Once a place for the open exchange of ideas and honest debate, many U.S. college campuses no longer tolerate dissenting views expressed by students and professors. Look no further than a recent report from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which underscores this troubling trend with a survey of 55,000 students across more than 250 universities. Over half of college students say they are concerned about ruining their reputation or being “canceled” by sharing openly their thoughts and opinions. More than 25 percent find themselves self-censoring their remarks amid campus conversations and classroom discussions.
This phenomenon, which has allowed dogma and ideology to supplant the search for truth, has taken root in college lecture halls, student governments, and campus newspapers. The trend has major implications for American life, as today’s students become tomorrow’s leaders. Its effects may be most clearly felt in a profession historically associated with reporting the facts and promoting diversity of opinion: American journalism. If unchecked, it will have both short- and long-term repercussions not just for future journalists but for the American experiment as a whole.
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