The City University's student union's vote to ban the Sun, Daily Mail and Express from its campus has shocked many journalists, especially those who have graduated from the same university, and have gone to work with country's most prestigious media outlets. A number of journalism students are also looking to pull out of the union in protest against the decision, which they believe harms the university’s reputation. Many graduates go on to work at the Sun, Mail and Express titles in some capacity.
At the annual general meeting on last Thursday, the university’s student union voted to ban the newspapers in a motion titled “opposing fascism and social divisiveness in the UK media”. The motion apparently said the titles have published stories that demonise refugees and minorities, have posted Islamophobic stories and “all actively scapegoat the working classes they so proudly claim to represent”.
It added that “freedom of speech should not be used as an excuse to attack the weakest and poorest members of society” and that the titles publish stories that are “inherently sexist”.
While this motion is largely symbolic, it is embarrassing for the university, which runs one of the UK’s top journalism programmes.
Less than 200 of the university’s 19,500 student population attended the meeting where the motion was passed to ban the newspapers “in their current form”. The motion added that the ban could be extended to other media organisations with the Sun, Daily Mail and Express titles “merely used as high-profile examples”.
The students’ union said there was “no place” for the papers on campus or university properties although it was unclear how the ban would be enforced.
Speaking to Asian Voice, an alumnus of the University and a working journalist said, “The extreme left wing media can be just as bad in their opinions, but that's the point of press right?
“It's upto an individual to decide whether they want to buy a certain newspaper or pick it.
“Universities are places where students grow and they are meant to intellectually stimulate them. Having the material there gives the students the choice to formulate their own opinion on politics etc. Banning the papers don't make sense.”
Another alumnus, a senior Indian journalist, who did not want her name to be published, said, “How can you ban a newspaper from university premises? It's a journalism school and this is an infringement on freedom of speech and expression.”
A student, who is planning to go on to study in that university told Asian Voice, “I am worried and thinking of alterantives for my Masters. I don't want my opinion to be tinged by anyone- let alone an educational institution. Freedom of thought and speech are more important than anything.”
