The Cornell Progressive

The Cornell Progressive was an independent student publication at Cornell University that presented itself as “Cornell’s Liberal Voice.” Founded in 2000 under the name Turn Left by three engineering students, it emerged in an environment in which the conservative Cornell Review was widely viewed as the dominant independent political publication on campus. The founders created the paper to provide a liberal and progressive counterweight and to broaden campus discussion of political, humanitarian, local, and international subjects. The publication began with a bounded magazine-format issue timed to the 2000 presidential election; later issues were printed in newsprint. Its editorial identity combined political commentary, investigative reporting, satire, and coverage of issues that its editors believed received insufficient attention from other Cornell media. Although the paper’s staff generally supported moderate Democrat John Kerry during the 2004 presidential election, the publication itself did not formally endorse a presidential candidate. It also attempted to avoid rigid editorial positions on particularly divisive subjects, including the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Turn Left increased its profile during the mid-2000s through criticism of The Cornell Daily Sun, which it accused of providing inadequate reporting on important campus issues and insufficient opinion coverage. The paper expanded its reporting on local and university affairs while also publishing commentary on international events. It was described as the only Cornell publication that consistently covered the genocide in Darfur. In 2005, it reported on alleged improprieties involving leaders of The Cornell Democrats and the Cornell Student Assembly, helping bring attention to controversy surrounding those organizations and to efforts by students to challenge the legitimacy of the March 2005 Student Assembly elections. From 2005 through 2007, Turn Left received a substantial grant from Campus Progress, the campus-outreach arm of the Center for American Progress. It also received partial support from Cornell’s Student Assembly and advertising revenue. During this period, the publication increasingly described itself as Cornell’s premier political newspaper, reflecting its editors’ view that it had become a significant rival to the Cornell Review in influence and editorial quality. In 2007, co-editors Shai Akabas and Ethan Felder led a campaign to rename the organization The Cornell Progressive. The change was controversial, but the executive board approved an amendment to the organization’s constitution by a 6–2 vote in March 2007. The renamed publication continued the political and humanitarian orientation associated with Turn Left. The Cornell Progressive is reported to have become inactive in 2016, and no later operating activity is established by the supplied reference material.

The Cornell Progressive began in 2000 as Turn Left, an independent publication founded by three Cornell University engineering students. Its creation was motivated by the perceived dominance of the conservative Cornell Review in Cornell’s independent campus press. Turn Left sought to establish a liberal and progressive voice in campus political debate while remaining an independent student organization. The publication’s first issue appeared in a bounded magazine format in time for the 2000 election. Subsequent issues used newsprint. Its editorial coverage extended beyond conventional campus commentary: the paper addressed Cornell politics and student governance, local matters, national elections, humanitarian crises, and international affairs. It also used satire and opinion writing as part of its editorial style. The publication’s stated purpose was to draw attention to issues that its editors believed were overlooked or insufficiently covered elsewhere. During the 2004 presidential election, the staff generally favored moderate Democrat John Kerry over more liberal alternatives such as independent candidate Ralph Nader, but Turn Left did not issue a formal presidential endorsement. Its editors also avoided adopting an uncompromising position on some highly polarizing issues, including the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. This approach distinguished the publication from a purely partisan campaign outlet and allowed it to frame itself as a forum for political discussion and debate. Turn Left became especially visible at Cornell in 2005. It sharply criticized The Cornell Daily Sun over what it viewed as weak reporting on major campus matters, including the Student Assembly elections controversy, and over a perceived lack of strong opinion journalism. At the same time, Turn Left increased its own reporting on campus and local affairs and published extensive coverage of international events. Its sustained reporting on the genocide in Darfur was presented as unusual within the Cornell student-media environment. The paper’s 2005 reporting also examined alleged improprieties involving the leadership of The Cornell Democrats and the Cornell Student Assembly, both of which were then associated with Tim Lim. Lim subsequently withdrew from the presidency of the Democrats amid controversy. Cornell students also organized efforts to discredit the allegedly fraudulent March 2005 Student Assembly elections. The supplied reference identifies Turn Left’s reporting and commentary as an important influence on the attention these events received, although the publication was not itself an official investigative authority. Financially, Turn Left received substantial support from Campus Progress, the campus-outreach division of the Center for American Progress, from 2005 to 2007. Additional funding came in part from Cornell’s Student Assembly and from advertising revenue. In 2005 the publication began describing itself as Cornell’s premier political newspaper, signaling its belief that it had overtaken the Cornell Review in influence and quality. The organization underwent its most visible branding change in 2007. Co-editors Shai Akabas and Ethan Felder led a successful but controversial effort to replace the Turn Left name with The Cornell Progressive. The executive board voted 6–2 to amend the organization’s constitution in March 2007. The new name made the publication’s progressive political identity more explicit while preserving its role as an independent Cornell student publication. The Cornell Progressive later became inactive; the supplied reference places its inactivity by 2016. No reliable information in the supplied material establishes a subsequent relaunch, successor organization, or current publishing operation.

