New York Times asks what free speech means to you

In advance of what the Berkeley Patriot student group is billing as “Free Speech Week,” the New York Times has issued a call-out to students and faculty to ask, “What does freedom of expression on a college campus mean to you?”

The five questions on the newspaper’s online form are: Is there any type of speech you think should not be allowed on campus? Did U.C. Berkeley’s history as a beacon of free speech influence your decision to attend? Has the issue of free speech come up in any of your classes? If so, how was it raised and what was the context? Are you concerned about campus safety during Free Speech Week?

With conservative student groups inviting former and current Breitbart News editors and right-wing pundits to speak at UC Berkeley, spurring spirited debate about free speech, hate speech and public safety, UC Berkeley has proclaimed the 2017-18 academic year Free Speech Year, and erected a website at freespeech.berkeley.edu to post thoughtful viewpoints, encourage the free exchange of ideas and inform the campus community and the public about upcoming events around these topics.

While UC Berkeley is helping spread the word, it is not otherwise involved in the New York Times call-out.