Dear Editor,
I agree with Mr. Ahmed that journalists must report the truth, but his November 2 Opinion Editorial "Sickness of Balance" presents a double standard.
Previously, Mr. Ahmed concluded his news coverage of an October 20 Shariah Law event that the UR Muslim Law Student Association (MLSA) hosted with an opinionated assertion that "Islam, like all religions, has no basis in science." In his Nov. 2 Op Ed, Mr. Ahmed complained that this closing line was later removed, incorrectly assuming the removal meant that "as a journalist, [he] may not broach Islam, lest [he] make an editorialized comment." (sic)
The dictionary defines "news" as "the report or presentation of a recent event, or information reported." Appropriately, Mr. Ahmed's Shariah Law news report is listed under The Collegian's "News" section. The event addressed civil rights and religious freedom in America. Science and its relationship to Islam was irrelevant to the event topic.
At no point is "News" defined as "the journalists editorialized opinion on a topic irrelevant to the reported event." Opinions have a place -- in Opinion Editorials, blogs, and editorial replies -- but not in a news report. Journalists who infuse their unrelated opinions into a news report create false equivalencies, obfuscate veracity, and distort reality--precisely the ills Mr. Ahmed argues are all too prevalent in journalism. And herein lies the double standard--with his "editorialized comment," Mr. Ahmed engages in these very tactics.
Mr. Ahmed is free to broach Islam--our Constitution gives him that right. Far from censorship, I, as MLSA President, welcome such a debate. But, we respectfully request, for the sake of dignified news reporting, while reporting the news, report the news--not your opinion.
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