An Arizona State student started a petition Tuesday night to pressure Arizona State University’s Blaze Radio Station Manager Rae’Lee Klein to resign. Klein is the student manager at Arizona State University’s Blaze Radio Station. She’s under a lot of pressure to resign after a retweet from the New York Post. However, so far, she’s standing up to the cancel culture we now live in.
Hundreds of people have signed a Change.org petition calling for Rae to resign after she retweeted a Post article about the shooting of Jacob Blake by police officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Her tweet said: “Always more to the story, folks. Please read this article to get the background of Jacob Blake’s warrant. You’ll be quite disgusted.”
That retweet outraged many on the school’s campus. The Multicultural Student Journalist Coalition said in a statement that it “demands” the removal of Klein if she doesn’t resign from her position. According to The Downtown Devil the statement said Klein’s comments “undermine” the shooting of Jacob Blake and the Black Lives Matter movement by “encouraging” people to read a New York Post article. And that she acted “irresponsible” in sharing an article that only sourced police records, “which have been known to be skewed or flat-out incorrect.”
The Walter Cronkite College Council called for her to resign, saying her statement was “biased, factually misleading, discriminatory and racist.”
Klein has apologized, but she hasn’t left her position, and university leaders are deciding what action, if any, should come next.
Hearing Ms Klein’s words, and the support of 99% of the people here, I am very proud of Radio and hopeful for it’s future. And of course, the leftists who dump on her don’t have the balls to give their real names.
I will reconsider any future gifts or support of The Walter Cronkite College due to their call for her resignation. That’s not a college, that’s brainwashing. I would encourage others to withhold any giving to this faux school or utilizing any of their socialized teaching.
This is how people become famous today. They post something controversial on social media, and let the people decide. If it sounds like a reality TV show, it is. We live in a reality TV show world where people want to vote other people off the island or judge their abilities. Is it her first amendment right? Sure. Strozk & Page were also expressing their first amendment rights, and they got fired. That’s what happens when you express your views and people disagree. They vote you off the island.
I know nothing about Ms. Klein’s background, but I’m sure proud of her at this moment and encourage her to continue to stay strong and not give in. It’s my understanding from the Radio Ink story the comment was posted to twitter, which in my opinion is all about editorial content in the first place. And had it been aired on the radio station, that too would have made little difference unless it was being presented as factual news in a bonofied news setting. In a 2017 speech, Twitters CMO, Mary Band was quoted as saying “For us, Twitter’s very much about questions and answers, and conversations, and what’s happening and what people are talking about.” Twitter is now the No. 1 news app in the world, she said. THAT last statement is the scary part for me! Does being the No. 1 news app in the world mean the lines are so blurred between fact and fiction that most believe what’s tweeted is in fact real? I recall a story sometime ago that mentioned a survey where the majority of those surveyed thought “Entertainment Tonight” was in fact a traditional news broadcast! If you don’t find that scary scare as well then all I can say is “God Help us”. If you’re offended by my statement here just remember those are my comments and I’m entitled to them and was asked to comment if so desired by the publisher. If you don’t like ’em don’t read ’em, just turn the page or switch the channel. You’re comments are important as well and you are entitled to them. That doesn’t mean I have to agree. But, here is a comment posted earlier I will agree with that said “Those who find her tweet somehow divisive and racist need to look in their mirror” and Ill share my added editorial commentary to that comment “in the mirror you’ll find the real problem!”
Talk about passing judgement on others. Geesh! So much strong opinion yet very little acknowledgment that she didn’t simply say to check out the other side. She also expressed her opinion about it. She is entitled to do that, but it is not the definition of protected speech under the First Amendment, which applies only to “the Government”. Therefore she needs to bear the consequences of HER decision to express HER opinion. This Radio Ink article did not share the details of the story in the NY Post so I’m not sure what it says about Jacob Blake. Maybe it talks about a past criminal record? Even if that is true, how is it relevant to this incident? Are people saying that gives the police the right to shoot him in the back 7 times? That is what people of color and many white people are so frustrated about. Maybe it’s not possible to say that racism is the cause of each shooting, but there is a disturbing pattern here. A lot of poor decision making is happening in real time and nobody is being held accountable. That needs to change. And until it changes we need to expect strong reactions to those events.
A very absurd comment. You are really focused on the merits of the shooting case.
How is a past criminal record relevant? Duh…….think about that and after you have, get back to us. Because she has voiced an opinion “she needs to bear the consequences of her decision”? I.e., do you mean resign??? The really :disturbing pattern” here is that for an opinion, a person must go.
So the truth is a problem for the media. What are their jobs again? Blm movement is nothing but riots.
Journalism is a lost art. Facts are facts, and opinion not so much (that would be a talk host). Stand tall, and realize if you get pressure from the Student GM, find yourself a job in the “real” world as a paid employee. I was fired (volunteer position at the college radio station) because I wouldn’t quit my real job at WLCX radio (I needed the income for school) and only work at the college station. I had to choose…..Best thing I ever did…kept the paid job.
