Michael McDevitt, professor of Journalism and Media Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder and author of "Where Ideas Go to Die: The Fate of Intellect in American Journalism," discusses the directive put forth by the University of Colorado to their communications staff over the summer of 2020. According to the Denver Post, which broke the news on the directive, communications staff were told in July to "avoid partisan language and submit any statements dealing with “sensitive” topics" to CU President Mark Kennedy's office before they are published. The list of topics, as reported by the Denver Post, includes "health insurance, marijuana, COVID-19 science, campus reopening processes, international research funding, corporate research funding, divestment, international student visas, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA program, First Amendment and free speech, climate change, academic freedom, race relations and LGBTQ+ issues."

You can read the Denver Post's article on the directive here: https://www.denverpost.com/2020/08/25/cu-free-speech-race-covid-university-of-colorado-sensitive-topics/#comments-anchor

Originally aired on October 19th, 2020.

Interview by News Director John Boughey,