The threats against Rebecca have been dropped. This win belongs to every one of the 402 people who stood up for press freedom.
June 14, 2016
Final supporters
We, the undersigned, condemn the actions taken by University College London in threatening to dismiss Ms. Rebecca Pinnington, a 4th-year undergraduate, and President of the UCLU Pi Magazine, from the university, and wish to express our concern at this threat to the free operation of student press.
Ms. Pinnington published an article entitled “Head of UCL Estates leaves confidential documents publicly available” which stated that Pi Media had obtained and would be revealing the contents of some of these documents. She did not release these documents. However, if the Independent report on Saturday 12 March is correct, they include a forecast that UCL was on course to make a greater surplus out of student accommodation than had previously been claimed - which, if true, we believe would amount to a public-interest justification in publication. We note that on 10 March, UCL announced the freezing and reduction of student rents.
Consequently
we have every reason to believe that Rebecca's actions were made in
good faith and that she acted in accordance with the highest of
journalistic values. We commend
her bravery in coming forward with this story.
We view student journalism in the same esteem as that accorded to professional media and see its role as one of vital importance in holding the university, a prominent and significant public institution, to account. Independent journalism - whether noisy, boisterous, inconvenient, or disreputable - is the hallmark of a free society. Any infringement on journalists' right to operate without interference as part of the free press is of great concern to all of us.
Initial signatories include
Saladin Meckled-Garcia, UCL UCU President
Sean Wallis, UCL UCU Vice President and UCU NEC member
Ioanna Ioannou, UCL UCU Equality Officer and UCU NEC member
Tony Brown, UCL UCU Branch Secretary
Sue Chick, UCL UCU Executive Committee member
Helen Donoghue, UCL UCU Executive Committee member
Martin Fry, UCL UCU Executive Committee member
Andy Fugard, UCL UCU Executive Committee member
Geoff Williams, UCL UCU Executive Committee member
To add your name, please sign the peition below.
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
March 17, 2016
March 16, 2016
The momentum behind this is undeniable. It is clear that the student press has allies everywhere.
Reached 100 supporters
March 16, 2016
55 Comments
It is surely wrong for an educational establishment to behave like a corporation. Freedom of expression for students must not be compromised.
Aside from everything else, isn't Becky is the exact kind of independent, intelligent and principled student that UCL exists to support and nurture?!
On the face of it, Rebecca Pinnigton's actions seem better to correspond to UCL ethos of critical engagement with contemporary social issues than those of 'management' threatening exclusion from the University.
Universities that are continually asking for feedback from their students should be open to criticism by student journalists.
Any action UCL takes that appears to seek to interfere with the freedom of the press is very concerning: and to threaten and bully a student is also completely unacceptable. Teaching Fellow, UCL History (and UCL Alumnus)
Been long time fan of Pi ever since an undergrad here in 1970s
good luck rebecca
Share this petition
Share this petition to help it reach more people.
Your share link
The threats against Rebecca have been dropped. This win belongs to every one of the 402 people who stood up for press freedom.
June 14, 2016
Final supporters
We, the undersigned, condemn the actions taken by University College London in threatening to dismiss Ms. Rebecca Pinnington, a 4th-year undergraduate, and President of the UCLU Pi Magazine, from the university, and wish to express our concern at this threat to the free operation of student press.
Ms. Pinnington published an article entitled “Head of UCL Estates leaves confidential documents publicly available” which stated that Pi Media had obtained and would be revealing the contents of some of these documents. She did not release these documents. However, if the Independent report on Saturday 12 March is correct, they include a forecast that UCL was on course to make a greater surplus out of student accommodation than had previously been claimed - which, if true, we believe would amount to a public-interest justification in publication. We note that on 10 March, UCL announced the freezing and reduction of student rents.
Consequently
we have every reason to believe that Rebecca's actions were made in
good faith and that she acted in accordance with the highest of
journalistic values. We commend
her bravery in coming forward with this story.
We view student journalism in the same esteem as that accorded to professional media and see its role as one of vital importance in holding the university, a prominent and significant public institution, to account. Independent journalism - whether noisy, boisterous, inconvenient, or disreputable - is the hallmark of a free society. Any infringement on journalists' right to operate without interference as part of the free press is of great concern to all of us.
Initial signatories include
Saladin Meckled-Garcia, UCL UCU President
Sean Wallis, UCL UCU Vice President and UCU NEC member
Ioanna Ioannou, UCL UCU Equality Officer and UCU NEC member
Tony Brown, UCL UCU Branch Secretary
Sue Chick, UCL UCU Executive Committee member
Helen Donoghue, UCL UCU Executive Committee member
Martin Fry, UCL UCU Executive Committee member
Andy Fugard, UCL UCU Executive Committee member
Geoff Williams, UCL UCU Executive Committee member
To add your name, please sign the peition below.
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
March 17, 2016
March 16, 2016
The momentum behind this is undeniable. It is clear that the student press has allies everywhere.
Reached 100 supporters
March 16, 2016
55 Comments
Bullying and censorship of a student journalist? How does this reflect the "proud history and values" of UCL http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ucl-2034 ?
It is surely wrong for an educational establishment to behave like a corporation. Freedom of expression for students must not be compromised.
Aside from everything else, isn't Becky is the exact kind of independent, intelligent and principled student that UCL exists to support and nurture?!
On the face of it, Rebecca Pinnigton's actions seem better to correspond to UCL ethos of critical engagement with contemporary social issues than those of 'management' threatening exclusion from the University.
Universities that are continually asking for feedback from their students should be open to criticism by student journalists.
Any action UCL takes that appears to seek to interfere with the freedom of the press is very concerning: and to threaten and bully a student is also completely unacceptable. Teaching Fellow, UCL History (and UCL Alumnus)
Been long time fan of Pi ever since an undergrad here in 1970s
good luck rebecca
Share this petition
Share this petition to help it reach more people.
Your share link
Petitions like this
Other petitions you might want to support
Scan to share
Anyone who scans this can sign the petition.
Bullying and censorship of a student journalist? How does this reflect the "proud history and values" of UCL http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ucl-2034 ?