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Wisconsin Right to Life is questioning a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student newspaper’s partnership with Planned Parenthood Generation Action for an Oct. 28 voter resource fair advertised as nonpartisan.
The UWM Post student newspaper co-organized the event and published an accompanying student voter guide that encouraged students to join the Planned Parenthood-affiliated organization.
Wisconsin Right to Life was not directly contacted about participating, its representative told The College Fix, although the newspaper publicly invited interested speakers and the pro-life organization never requested a spot.
“Our concern is the disconnect between describing an event as nonpartisan and providing a platform exclusively to organizations representing one side of the abortion debate,” Samantha Craig, Wisconsin Right to Life’s director of advocacy, policy and political affairs, told The Fix in an Oct. 29 email.
The Post’s editor-in-chief Ethan Ainley and social media editor Norah Lom did not respond to email requests Oct. 28 and Nov. 4 seeking information about the partnership, participant selection, and voter guide. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin also did not respond to requests.
The newspaper’s announcement scheduled the fair for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Spaights Plaza, with an hourlong discussion beginning at 1 p.m. Student journalists were to moderate a conversation about voting and issues affecting college students.
The announcement invited local candidates, politically active individuals and others interested in student voter awareness to contact organizers about speaking.
Craig said Wisconsin Right to Life learned about the event when Campus Reform contacted the organization and had not known about the public invitation.
Asked whether anyone from her organization subsequently contacted organizers, requested a speaking slot or table, or attended, Craig responded: “We did not.”
Wisconsin Right to Life would have offered candidate comparisons, information about Wisconsin abortion laws and resources for women facing unplanned pregnancies, Craig said.
The Post’s guide announcement identifies Generation Action as a co-organizer and describes the publication as a combination of ballot-amendment explanations, political opinion pieces, university political-activity guidelines, and student voting information.
The guide also includes an article titled “ACLU Empowering College Voters,” credited to the American Civil Liberties Union. It describes threats to voting rights and encourages participation in the organization’s election-protection efforts.
A Generation Action profile, published under social media editor Lom’s byline, describes the chapter’s work alongside Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin.
“Any UWM student can join PPGen at UWM!” the profile states. It also promotes the organization’s Nov. 3 meeting and Instagram account.
The Fix asked the Post how organizations were selected for inclusion and whether the profile was independently written, submitted by the organization or paid promotional content. Those questions remain unanswered. The Fix has not established that organizers rejected any pro-life organization’s request to participate.
University officials said the fair received routine support available to student organizations, but no university funding.
“Event organizers received the same standard support available to all student organizations hosting events on campus,” Eric Jessup-Anger, UWM’s director of Student Involvement, told The Fix by email Nov. 2.
The event appeared on the university’s PantherOrgs calendar, he said. Student activity fees did not support the fair or accompanying guide.
His office did not invite organizations, select speakers or approve exhibitors, and received no participation inquiries or complaints, Jessup-Anger said.
“Responsibility for those decisions rested with the event organizers,” he wrote.
Jessup-Anger said his office was unaware of external speakers participating. The Fix has requested confirmation that the advertised discussion occurred, a speaker list, event registration records and an explanation of the support provided.
Advocacy organizations’ involvement in campus voter outreach has raised questions in recent weeks.
In a Nov. 9 analysis, The College Fix examined voter-registration advertisements purchased by progressive organizations in student newspapers in Michigan and Ohio.
