Jay Nordlinger, managing editor of National Review, criticized the tendency of college campuses to "only lean one way" during a lecture on the conservative media and political identity delivered Wednesday night to an audience of roughly 150 in MacMillan 117.
Nordlinger compared a lack of "diversity of thought" on campuses during his own collegiate experience to a current "deep politicization of campuses."
He told The Herald after the lecture that, regarding discourse on college campuses, "I would prefer not leaning - not even my way." Such a one-sided environment "cramps vision" and "makes (students) incomplete - it deprives someone of the whole story," he said.
"If you're not firmly on the left, you get tagged as conservative no matter what you believe," Nordlinger said. "There are a lot of closet conservatives on campuses," he added. "Conservative-leaning kids on campuses are getting a little bolder."
The lecture, titled "It's Not Just Fox News: The Conservative Media and How They're Shaping America's Discourse," was part of The Brown Daily Herald Lecture Series and was co-sponsored by the Kaleidoscope Fund.
"I come before you as a conservative - but I didn't plan to be one," Nordlinger began his lecture.
When he was growing up, "conservative was a dirty word," Nordlinger recounted.
"I was raised in a left-wing house in a left-wing community in a left-wing school-system in a left-wing environment," Nordlinger said of his upbringing in Ann Arbor, Mich., home to his alma mater, the University of Michigan.
During the lecture, Nordlinger also discussed the role of Fox News in America's media. "A lot of people see Fox as welcoming for conservatives," Nordlinger said.
In the debate over Fox's conservatism, Nordlinger said some people "lose their sobriety or poise."
When Fox first came on the scene, Nordlinger said it was a form of media "some people found refreshing and other people found repugnant."
Though Nordlinger described himself as not much of a TV-watcher, he presented two views on Fox's conservatism - one that Fox is in fact conservative and another that it is more middle-of-the-road.
Nordlinger mentioned Wash-ington Post columnist E.J. Dionne Jr.'s reference to Fox as "Republican state television" in a column two weeks ago as an example of the former school of thought.
Nordlinger said he himself remains "unclear" on the issue, but he added that "Fox has been demonized by its critics."
Regardless, the polarization of the media mirrors the "polarization of the country as a whole," Nordlinger said. Bias in journalism contributes to polarization in America, he said.
Polarization and separation were important themes for Nordlinger throughout his lec-ture. In the debate over objective journalism, Nordlinger emphasized his belief that it is possible to write unbiased mainstream journalism.
"I think a conscientious, diligent person can do it," he said. "It's not that you're inaccurate or biased, but the power to choose in this business is a very great power indeed."
"It's not hard to be objective ... no matter how strong your views," Nordlinger said, adding that use of opinions in mainstream reporting "constitutes abuse."
"I don't think we can drain ourselves of all bias, but we can put on a kind of objective hat," Nordlinger said. "If people report in a biased way, it's because they want to."
In the past, the difference between opinions and mainstream journalism has been quite clear in America. Nordlinger lamented that this divide has now become "blurred."
"I like the old way," he said.
With the increased bias, Nordlinger perceives American journalism as moving toward what he called the "European system," in which newspapers bear strong political affiliations.
Nordlinger expressed other concerns about the future of print journalism. "I fear that it's in its twilight," he said.
When William Buckley Jr. founded National Review in 1955, Nordlinger said the publication was "a new political and literary animal."
Nordlinger said National Re-view is able to serve as a location of intraright debate addressing issues like immigration, abortion and stem cell research.
Ethan Wingfield '07, who attended the lecture, told The Herald he believes "National Review has developed a reputation of speaking strongly and reasonably."
"I think (Nordlinger's) humility and candor were just very refreshing," said Marc Frank '09, who applauded National Review for providing an "intellectual source for conservative thinking."
"You don't need to have a large circulation to make an impact," Nordlinger said. "There's a place for the highbrow publication and a place for the tabloid - the highbrow will always have fewer readers, but they'll have influence," he said. "National Review influenced Ronald Reagan for years and later he influenced others."
The magazine doesn't make a profit, Nordlinger said, quoting Buckley's credo: "We exist to make a point and not a profit."
In the question-and-answer portion of the lecture, Nordlinger acknowledged a "discontent with Bush on spending" among conservatives. While Bush "never ran as a small-government guy," Nordlinger said, "I'm not sure liberals understand the conservative discontent when it comes to federal spending."
"I thought it was very good, he was very well-spoken" said Kent Haines '07, who identified himself as a Libertarian.
"College is more of a time for learning than for opinions," Nordlinger told The Herald after the lecture. He advised that students "explore as much as (they) can" while having "respect for the division between fact and opinion."
"Keep an open mind until you have to close it," Nordlinger concluded.