• 2016

  Publication becomes inactive

  [1]The Cornell Progressiveen.wikipedia.org

  The Cornell Progressive is reported to have been inactive since 2016.

• 2007

  Organization adopts The Cornell Progressive name

  [1]The Cornell Progressiveen.wikipedia.org

  The executive board approves a 6–2 constitutional amendment following a controversial renaming campaign led by Shai Akabas and Ethan Felder.

• 2005

  Turn Left expands campus and international coverage

  [1]The Cornell Progressiveen.wikipedia.org

  The paper increases coverage of Cornell and local affairs, publishes political satire, and develops a notable focus on international humanitarian issues including Darfur.

• 2005

  Campus Progress grant support begins

  [1]The Cornell Progressiveen.wikipedia.org

  Campus Progress provides substantial grant support to Turn Left during the 2005–2007 period; the publication also receives Student Assembly support and advertising revenue.

• 2000

  Turn Left is founded

  [1]The Cornell Progressiveen.wikipedia.org

  Three Cornell engineering students establish Turn Left as an independent publication intended to provide a liberal counterweight to the conservative Cornell Review.

• 2000

  First issue published in magazine format

  [1]The Cornell Progressiveen.wikipedia.org

  The publication debuts with a bounded magazine-format issue timed to the 2000 election; later editions are printed as newsprint.

An independent, liberal and progressive Cornell student publication focused on political, humanitarian, campus, local, and international issues that its editors considered underreported.

• Student newspaper · 2007

  The Cornell Progressive

  The publication’s principal offering was an independent Cornell student newspaper covering campus politics, student governance, local issues, national politics, humanitarian affairs, and international events. It combined reporting, opinion writing, satire, and political commentary, and positioned itself as a liberal or progressive alternative within Cornell’s independent campus press.

• Student newspaper · 2000

  Turn Left

  Turn Left was the original name of the organization founded in 2000. Its early issues included a first bounded magazine-format edition for the 2000 election, followed by newsprint issues. The title became known for campus political commentary, criticism of other student media, investigative coverage of student organizations, satire, and international humanitarian reporting.

• 2005

  Alleged improprieties involving Cornell Democrats and Student Assembly leadership

  Turn Left reported alleged improprieties involving the leadership of The Cornell Democrats and the Cornell Student Assembly. The reporting contributed to controversy surrounding the organizations, and Tim Lim later withdrew from the presidency of the Democrats amid controversy.

  Source

• 2005

  Controversy over the March 2005 Student Assembly elections

  Turn Left covered allegations that the March 2005 Student Assembly elections were fraudulent. Cornell students subsequently launched a campaign challenging the elections, with the publication’s reporting and opinion identified as an important influence on the dispute.

  Source

Read more

• 2007Rename campaign

  Cornell University campus

  Co-editors Shai Akabas and Ethan Felder organized a campaign to replace the Turn Left name with The Cornell Progressive, making the publication’s progressive identity more explicit.

  Outcome. The executive board approved the constitutional name change by a 6–2 vote in March 2007.

  Source

• 2007

  Adopt the The Cornell Progressive nameStrategy

  Background

  Editors sought to replace the Turn Left title after the publication had developed a recognizable liberal and progressive editorial identity on campus.

  Action taken

  The organization amended its constitution and changed its name following a campaign led by co-editors Shai Akabas and Ethan Felder.

  Aftermath

  The new name was adopted in 2007. The publication remained associated with independent Cornell political journalism until becoming inactive by 2016.

  Source

1. 1The Cornell Progressiveen.wikipedia.org