Diet Racism

In recent news, the University of Missouri disappeared behind a veil of smoke.

Because what the students have done at the University is incredible. For the first time in a long time, news stations have been at a loss for words in reporting the ongoing events up in Columbia, Missouri.

Thanks to students have taken matters into their own hands. Rather than appeal to the media and strike at the minds of executives in the system, students protested en masse. Even more absurd was their refusal to allow any type of media coverage; the students had absolutely no faith in their faculty of those reporting on them.

Which is why this is so shocking. The sheer lack of coverage forced news outlets to signpost the ntable events. For example, the presidetn stepping down came with no warning, and news outlets had no coverage or questions answered by anyone but the president himself during his resignation. No students were polled, no large assumptions or blanket statements were made on behalf of everyone else. There was no one to ask.

The fact of the matter is, racism has affected so many students at the university, that they have finally had enough. Rather than riot and cause chaos, and give the media the retaliation they desired to cover, students isolated the events, pressed demands, and have begun to organize for the future.

In light of a much more difficult time in nearby Ferguson, it is incredible to see what students have done. Because violence has left racial protests with a bad after taste in the public's mouth, it is a blessing to see issues discussed in a peaceful, yet very effective way.

Diet Racism does not stop there however. All across the country, students are raising their voices, letting the students at Missouri know that many are standing with them.

The idea that people our age are standing out against atrocities near them certainly attracts young people across the nation. A simple search for the #IstandwithMizzou yields hundreds and hundreds of posts of college students siding with protestors hundreds of miles away, adding their voice to the mass.

Even more incredible is the idea that news was shared out of Missouri through personal twitter accounts. Without active coverage from our regular sources, it was up to students in the action to provide concerned and involved peers across the nation with accurate information. They did just that. 

"We ask for no media in the parameters so the place where people live, fellowship, and sleep can be protected from twisted insincere narratives," read one tweet from a recent University of Missouri activists affiliated account. 

The message sent by activists couldn't be more clear; we cannot trust you, so stay away. While journalist may have found this type of message to be a threat to the field and the practice of honest journalism, it certainly says a lot about the methods of reporting and selective media that we see on a regular basis.