University magazine Cursor was prohibited from writing about suspected conflicts of interest. Photo Shutterstock. University magazine Cursor was prohibited from publishing an article on the rector’s suspected conflict of interest. The issue led to the dismissal of the editor-in-chief, a whistleblower’s complaint and written questions in the House of Representatives.
The TU Eindhoven has made every conceivable effort to prevent the publication of an unwelcome article on the new rector magnificus, the Volkskrant reports, with much commotion as a result.
The new rector is Silvia Lenaerts, who previously served on the board of Antwerp University. She published an opinion piece in the Flandres daily De Standaard last year on the controversial construction of a tunnel in Antwerp. She initially forgot to reveal her private interests: she served on the board of the construction business involved in the project.
Climate activists in Eindhoven also resent the fact that she was staged as an advocate for the controversial ethylene production in the port of Antwerp by chemical company Ineos in an advert. They protested with banners during her inauguration as rector of the TU/e.
Reply
In the prohibited Cursor article, which offers her ample opportunity to respond, she claims she was unaware that she was being used for an advert. ‘I felt abused by the Ineos interviewer’, she says, ‘but the communications department thought it unwise to create more fuss, so we let it slide.’
This week, Cursor turned its website black in protest of the immediate dismissal of editor-in-chief Han Konings. Konings has held the position for almost 22 years. The reason behind his dismissal remains vague. After all, the article was not published.
Cursor’s editorial council, chaired by a reputation expert and without a single journalist member, was shown the article ahead of publication and felt it would damage the university’s interests. The executive board also put pressure on the editors.
The board members have a different view. Despite the editor-in-chief’s dismissal from his post, they write in a response: ‘If the editor-in-chief wants to publish the articles in question, there is nothing or no one that can stop him.’
The editorial council is unaware of any wrongdoing. Their statement says: ‘The editorial board has no wish to form an obstacle, but rather to contribute to the development and functioning of Cursor and the editorial team and has never prohibited a publication.’
Bridget Spoor, the article’s author, refuses to submit to censorship. She uses the university’s whistleblower policy. Her complaint is still under investigation. The Cursor editors demand a new, independent editorial board and want a say in the appointment of a new editor-in-chief. Moreover, they want to review the articles of association to ensure independence.
Amazement
Outsiders view the goings-on with amazement. ‘A reminder that administrators with a censorship reflex form the greatest threat to their institute’s reputation’, Rotterdam’s university magazine Erasmus Magazine editor Tim Ficherouw tweets.
The WOinActie interest group responds as follows: ‘A central principle for WOinActie is that a university must be independent to function properly. And that includes independent university press.’
NRC journalist Folkert Jensma, who recently obtained an honorary doctorate from the University of Amsterdam, tweets: ‘Long live the undesired publication! That is the one serving the academic community best.’
The Journalists’ Union NVJ calls the editors’ decision to turn the website black a wise one. General secretary Thomas Bruning tweets: ‘Black and independent rather than singing to the tune of the TU Eindhoven executive board. @nvj stands with you!’
New medium ScienceGuide also supports Cursor and is aware of the pressure some teaching institutes put on journalists. ‘We, as editors, are currently being intimidated by a university. The second time this year.’
Questions in the House
SP and GroenLinks submit questions to the House of Representatives. ‘Do you share the opinion that a public and democratic institute such as a university may never imperil freedom of the press and the independence of university and college magazines?’ they demand to know of Minister Dijkgraaf. The two parties also call for an investigation into the freedom of the press in university and college magazines.
Demi Janssen of the ISO (Interstedelijk Studenten Overleg), among whose constituents are the university and college student councils, says in response: ‘We value independent news greatly. University and college news magazines must have the freedom to report news under the adversarial principle. Trustworthy and objective information must be safeguarded.’