Cons “Harvard Bows to Pressure from Outspoken Propaganda Scholar Joan Donovan

Ousted Propaganda Scholar Joan Donovan Accuses Harvard of Bowing to Meta Harvard University’s decision to replace Joan Donovan, a prominent scholar on propaganda studies, with a new faculty member has been met with criticism. Donovan’s supporters are now accusing Harvard of “bowing to Meta” and prioritizing institutional finances over academic integrity. Joan Donovan is an exceedingly accomplished scholar who specializes in digital and political media propaganda. She has worked as a digital ethnographer for the leading research firm Data & Society and is currently a senior research fellow at Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy. She also served as faculty in the IGLP (International in Global Law and Policy) program at Harvard Law School for several years. Donovan was given a contractual appointment at Harvard in 2018 which was extended for two more years in 2020. In October 2020, Harvard announced the appointment of a new faculty member in the International and Global Law and Policy arm which would replace Joan Donovan. There have been widespread allegations that Harvard was bowing to Meta, a union representing graduate student workers, in taking this decision. Meta had released an open letter to Harvard months prior, accusing Donovan of speaking out against unionization. The decision to replace Donovan has raised many questions from her supporters and other members of the academia. They are accusing Harvard of undermining Donovan’s reputation and giving in to the demands of a third-party like Meta. There are also people who believe Harvard’s decision speaks to their willingness to take short-term financial interests into account rather than prioritize the long-term stability of their institution and the academic freedom of their scholars. Despite the gravity of the situation, Harvard has yet to publicly respond to these allegations. All they have said is that the decision to replace Donovan was made in the “best interest” of the university which has only further sparked controversy. This is starting to become a growing problem among higher education institutions, and it is becoming increasingly evident that institutions like Harvard find it difficult to prioritize academic integrity when confronted by financially driven pressures. This incident is a testament to the struggles universities are facing in balancing their political and financial interests with their academic ones.