President’s Corner: News of My World (EXCLUSIVE!)
Hello! A lot has happened in the world this past week which is worthy of comment but although perhaps not as exciting as the NOTW’s sudden demise, I’d also like to let you know what I’ve been up to. Not the rain drenched fun and games at T-in the Park precisely, but rather my first week as your Student Association President.
This job has many facets, including dealing with the University and the outside world, and the President’s remit has even increased this year to include representational oversight over Equal Opportunities and Welfare, Ethics and Environment, Community Relations and Accommodation. Thankfully Sam has assured me that this will be a collaborative effort! The aspects that I have most focused on this week are National Representation and Inter-Union relations, two overlapping areas which I vowed to make a priority this year.
It all begin on Tuesday with a trip down to London to meet with the Presidents of the University of London Union (ULU) and Goldsmiths. Our discussion included how to respond to the University-level decisions on fees, and the future of the student movement following the widespread implementation of £9,000 fees in England. I quickly rushed off to an interview with the London Student (to be published in September) and then Mr Benn style was transformed into kilted attire to attend a Santander Universities Dinner in the Spanish Embassy.
I had serious doubts before accepting this invitation, concerned as I am by the creeping influence of big business in our higher education sector and a widely shared suspicion of banks. Yet the opportunity to meet other student leaders in attendance and a chance to test the worth of my recently acquired title of ‘spanish graduand’ thankfully won the day; I was able to witness at close-hand the alliance between private enterprise, vice-chancellors and government which increasingly control our universities. This was perfectly summed up in the few words proffered by David Willets, who thought it was great to have so many higher education partners in one room: entrepreneurs, vice-chancellors and politicians. Hmm, seems like David forgot to mention the academics and students there. Memory loss was the order of the day as the host introduced Willets as the Minister for Science but struggled to remember the second part of his ministerial portfolio. Enterprise? Consumers? Answers on a post card please readers.
My travels continued during the week as I was joined by Sam in visits to sabbaticals at Dundee University and Edinburgh, as well as the new executive of NUS Scotland. We have agreed monthly meetings with the DUSA exec to share information and best practice, have opened up lines of communication with Edinburgh, and have established the basis for our relationship with NUS Scotland over the coming year. Robin Parker’s NUS team were of course keen to promote the benefits of NUS membership, arguing for the benefits of collective action. Yet they also understand St Andrew’s position and are happy to work together where we can, such as in opposition to the massive hike in RUK fees. All in all, a very fruitful first week which also included meetings with the redevelopment architects, private landlords and the Transition Universities St Andrews team amongst others.
In other news, the end of the World. The News of the World that is. Millions of words have been written in response to the demise of this titan of Fleet Street and I cannot resist the temptation to add a few of my own. Despite the euphoria over the downfall of this trashy tabloid whose despicable lows have been documented this week, I would be wary of imagining that this spells the beginning of the end of Murdoch’s empire. Indeed it seems much more like a cynical move to avoid the sacking of Rebekah Brooks, shift readership to The Sun, and cling to the BskyB takeover bid. Only sustained public pressure will prevent this takeover now, so add your name to one of the many petitions that oppose this slide towards media monopoly: http://www.avaaz.org/en/murdoch_messages_2/?cl=1144574239&v=9507
Amidst the celebrations, pause to consider the fate of the NOTW staff, not all of whom deserve to be tarred with the same brush as Coulson, Brooks et al. The sudden closure is, as the National Union of Journalists has noted, a fitting end for a newspaper which has always treated its workers with disdain. This is not the first time that the police, the government and Murdoch have colluded in shameful practices. Back in 1986, Murdoch carefully built up his Wapping plant and waited until unions decided to strike; in one swift move, he then shifted production to Wapping, sacked striking workers and hired others from a rival blackleg union. Amidst a public outcry and support from Wapping residents, Murdoch teamed up with the Met to ensure that the attempt to strangle circulation was unsuccessful. The dispute is on a par only with the Miners Strike in undermining the power of the unions to ensure decent pay and conditions for its members.
Tabloids were not always ridden with soft-porn, gossip and nonsense stories. In this video, John Pilger charts the decline of his beloved Mirror, and the role fellow Australian Murdoch played in this: http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-5005752483917353600. Yet today, most tabloids continue to play a role in dumbing-down public debate and making sure that any real news is replaced by sensationalism and puerile celebrity tittle-tattle. With reports that sales of the Sun are also down, let’s hope that Britain is ready to follow Billy Bragg’s wise advice: http://vimeo.com/26203800
Patrick.
In office for 1 day and already in bed with the HE nomenklatura!
Good article Patrick! As a journalist (and also former St A student) I can say that the majority of people in my profession feel not only let down but also disgusted by the actions of the NotW. Times are hard enough in the industry just now, and this has been another blow which has affected the trust between the media and the public.