Recently, many OU students, including both the graduate and undergraduate student senates, have discussed removing Roger Ailes’ name from the WOUB newsroom. Currently, Ailes name displayed reflects the true values of the administration: money over students.
The former chairman and CEO of FOX News has been accused of sexual harassment by more than 20 women. Ohio University officials have responded by stating “As a university, we must be deliberative when faced with matters of such great significance to our students, faculty and staff.”
Was the administration being deliberative when two years ago, they forced a volunteer from the previous Survivor Advocacy Program, a rape crisis center, to quit when she was being too vocal of an activist against rape culture? Were they being deliberative last year when they delayed posting of the vacant program coordinator position for SAP last year? Of when they took away SAP’s confidential advocacy for survivors seeking help after an assault?
It’s clear that the Scripps school will not have a say in renaming the newsroom, that decision will be left up to the administration. An administration that has actively tried to undermine the work of anti-rape culture activists for the interest of appearing safe to future students (or as they view them, customers).
The half million that Ailes gave to the university trumps the feeling of safety needed for survivors and other students on campus. If it didn’t, the administration would have already made a statement and been working to remove the sign months ago when Ailes stepped down as CEO, or before that when he was first accused. The university needs to make students safety an actual top priority, rather than just an afterthought to their paychecks.
Changing the name of the newsroom should reflect the changes Ohio University needs to make as a whole. The newsroom’s title should reflect the diversity mission of Scripps which “enables the exploration of varied life experiences in a safe, positive and nurturing environment.”
Take down the name of the assaulter, and in its place, title the newsroom after a journalistic person, group or cause that stands with survivors of sexual assault.
Jessica Ensley is a graduate of the Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University and previous Post columnist. Ensley lives in Youngstown and is the Campaign Fellow for Reproaction, a reproductive justice organization.
