Planning ahead to protect faculty members from online attack: Opinion

Faculty members need their institutions to protect them from outside, digital attacks, writes Peter F Lake. Professors can become the targets of coordinated attacks online, Lake explains, particularly after making statements or publishing a paper on certain topics. Lake recommends that institutions avoid taking a position on disputes before performing a fact-check, prepare by ensuring protocols and procedures for responses are in place, and tailoring responses to the audience they are meant for. The author also encourages institutions to create protective legal rules to use in cases of interference and to take the steps to understand media law and how it influences academic expression. Chronicle of Higher Ed (Acct. Req.) Note: Archived stories may contain dead links or be missing source links.