The list of things that students must apparently be protected from grows longer every day. Controversial speakers, rude comedians, sombreros (banned at the University of East Anglia in 2015 because apparently it is racist for non-Mexicans to wear them). And now, their own student newspapers.
Yes, the list of terrifying things that might offend students and ever so slightly dent their self-esteem — the horror! — now includes the student press. Officials in the Oxford Student Union are thinking of setting up a Student Consultancy of Sensitivity Readers to check the output of the university’s newspapers and make sure that no ‘insensitive material’ is published.
It really is as chilling as it sounds. Under these plans, ‘sensitivity readers’ would be elected to keep a watch on Cherwell, the Oxford Student and other Oxford media outlets. They’d keep a beady eye out for ‘problematic’ articles, including material that is racist, sexist or just generally ‘insensitive’.
Safe spaces, vetting for insensitivity, No Platforming those who make you feel uncomfortable — none of this is conducive to learning
The aim? To protect Oxford’s students from the ‘potential damage’ they could suffer if they read something they dislike or disapprove of.
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