NP? Bush encourages personality cult

[Doug Millison]

                                 FAIR-L
                    Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting
               Media analysis, critiques and activism

ACTION ALERT:
A Changed President-- or a New Repression?

June 17, 2002

President Bush's June 14 commencement address at Ohio State University was
a sign of a "revived" presidency, according to Washington Post reporter
Dana Milbank. "Bush basked in the adulation of 55,000 people who treated
him to waves of standing ovations in Ohio Stadium as he received an
honorary doctorate," according to the paper (6/15/02). "If there was a
protest in the stadium, it was not visible to reporters."

In contrast, wrote Milbank, when Bush received an honorary degree last
year from Yale University, "he was booed, heckled and greeted with a sea
of protest signs." While pointing out that Yale and Ohio State are
different places, the Post reporter asserted that "the real cause of the
difference in reception is the transformation of Bush and his presidency
since the September 11 terrorist attacks."

There may have been no protests visible to the Post reporter, but, as
other media reported, there may have been other reasons for this in
addition to "adulation" for Bush.  According to the Columbus Dispatch
(6/15/02), students were warned ahead of time they faced arrest if they
showed any signs of dissent: "Graduates had been warned during rehearsal
on Thursday that they faced arrest if-- as was rumored-- some stood up and
turned their backs on Bush during his speech." The warning continued on
the day of the event as well, according to the Associated Press (6/14/02):
"Immediately before class members filed into the giant football stadium,
an announcer instructed the crowd that all the university's speakers
deserve to be treated with respect and that anyone demonstrating or
heckling would be subject to expulsion and arrest. The announcer urged
that Bush be greeted with a 'thunderous' ovation."

And some observers did, in fact, notice protests during the ceremony. As
reported in The Lantern (6/14/02), Ohio State University's campus paper,
"Three graduates and six audience members-- one draped in a Palestinian
flag-- actually did turn their backs but were hardly noticed by the crowd
of about 60,000." A demonstration held outside the stadium attracted a
small group of protesters as well (Columbus Dispatch, 6/15/02).

None of this information made it into Milbank's report.

ACTION: Please contact the Washington Post and ask them why attempts to
stifle dissent at George W. Bush's commencement address at Ohio State
University were not newsworthy.

CONTACT:
Washington Post
Michael Getler, Ombudsman
mailto:ombudsman at washpost.com
(202) 334-7582

As always, please remember that your comments are taken more seriously if
you maintain a polite tone. Please cc fair at fair.org with your
correspondence.

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