2008 Woodie Awards
Imposing Equilibrium
Gadi Dotz
Issue date: 3/8/05 Section: Opinion
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It is true that I am not an economist. I admit that I do not fully understand all of the intricacies of the Bush tax plan and that, despite my tendency to support the President's policies, I do not have the right to assert that the Wall Street Journal's favorable review is more correct than the scathing critique by The New Republic. As a student and fairly open-minded individual, I think it is important to acknowledge both sides of this issue and to respect those with different political views. As Eitan Kastner aptly points out in his article "Creating Equilibrium" in the February 15th issue of the Commentator, "it is crucial that open-mindedness prevail as the uncharted waters of Torah U'Madda are carefully navigated."
While I am a firm advocate of the equal presentation of diverse political views, I do not believe that the way to achieve this is to have an unbalanced liberal agenda on campus. Kastner asserts that a "majority of the student body" has already sided with the conservative views of the Wall Street Journal. This assertion is unfounded, and even if it were true, it is not the place of Yeshiva University professors or newspaper editors to "even out" the score.
Prior to the Presidential election this year, when heated debate between Bush and Kerry supporters was common on campus, I expected to read both sides in the Commentator. What I found was an entire page dedicated to praising John Kerry and slamming President Bush. If the student body was predominantly pro-Bush, this viewpoint should have been represented in the school newspaper with at least a token article in support of the President. The job of a newspaper is to present unbiased news and balanced opinions, not to change the tide on campus from conservative to liberal. Kastner says, "Exposure to views divergent from the majority of the student body is far more important than bolstering opinions already held by it" and asks, "What purpose does reinforcement serve?" My answer is simple: balanced reporting and journalistic integrity.
While I am a firm advocate of the equal presentation of diverse political views, I do not believe that the way to achieve this is to have an unbalanced liberal agenda on campus. Kastner asserts that a "majority of the student body" has already sided with the conservative views of the Wall Street Journal. This assertion is unfounded, and even if it were true, it is not the place of Yeshiva University professors or newspaper editors to "even out" the score.
Prior to the Presidential election this year, when heated debate between Bush and Kerry supporters was common on campus, I expected to read both sides in the Commentator. What I found was an entire page dedicated to praising John Kerry and slamming President Bush. If the student body was predominantly pro-Bush, this viewpoint should have been represented in the school newspaper with at least a token article in support of the President. The job of a newspaper is to present unbiased news and balanced opinions, not to change the tide on campus from conservative to liberal. Kastner says, "Exposure to views divergent from the majority of the student body is far more important than bolstering opinions already held by it" and asks, "What purpose does reinforcement serve?" My answer is simple: balanced reporting and journalistic integrity.