A politics major at the University of Virginia was allegedly dismissed from a student-operated news site for refusing to apologize for asking hard questions of UVA interim President Paul Mahoney.
Fourth year student and former WUVA producer Sophia Bangura spoke up during a live town hall event for Thursday night’s edition of “The Jim Acosta Show.” During the podcast, she said other student journalists are now left with the impression that they need to do puff pieces over hard-hitting stories, or they could be reprimanded or fired.
The interview with the interim president at UVA was set up under the premise that it would be a “tough interview” to talk about former President Jim Ryan’s resignation, the controversial compact sent to UVA from the Trump administration and issues with immigration enforcement on Grounds, she told Acosta.
Another student, who took the lead on the interview, to Bangura’s surprise, went another route altogether, asking “softball” questions of Mahoney. Before the interview concluded, Bangura stepped in and asked the tougher questions she wanted addressed.
“I spoke up to ask him specific questions like what don’t you like about the compact? What do you say to students who are afraid that ICE might come onto grounds regardless of their legal status? What do you say to the student council no-confidence vote who argue that they don’t know why the board selected you and if you were on that public nominations list,” she told Acosta about her role in the interview.
WUVA’s president Conwell Morris allegedly demanded she apologize for those questions saying in part “one story does not make or break WUVA, but these relationships with the school are extremely important.”
Bangura told Acosta, a 1993 James Madison University graduate, that other alums in the journalism field on the club’s board agreed she shouldn’t apologize, but also said they would not intervene in the matter, leaving the decision up to students.
“I made clear that I was not going to apologize,” she said. “And then last night I was told that I was being insubordinate, not apologizing and that they would be terminating my affiliation with the group.”
Her bio on the WUVA page has already been removed, but the 13-minute interview with Mahoney on Oct. 10 is on the site. However, while advertised as the “exclusive full interview,” Bangura’s line of questioning does not appear on the video.
Bangura is still in shock over the decision and told Acosta that it “definitely still hurts.”
Acosta thanked her for doing her job and standing up for the First Amendment, in a transcript first shared on Mediaite.
“Shame on UVA for doing that to you,” Acosta said. “Shame on this interim president for doing that to you.”
“If somebody tells me you’re going to keep charging after this experience, you should do that. You should definitely keep charging.”
The live town hall was held at the Center for Politics at UVA where Acosta is listed as a scholar on its website.
Acosta built his successful CNN show and loyal following by asking tough questions which drew heavy criticism from Donald Trump.
After Trump’s re-election in 2024, CNN announced plans for a shakeup, which included moving his morning show to an overnight slot, which Acosta declined.
Trump celebrated Acosta’s departure calling him the “most dishonest reporter in journalistic history, a major sleazebag” and reiterated his common retort, that Acosta had low ratings and no talent. He’s made similar rants about late-night hosts Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel and has alleged that 97 percent of network television is against him.
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