Yesterday we noted that the New School's president, David E. Van Zandt, is totally chill about the ongoing occupation of the second-floor study center the school leases at 90 Fifth Avenue. Unlike some school presidents we know of, he can appreciate the value of unvarnished free speech. Can the same be said of the protesters? A tipster passed along the photo above, which targets freelance Times reporter, New School alumnus, and current Columbia J-school student Aidan Gardiner for his HIT JOB that he wrote for the City Room yesterday.
We're not sure what information in Gardiner's report is "false" or "shitty"—and since when did the New School become Oz? Another tipster tells us that much of the New School's occupation is divided as to how to handle the media, with one camp welcoming press and another vehemently against it.
Dan DiMaggio, one of the New School occupation's press contacts, writes us to explain the protesters' policy with respect to reporters:
The decision made by the General Assembly of the occupiers is that the press is welcome downstairs, where press representatives from the occupation will talk to them and answers questions. However, thus far the decisions made have been to keep the actual occupation itself as a space where students are able to speak and organize freely, without having to worry about members of the press listening in on their every word. Also, to make clear, that poster was made by individual members of the occupation and does not represent the views of all members of the occupation.
The real question is: does the Times know what New School students do to rats?
