Is The Cavalier Daily “Ignorant”? No, But….

The University of Virginia’s student paper, The Cavalier Daily, has an article today entitled “Bloggers Reshape Coverage of College Issues,” a good deal of which contains quotes based on a phone interview with yours truly.

The article is generally fair, and most of the quotes from me are even reasonably accurate. There was only one confusing typo/stenographic/editorial glitch:

“My concern with U.Va. is fed by proximity,” said Rosenberg, who lives in Crozet. “However, U.Va. is a good example of what is happening on campuses everywhere. It is a racial hothouse where the issue is so whipped up with and there is so much sensitivity. The accidents are exaggerated. The more concern there is about the issues, the more incidents there will be. People respond to them.”

I’m sure I didn’t say “where the issue is so whipped up with and there is…,” and “accidents” should of course be “incidents.” But that is relatively small potatoes in the great scheme of things.

I confess to being seriously bothered by only one thing in the article:

He also has sharply criticized The Cavalier Daily for its coverage of racial incidents on Grounds. Rosenberg said he thinks the coverage is excessive and, at times, ignorant.

In response I’ve sent the following to the reporter:

My only real problem is the assertion that I’ve written that the CavDaily’s coverage of racial incidents is “at times, ignorant.” I’ve just done a search and confirmed what I was about to say without checking: in the over three years I’ve been writing DISCRIMINATIONS I’ve never characterized anyone, any organization, or any position as “ignorant.” Reporters should be more careful before putting words in their interviewees’ mouths.

I’ve now done a more thorough search and found two examples that a critic might regard as evidence that I overstated my avoidance of “ignorant.” I don’t so regard them, except maybe a wee bit.

Here, in writing about John Kerry’s legislation that would ban a weapon that he gladly had recently accepted as a gift, I wrote:

In fact, presumably ignorant of the impact of his own legislation, Kerry proudly accepted just such a weapon as a gift from the United Mine Workers at a labor day rally earlier this week

And this, back on Grounds at UVa, in quoting from and responding to a speech given by law professor Anne Coughlin at a candlelight vigil after the Daisy Lundy (alleged) incident:

“My fears are produced by racism,” Coughlin said. “My fear has made me an ignorant person.”

I apologize for sounding snide, but Prof. Coughlin’s public comments lately make it difficult to disagree. (She was last heard from here, observing that although hate crimes can be against blacks or whites, “When people have been forced to live with slavery, their anger may be more understandable.)”

That didn’t just sound snide; it was snide, I now think too much so.

Still, I’m disappointed that there will be some people around here, including some who know me, whose knowledge of DISCRIMINATIONS is limited to what they read in the Cavalier Daily who will now think I make a habit of characterizing those with whom I disagree as ignorant.