University President Lee Bollinger called for a new commitment to greater worldwide press freedoms on Monday evening before an audience of about 150 at the Journalism School.
During an hour-long conversation with Journalism School Dean Nicholas Lemann, Bollinger elaborated on the prescriptions presented by his most recent book, “Uninhibited, Robust, and Wide-Open: A Free Press for a New Century.” He also addressed contemporary First Amendment-related topics such as the Supreme Court’s recent controversial verdict in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which ruled that corporate funding in elections is protected by the First Amendment.
Bollinger is a recognized First Amendment scholar who served as a clerk to Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger, played a key role in two Supreme Court cases that assessed affirmative action, and has taught constitutional law throughout his tenure at Columbia.
He explained Monday that the courts have a mixed track record in terms of observing the First Amendment, expressing frustration about the imprisonment of a presidential candidate—Eugene Debs—for praising World War I draft evaders. Bollinger also noted that the Supreme Court has long “refused to give any special meaning to the term ‘journalists’ or ‘press’ or ‘reporter.’”
Bollinger refuted the argument that, in calling for greater freedom of expression, he is attempting to subject other cultures to American values. “People might say I am promoting U.S. imperialism of a different form,” Bollinger said. “My view is, you’ve got to start from somewhere. I believe these principles are good for societies. I hope others will join in on this.”
He also focused his attention on the importance of reviving the global presence American news outlets have relinquished amid depressed revenues, as well as encouraging other nations to tolerate a vibrant free press. He identified a contradiction in the simultaneous globalization as a result of improvements in communication technology and the American media’s increasingly inward focus.
“The decline in the coverage of global news struck me as a deep paradox and a real problem to be solved,” he said. “I didn’t see this coming [before the financial crisis].” He added that the eventual goal of ending persecution of journalists and restrictions on expression worldwide will not be realized in “the next five, 10 years or even my lifetime.”
Bollinger said in an interview after the talk that both undergraduates and the Journalism School can play a key role in raising consciousness about the issue of global press freedoms. “I am trying to get an undergraduate course together about this,” he said. “And the Journalism School is an absolutely central player by training journalists for a global forum.”
Sherry Yi Zhang, CC ’11, said that press freedom has become an increasingly salient topic in her native China. “Journalism will also play a major part in the future relationship between the U.S. and China. Both the political and economic areas will be affected.”
In an interview, Lemann stressed the importance of students “creating meaningful international norms” for free expression. Enhancing press freedoms, he said, “will be the work of a generation.”
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