Free Speech

Censors Seize on Jason Arday's Death as Excuse To Demand More Censorship

Politicians respond to tragedy by demanding more regulation of journalism.

Reem Ibrahim | 8.20.2026 5:15 PM

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(Phil Lewis/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom/Wikimedia Commons)

Last week's death of Jason Arday—the youngest black professor in the University of Cambridge's history—who was accused of widespread plagiarism, has created a firestorm of reactions.

Some say Arday was targeted by racially motivated reactionaries who unfairly used him to dunk on diversity, equality, and inclusion. Cambridge Chancellor Chris Smith called the media investigations into Arday a "racist feeding frenzy," and Simon Woolley, principal of Homerton College at Cambridge, said Arday had been subjected to a "vicious witch hunt," reports the BBC. Others have gone a step further, calling for a crackdown on press freedoms.

"Freedom of the press should never have been freedom to own and dominate the press. (And push constant misinformation and lies.)," Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party, wrote on X. "Media regulation. Now."

After prominent journalist Andrew Neil challenged Polanski's proposal and called it "fascism," Polanski decided to double down by saying, "A few billionaires owning the majority of the press and behaving however they want is not a free press. Change is coming."

The proposed press censorship is dystopian in itself,........

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