling that not everyone lives the same lives that they do.

There’s a lot of responsibility that comes with holding a camera. You’re there to document what happens, and, ultimately, to tell a story. Indeed, what your article does is tell a story. I have a strong suspicion that it is not the story the Editors thought they were telling. You, the Editors, reporter, and photographer may have thought the story was showing the contentious nature of the meeting. You may have thought your story’s headline, emblazoned over a highly disrespectful photo, was saying that freedom of expression means we can say whatever we want, however we want, to whomever we want. Maybe you can — regardless, that’s not the story, at least not to me.

What I see is ignorance, disrespect, and a lack of civility. By taking that picture of Ms. Kikeri, and writing “A Justice press camera snapped” immediately after the quote of her asking not to be photographed, you have made your newspaper the story. Instead of letting your writing illustrate how the meeting proceeded, you have documented your staff’s failure to engage in empathy. Your failure to engage in empathy and subsequent failure to look beyond the self led your staff to not only highly disrespect a fellow student, but to commit violence that rebukes the anti-racist and anti-misogynist, humanizing message of the speaker. Such behavior perpetuates a colorblind perspective that is, ultimately, racist. If your Editors have an opinion on how free speech should look on campus, they should write an opinion piece, instead of imbuing “reporting” with such opinions.

I cannot fathom being in this paper’s position and writing such an article. When I was editor of a student publication, I saw myself as a co-author of that community’s story. Your paper’s behavior at that meeting, and this story, show that you are not embracing the diversity of individualities on this campus. Rather, you have unconsciously chosen to make a self-righteous and not-so-covertly pretentious mockery of members of our community. Taking a picture of someone who explicitly asked not to be photographed, putting “FREEDOM OF SPEECH” over that photograph — of someone who was honestly remarking on the lack of diversity of those at the table — is innately oppressive. I hope those who contribute to the Justice learn how to take a more unbiased, empathetic, and inclusive position in the future. In the meantime, I think you owe someone an apology.

—Nicholas Croce ’17 is an MPP Candidate with the Heller School for Social Policy and Management.