An upcoming UCLA lecture featuring CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss has been canceled due to apparent security concerns.<\/p>\n
Weiss was scheduled to give the annual Daniel Pearl Memorial lecture on Feb. 27 about \u201cThe Future of Journalism.\u201d But according to the university, the program will not move forward as scheduled, after Weiss\u2019 team withdrew from the event.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe decision not to move forward with the annual Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture was made by the speaker\u2019s team, not UCLA,\u201d said Steve Lurie, UCLA\u2019s associate vice chancellor, in a statement to The Times. \u201cThe university was ready to implement a comprehensive security plan for this event, developed in coordination with campus safety and external law enforcement partners.\u201d <\/p>\n
A source familiar with the UCLA program said the lecture was canceled because of security concerns from Weiss, despite the public university offering to obtain additional security for the event, the source said. The Daniel Pearl Memorial lecture series honors the late journalist and is considered the capstone of the university\u2019s Burkle Center for International Relations. Previous speakers include journalists Jake Tapper, Anderson Cooper and Bob Woodward.<\/p>\n
According to the source, several employees at the Burkle Center and the International Institute expressed opposition to Weiss speaking on campus. The university was also expecting a large number of students to protest the event.<\/p>\n
Lurie added, \u201cUCLA remains committed to supporting public programming which represents a wide range of viewpoints, with safety planning tailored to each event.\u201d<\/p>\n
Neither Weiss nor CBS responded to a request for comment. <\/p>\n
Weiss founded the media company the Free Press, which was purchased in October by Paramount, CBS\u2019 parent company. Following the $150-million purchase, Weiss was installed as editor-in-chief of CBS News.<\/a> <\/p>\n Two months after taking on the new role, Weiss made the widely panned decision to pull a \u201c60 Minutes\u201d episode<\/a> that examined the alleged abuse of deportees sent from the U.S. to an El Salvador prison. The decision earned Weiss heavy criticism and accusations that the move was politically motivated.<\/p>\n