NYUAD rejects AP claims surrounding media access to commencement ceremony

ABU DHABI, 21st May, 2018 (WAM) -- NYU Abu Dhabi has rejected claims made in a recent Associated Press story implying that media were blocked access to its fifth Commencement and that the University imposed "editorial control" with respect to sharing Secretary John Kerry's speech. In a statement, NYU Abu Dhabi said, "The assertion that media were blocked from accessing the Commencement event is a serious misrepresentation of the facts." It went on to say that the event was live-streamed an d unedited, in its entirety, and that the link to the live stream was promoted, visible, and available to audiences around the world. "All members of the media who attended the event were welcome to stay for its entirety and report on the event, and the remarks of all speakers," the statement continued, adding that unedited footage of the entire event remains available online.