On Tuesday, only NBC’s Today covered Oklahoma Wesleyan University president Everett Piper slamming political correctness on college campuses. Co-host Matt Lauer informed viewers: “...a university president is getting a lot of attention for a surprising blog post that he aimed at students. His message to today's youth, ‘Grow up and stop being so self-absorbed and narcissistic.’”
In the report that followed, correspondent Kerry Sanders declared: “Many now seeing the growing lack of reasoned discussion on college campuses as a disturbing trend. This blog post by the President of Oklahoma Wesleyan University titled, “This is Not a Day Care. It's a University!,” hit a nerve.”
A soundbite followed of Piper warning: “What we really have today is a demand that you must be one of us, you must comply, you must submit and if you don't we will suppress you, we will silence you and we will crush you.”
Sanders even tried to portray President Obama as a champion of the cause: “President Obama recently told students they should not be protected from different points of view.” A clip ran of Obama remarking: “I've heard some college campuses where they don't want to have a guest speaker who, you know, is too conservative. I've got to tell you, I don't agree with that either.”
Wrapping up the report, Sanders noted: “Comedians Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, and Bill Maher say they won't play college campuses anymore because today's politically correct students cannot seem to take a joke...”
Co-host Savannah Guthrie called the topic “an interesting debate” that is a “Good one to have on college campuses everywhere.”
While covering the comments from Piper, NBC finally mentioned how a reporter covering racial controversies at the University of Missouri “was not welcome.” NBC had initially ignored the incident on November 10.
So far, the morning and evening newscasts on ABC and CBS have ignored Piper’s remarks condemning PC culture on campus.
Here is a full transcript of the December 1 report on Today:
7:33 AM ET
MATT LAUER: Want to turn now to Oklahoma, where a university president is getting a lot of attention for a surprising blog post that he aimed at students. His message to today's youth, “Grow up and stop being so self-absorbed and narcissistic.” Here's NBC's Kerry Sanders.
KERRY SANDERS: Political correctness on college campuses has suddenly, and sometimes loudly, exploded on to the national stage.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Pushing Back Against Political Correctness; University President to Students: Grow Up]
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: You should not sleep at night. You are disgusting.
SANDERS: This confrontation at Yale was over the issue of PC Halloween costumes. At the University of Missouri, protests over perceived systematic racism forced the resignations of the school's president and chancellor. A reporter trying to cover one event was not welcome.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN B: You need to get out.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN [REPORTER]: I actually don't.
WOMAN B: All right. Hey! Who wants to help me get this reporter out of here?
SANDERS: Many now seeing the growing lack of reasoned discussion on college campuses as a disturbing trend. This blog post by the President of Oklahoma Wesleyan University titled, “This is Not a Day Care. It's a University!,” hit a nerve. It's sharply critical of kids who are “self-absorbed and narcissistic. Any time their feelings are hurt, they are the victims.”
DR. EVERETT PIPER: What we really have today is a demand that you must be one of us, you must comply, you must submit and if you don't we will suppress you, we will silence you and we will crush you.
SANDERS: President Obama recently told students they should not be protected from different points of view.
BARACK OBAMA: I've heard some college campuses where they don't want to have a guest speaker who, you know, is too conservative. I've got to tell you, I don't agree with that either.
SANDERS: Comedians Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, and Bill Maher say they won't play college campuses anymore because today's politically correct students cannot seem to take a joke, even about Halloween costumes.
BILL MAHER: Halloween is supposed to be politically incorrect. That's why we say “trick or treat” instead of “placate and coddle.”
SANDERS: But for many, political correctness on campus these days is no laughing matter. For Today, Kerry Sanders, NBC News, Miami.
LAUER: I saw this online yesterday, his blog, and it just got more and more attention and more and more comments throughout the day.
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Well, the headline, “It's a university, not day care,” so it's an interesting debate. Good one to have on college campuses everywhere.
