Throughout history, anti-Semitism has manifested in a spectrum of different ways—hatred and discrimination against the Jewish people have taken the form of a simple exchange of words, a catastrophic genocide like the Holocaust and everything in between.
You can imagine my horror early Wednesday morning while on the Badger Herald’s website I discovered an advertisement for the Committee for Open Debate on the Holocaust. This advertisement is linked to the website of Holocaust denier Bradley Smith.
Exploring Jewish history on a trip to Eastern Europe in 2007, I walked through many concentration camps, including Auschwitz-Birkenau and Treblinka. My strongest memories are of my visit to Majdanek, on the outskirts of Lublin. This Nazi concentration camp operated from October 1941 to July 1944. Madjanek is unique as it is known as the best-preserved concentration camp of the Holocaust. The Nazis did not have time to destroy the evidence. In quite possibly the most horrifying experience of my life, the guide explained that the gas chambers could be up and running in about 48 hours. Millions of lives were tragically ended due to blind hatred. After leaving Poland, I knew it was my responsibility to tell this story and keep the memory of the six million Jews whose lives were taken at the hands of the Nazis.
Thursday evening, Jason Smathers, editor-in-chief of The Badger Herald, responded to the placement of the advertisement. While he acknowledged the false nature of the claims made by the CODOH, he also maintained that the advertisement would remain on the Badger Herald website.
The media kits for both The Daily Cardinal and The Badger Herald state that the newspapers reserve the right to reject any ad deemed libelous or offensive. The CODOH advertisement is offensive content, and despite the Herald’s own guidelines it continues to be displayed. Both student newspapers have a responsibility to the campus community to adhere to their own principles as well as to maintain journalistic integrity.
I believe in the benefits of an open marketplace of ideas; however, an advertisement is not an opinion piece. The Badger Herald chose to associate its name with the CODOH and in turn chose to connect their readers—the campus community—to a website promoting the denial of the Holocaust.
This incident has reinforced my vow to tell the story of the Holocaust and to educate others. After all, it is the silence of the global community that allowed the Holocaust to continue. I recognize that Jews are not uniquely the targets of intolerance and discrimination. Hatred based on racial, ethnic, religious, sexual or political affiliation resonates with everyone in the campus community. I urge campus and community members to be sensitive to intolerance and discrimination in our everyday lives. We all have a responsibility to take action.
As a student, a journalist, a storyteller and a proud Jew, I challenge our student newspapers to uphold their commitment and integrity as journalists—to always seek the truth and to always provide a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. Allowing the Holocaust denial advertisements is completely at odds with these goals. I call upon both student publications to reflect, reconsider and remember the terrible lessons of the Holocaust. As well, I hope that in the future the staff at The Badger Herald and The Daily Cardinal will reflect, reconsider and remember the importance of ethics in journalism.
—Rachel Racoosin
UW-Madison Student
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