MOVING TO FRONT: THIS NEEDS INPUT AND DISCUSSION!
As Professor Ancel correctly noted, vicious stunts like Breitbart's are going to have a chilling effect on speech, which, of course, is part of their point. A philosopher, for example, writes:
I am an assistant professor at a regional public university located in a small, liberal town in a much larger conservative area. I have made video podcasts of my courses available to my students for several years now, both here and previously at a much larger R1 public university. At both schools, my students and I have found the videos incredibly useful. Students have the opportunity to review material they miss or review difficult content; some use the videos as a general study aid. I find that the students I see in office hours ask questions that go deeper into the material because if they have simple questions of clarification they simply go to the video. I have also found the videos invaluable for assisting students who must miss class for legitimate reasons. Student athletes find them very helpful, and I know of at least two cases where students who were unable to attend significant amounts of class because to health problems were able to complete courses successfully due to the availability of the videos. (Class attendance and participation has not decreased significantly compared to courses without such videos.)
In light of Breitbart's latest antics, I am seriously reconsidering my practice of making these videos available. I realize now that it only takes one student to record video and send it to Breitbart (or someone like him) and that even having the videos on a password protected page does not provide any defense. I regularly teach controversial topics--it would be incredibly easy to selectively edit videos of my courses to make it appear that I advocate any number of views across the political spectrum. Though our faculty are unionized and that provides some security, I am not completely reassured.
I would very much appreciate if you could open this topic for more general discussion (and would appreciate my identity remaining anonymous so as not to attract undue attention if I do continue to offer the videos). I'm currently inclined to think that the danger of offering the videos outweighs the benefits I've enumerated above. But perhaps I've not appraised things correctly. In light of the danger to myself and instructors who make video of our courses available, are there any arguments that we should continue to do so? Is this something that only more secure faculty should consider doing? Is there some way in which I might protect myself institutionally? (I believe there is no technological fix.)
Thoughts and ideas from readers?
UPDATE (MAY 4): I've asked a few colleagues in legal academia with pertinent expertise to comment on these issues, and I'm hopeful some will do so later today or tomorrow.
