An advertisement published by the Daily Mississippian student newspaper at the University of Mississippi on April 15 sparked fierce debate and offended students. The advertisement featured a white baby and the title, “Will She Be a Racial Minority by the Time She Turns 40?”
The full text of the advertisement read: “Third world immigration – both legal and illegal – is now running so high that whites are expected to be a minority race by mid-century. Will this be good for America? Everyone tells you to ‘celebrate diversity,’ but for whites to ‘celebrate diversity’ is to celebrate their dwindling numbers and declining influence. Would Mexicans ‘celebrate diversity’ if whites were pouring across the Rio Grande, threatening to reduce them to a minority in their own country? Diversity is a weakness, not a strength. Just look at your campus. Are different racial groups a source of joy or a cause of friction? Don’t just swallow slogans. Think for yourself.”
Jared Taylor, editor of American Renaissance, a magazine about race and immigration published by the New Century Foundation in Oakton, Va., placed the advertisement with Daily Mississippian staff member Ronald Odom.
“It was purely an accident,” Odom told the Jackson Clarion-Ledger. “Our screening should have been tighter.”
Daily Mississippian staff members said the advertisement was not flagged and rejected as they wish it would have been.
“Ad sales representatives are to alert their superiors to any questionable content they come across,” wrote Editor in Chief Emery Carrington in an April 18 editorial apologizing to the student body. “Over the years, plenty of inappropriate ads have been kept out of the newspaper. However, the An advertisement published by the Daily Mississippian student newspaper at the University of Mississippi on April 15 sparked fierce debate and offended students. The advertisement featured a white baby and the title, “Will She Be a Racial Minority by the Time She Turns 40?”
The full text of the advertisement read: “Third world immigration – both legal and illegal – is now running so high that whites are expected to be a minority race by mid-century. Will this be good for America? Everyone tells you to ‘celebrate diversity,’ but for whites to ‘celebrate diversity’ is to celebrate their dwindling numbers and declining influence. Would Mexicans ‘celebrate diversity’ if whites were pouring across the Rio Grande, threatening to reduce them to a minority in their own country? Diversity is a weakness, not a strength. Just look at your campus. Are different racial groups a source of joy or a cause of friction? Don’t just swallow slogans. Think for yourself.”
Jared Taylor, editor of American Renaissance, a magazine about race and immigration published by the New Century Foundation in Oakton, Va., placed the advertisement with Daily Mississippian staff member Ronald Odom.
“It was purely an accident,” Odom told the Jackson Clarion-Ledger. “Our screening should have been tighter.”
Daily Mississippian staff members said the advertisement was not flagged and rejected as they wish it would have been.
“Ad sales representatives are to alert their superiors to any questionable content they come across,” wrote Editor in Chief Emery Carrington in an April 18 editorial apologizing to the student body. “Over the years, plenty of inappropriate ads have been kept out of the newspaper. However, the American Renaissance ad did not receive one glance, nevermind a second, from anyone on staff.”
Taylor told the Clarion-Ledger he thought the newspaper was acting hypocritically by denouncing the advertisement.
“I’m amazed the position they’re taking is that they won’t run an ad unless they agree with it,” he said. “A university is supposed to be in favor of opposing points of view. I’m very disappointed that the university is unwilling to debate certain questions, and the university should be ashamed of itself.”
Taylor paid $220.05 for the advertisement with a credit card, and Melanie Wadkins, the Daily Mississippian’s advertising manager, told the Clarion-Ledger she would not process Taylor’s credit information.
“It could imply an acceptance of the message in the ad, and we reject that message,” she said.
SPLC VIEW: This controversy prompts a reminder of the law regarding advertising acceptance. As long as students (and not college officials, including a faculty adviser) decide to reject an ad, they have virtually unlimited authority to do so. No advertiser has a right to have its ad included in the publication.
On the other hand, student journalists have the right to publish ads (as well as news content) that some readers may find hurtful or offensive. Some college student publications believe that their advertising space should be open to a wide cross-section of viewpoints, even those they personally disagree with, as a way of encouraging debate. Others avoid ads that do not reflect the publications own editorial stances. Neither position is wrong, but merely a reflection of different, legitimate assessments of the role of the paper.
As we have said before with other advertising controversies, what is most important is that a newspaper staff take the time to identify its own advertising philosophy and then establish policies and procedures for ensuring that it is followed.