University

The importance of choosing your words

U.S. student newspaper’s funding deserved to be cut

A student newspaper in the United States is about to learn the hard way that you have to be careful what you preach.

After allegedly having their funding suspended, the Koala at the University of California San Diego went on a tirade against the students’ union president, using sexually explicit language and photographs to brazenly attack her. And now she’s launched a defamation lawsuit against the publication.

I’m not shocked at all. In fact, it sounds like these kids have a lot to learn. Even where defamation law is a heck of a lot more lax than here in Canada, there is no place in public discourse for the childishness the Koala is employing. It’s one thing for media to hold government accountable, but this act is taking things so far past the line of accountability.

The crude language, photoshopped images and retaliatory attacks show both malice and a disregard for simple decency. They shouldn’t be surprised that nobody finds their publication worth paying for, or that the target of their rage is retaliating.

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