Newspapers are in the business of reporting on and analyzing the news. They are not supposed to make the news.
The First Amendment to our Constitution guarantees the right to free speech and expression. In this spirit, newspapers operate to inform readers and further the public discourse with thought provoking opinions and editorial analyses on current events and issues.
The responsibilities associated with editorial speech are as sacred as our Founders’ legacy. A newspaper read by thousands of people everyday must work to thoughtfully engage its readership without intending to offend them.
We believe the Badger Herald Editorial Board did not act responsibly this week in its decision to reprint one of the controversial Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad. In doing so, the Badger Herald Editorial Board did nothing to further the debate over the conflict of freedom of speech and respect for religion. Instead of adding to the discourse, they have inserted themselves into the center of it.
While we understand that the cartoon was published as part of an editorial examining free speech, we believe that boundaries were crossed. Just because you can print something does not mean that you should.
As a student newspaper committed to serving the campus community, covering the issues most relevant to UW-Madison students, it never occurred to this editorial board to print these offensive cartoons. We work too hard to gain our readers’ trust to blatantly offend their religious beliefs.
