Four months after pro-Hamas terrorists took over the Columbia University campus and made it a no-go zone for Jewish students, university president Minouche Shafik finally resigned in disgrace. But while the Thursday newscasts of ABC’s Good Morning America and CBS Mornings found time to report on the resignation, NBC’s Today couldn’t spare even a few seconds to mention it.
Perhaps NBC was too busy freaking out over Senator and vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance promoting the benefits of children having a relationship with their grandparents.
But it makes sense for NBC to want to ignore the school now.
As NewsBusters reported in April, NBC tried to discredit the Jewish victims at the school, they ignored the blood thirsty rant against Jews by the encampment’s leader, and they ignored the terrorists praising Hamas with “glory to our martyrs.”
While Good Morning America did cover Shafik’s resignation, co-anchor Linsey Davis sped through it in 18 seconds:
But first, the top headlines we’re following right now. The president of Columbia University has resigned. Minouche Shafik came under fire for her handling of pro-Palestinian demonstrations. She is the third president of a major U.S. university to resign after testifying before Congress about anti-Semitism on their campuses. Her resignation is effective immediately.
In contrast, CBS Mornings gave the story over two minutes of air-time (2:10). “Another high-profile college leader has resigned after the campus unrest that we saw last spring,” announced co-anchor Gayle King. “Columbia University president Minouche Shafik had been roundly criticized for her response to the pro-Palestinian demonstrations on that campus.”
Reporter Tom Manson downplayed the mass violence that took place and the threats against Jewish students, and made it about how Shafik just rubbed everyone the wrong way:
In her resignation letter, she cited the turbulent period saying it had been, quote, “a period of turmoil where it has been difficult to overcome divergent views across our community.”
Columbia University's encampment was the epicenter of pro-Palestinian protests across college campuses last spring. At times those demonstrations took a violent turn and resulted in mass arrests after Shafik twice called in the NYPD to dismantle the tent city. And culminating with hundreds of police officers moving in to clear out protesters that occupied a campus building.
(…)
Shafik's actions prompted criticism not just from pro-Palestinian students but also Jewish students who said they lived in fear on campus.
“Resulting in calls for her to step down including from lawmakers who visited Columbia during the protests,” he added. “Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson in a social media post last night wrote, ‘Jewish students at Columbia beginning this school year should breathe a sigh of relief.’”
The time NBC spent on Vance was nearly a minute (57 seconds); enough time to hit somewhere between ABC’s 18 seconds and CBS’s 130 seconds if they wanted to cover the resignation.
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
ABC’s Good Morning America
August 15, 2024
7:30:40 a.m. EasternLINSEY DAVIS: But first, the top headlines we’re following right now. The president of Columbia University has resigned. Minouche Shafik came under fire for her handling of pro-Palestinian demonstrations. She is the third president of a major U.S. university to resign after testifying before Congress about anti-Semitism on their campuses. Her resignation is effective immediately.
CBS Mornings
August 15, 2024
7:06:04 a.m. EasternGAYLE KING: Another high-profile college leader has resigned after the campus unrest that we saw last spring. Columbia University president Minouche Shafik had been roundly criticized for her response to the pro-Palestinian demonstrations on that campus. The new school year begins in just three weeks, so “why now?” is the question. As Tom Hanson reports, Shafik is the third ivy league president to step down in connection to protests against the war in Gaza.
[Cuts to video]
TOM HANSON: Nearly four months after fierce protests over the Israel-Hamas war gripped Columbia university and backlash by students, faculty, and lawmakers alike over her testimony on Capitol Hill --
MINOUCHE SHAFIK: Anti-Semitism has no place on our campus, and I am personally committed to doing everything I can.
HANSON: The school's president, Minouche Shafik, stepped down Wednesday, just one year into the role.
In her resignation letter, she cited the turbulent period saying it had been, quote, “a period of turmoil where it has been difficult to overcome divergent views across our community.”
Columbia University's encampment was the epicenter of pro-Palestinian protests across college campuses last spring. At times those demonstrations took a violent turn and resulted in mass arrests after Shafik twice called in the NYPD to dismantle the tent city. And culminating with hundreds of police officers moving in to clear out protesters that occupied a campus building.
PROTESTER: Minouche Shafik, shame on you!
HANSON: Shafik's actions prompted criticism not just from pro-Palestinian students but also Jewish students who said they lived in fear on campus.
YOLA ASHKENAZIE: When they harangue us with chants of "From the river to the sea," Shafik doesn't want us to believe our own eyes and ears.
HANSON: Resulting in calls for her to step down including from lawmakers who visited Columbia during the protests.
SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): I am here today joining my colleagues in calling on public Shafik to resign --
HANSON: Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson in a social media post last night wrote, "Jewish students at Columbia beginning this school year should breathe a sigh of relief."
For CBS Mornings, I'm Tom Hanson.
