Professor bans FOX News as source, saying ‘it makes me cringe’ (Photos)

Judging from a syllabus she handed out to students, a visiting professor at a public university in West Virginia brings a unique combination of traits with her to the job. Among them are:

  1. an apparent ignorance of even the most fundamental rules of English grammar and style.
  2. an unfounded prejudice against a legitimate news source.

Neither has any business in a college classroom.

The Daily Caller reports that the instructor, Stephanie Wolfe, prepared her students to do research at West Liberty University by admonishing them against using two sources. One is The Onion, which she advises, “is not news [sic] this is literally [sic] a parody.” The other is FOX News, of which she opines: “Please do not subject me to this biased news station. I would almost rather you print off [sic] an article from the Onion.”

The directive raised the hackles of some students, who complained to local media outlets. Robin Capehart, the university’s president, responded to the story by noting:

One of our values at West Liberty is to encourage students to go out and inquire and gather information and look at as many different sources as possible on any side, before you reach your opinion.

Any attempt to limit the breadth of a student’s ability to investigate is obviously something at which we have a concern.

Capehart didn’t say whether she is OK with using The Onion.

So far, no disciplinary action has been taken against Wolfe, who signed a one-year contract, replacing an instructor on leave. Her proscription on using FOX News, however, has been lifted.

According to the West Liberty University website:

Wolfe most recently taught holocaust and genocide studies at Keene State, N.H. She earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Oklahoma, her master’s at the University of Oklahoma and her doctoral degree from the University of Kent, Brussels.

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Howard Portnoy has written for New York's "Daily News" and several national magazines. He has one published novel, "Hot Rain," (G. P. Putnam's Sons), and has ghost-written some dozen books on art and literature. He also blogs at Liberty Unyielding and formerly blogged at Hot Air. Click the ...

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