Universities have become so one sided, they provide no real experience any more.
Those who find her tweet somehow divisive and racist need to look in their mirror.
Kudos to you Ms. Klein! Thank you for advocating that all the facts be collected before pronouncing judgement. I wonder if we could cancel the “cancel culture” and ban these Marxist groups that operate on intimidation rather than discussing the facts.
I would give her an award for integrity and honest journalism. She simply said “There are two sides to the story. Make sure you have all the facts before you make a decision.” I thought that was what real journalism was about.
Don’t give in to the hateful, weak minded people who can’t accept that there are other opinions that their own. What you wrote was neither racist nor discriminatory. These are terms they love to throw around to squash differing opinions. ASU should absolutely support Ms. Klein for her right to have a voice, and they should be ashamed if they don’t.
She needs to be fired. A journalist’s position is non-political and non-biased. She should have just said read it or this is what was published. She shouldn’t have inserted “HER” obviously racist opinion.
That’s part of the problem with some media now, some want to give their personal opinion, get back to the basics, and then maybe you can keep a job!
Keep your opinion to yourself next time Karen!
She is not a journalist so that is an invalid comment…And if we are saying that all journalists that are political and biased should be fired then there won’t be many journalists left.
It doesn’t matter what she said. She was not discriminatory or racist. There was absolutely nothing about race in her statement. And even if she had an opinion that you or the other students don’t like… too bad. Freedom of speech goes both ways. even the opinions we don’t like are allowed to be voiced. That is the good and bad of the amendment.
People need to stop believing that an unpopular opinion should be punished.
The real racist vents her spleen!!!
But we would like to vote you have the Island, having read your tripe for years on any forum
That allows it Big A. What a fitting name.
She’s a student. Who the hell is she to demand someone lose their job because she’s uncomfortable with other opinions. She’s supposed to be learning.
Try learning more than what YOU feel comfortable with. Grow up!!
If the university doesn’t stand up for you, then you know they are weak and cowardly. It’s the ASU starts acting like leaders instead of lackies.
Hang tough and do NOT allow yourself to be ‘cancelled’, Ms. Klein.
Her situation is the perfect example of what the Founders created the First Amendment for: To protect unpopular or ‘controversial’ speech…not just ‘woke’, ‘warm milk and cookies’ fluff.
The First Amendment protects her right to report the news. The mainstream media is protected by the same Bill of Rights. Stand for the Constitution or lose our Republic.
(Students) “Oh No, she suggested we read a story that might actually challenge our preconceived politicized indoctrination from our OTHER professors. This could result in THINKING…and THINKING challenging thoughts is HARD and BAD…she MUST BE DESTROYED!” /sarc Wow, there is nothing for her to apologize for, and it disgusts me that this story is even a “thing”.
She reposted a published article based on a police report. How many reporters have written stories based on police reports? Did the station air the report? No. She is entitled to her oersonal opinion, and should not have apologized. Her treatment is the problem in college campuses. Why is the school not supporting her? You know the answer.
Her comment is at the heart of the American judicial system. That is, “keep an open mind, people. Get both sides of the issue.” Isn’t this the essence of professional journalism?
Here, she cites the NY Post as a source to obtain additional facts extremely relevant to the case and making a judgement. How in the world can THAT justify mob demands that she resign? It can’t, of course, unless you are a died in the wool Marxist.
And for that, the Leftist students, filled with Marxism mush from their radical professors.
Parents, is it really worth the high tuition to send your children to Arizona Socialist University — ASU???
You burned sensitive tiny ears when you retweeted from the NY Post. Remember the liberal motto; We can dish it but we can’t take it!
Stay strong and stand your ground!
good for you Rae’Lee Klein … need a job in real radio, come see me.
As a manager, she should know that your opinion should not be the source of the news. This article is biased because it speaks of cancel culture and we know that is the rallying cry of the right. In the past, leaders were more careful of what they said. Today, it’s a free for all to say anything you think. Just report the news and let the reader figure out how they feel about it. We need to get back to the center and stop the left vs right. The school should decide what to do and move on. We got more important issues in this country to fix.
Stand strong, stay focused, and own your opinion and your statement. These are the years for you to pick your path… don’t back away from your real opinion or from the type of broadcaster you choose to be.
I live in Virginia and my advise would be to take the lead from Governor Ralph Northam, just hang in there. Believe me this too shall pass. All you have to to is wait it out and soon enough the next outrage will present itself. If Klein wants the job enough this is the type of issue to build . . . and reveal character.
Ms. Klein’s only misstep was apologizing to a flurry of snowflakes. I wonder what percentage of the outraged have ever listened to the campus radio station.
Now that they have learned about ASU’s Blaze Radio Station their next outrage will be the irresponsibility of encouraging listeners to tune in to Glenn Beck.
Never say you are sorry for anything the leftists accuse you of. Stand your ground or die. They aim to kill you anyway, sorry or not.
A hard lesson perhaps. You gotta decide, do you want to (re)write for an editorial page or be a journalist.