MLA Issues Statement on Content Warnings

The Executive Council has issued a statement on the use of content warnings as a matter of pedagogical accessibility and professional ethics. The MLA observes that advance warnings about the nature of classroom material should not serve the purpose of avoiding challenging or controversial content. Instead, used at the discretion of the instructor, warnings should enable participants to appropriately structure their own individual strategy for engagement. Far from censoring material, such notifications should aim to cultivate a deeper interaction with texts and media.