Aussie journalism student disciplined by US university after telling a source he did not have to be positive
An Australian journalism student on an exchange in the US has found himself in trouble for trying to write a profile of a hockey coach and telling one of his potential sources in an email that their comment “does not have to be positive”.
Alex Myers was threatened with suspension by the State University of New York College at Oswego after also telling the source that he worked at SUNY Oswego’s office of public affairs when he in fact interned there.
Myers is a fourth year sports journalism student at Charles Sturt.
He faces disciplinary action and was told he was suspended – although this was later withdrawn – over his email.
According to documents published by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, Myers wrote an email to hockey coaches:
My name is Alex Myers, I work for the Office of Public Affairs at SUNY Oswego.
“I am currently writing a profile on Oswego State Hockey head coach Ed Gosek and was hoping to get a rival coaches view on Mr Gosek.
“If you have time would you mind answering the following questions.
“1. How do you find Mr Gosek to coach against?
“2. Have you had any interactions with Mr Gosek off the ice? If so how did you find him?
“3. What is your rivalry like between your school and Oswego State?
“Be as forthcoming as you like, what you say about Mr Gosek does not have to be positive.”
It angered coach Michael Schafer who emailed: “Your last line of saying your comments don’t need to be positive is offensive.”
Despite Myers replying: “I apologise if you were offended by my last line. I was simply letting you know that this piece I am writing is not a ‘puff’ piece about Mr Gosek. I appreciate you taking time out of your day to reply to my email.”, his email still triggered a complaint to the university.
The university issued him with a notice of suspension. It also issued him with a statement of charges accusing him of violating rules on academic dishonesty over saying he worked at the organisation. And it accused him of “disruptive behaviour”over the “does not have to be positive” line.
FIRE’s revelations around the incident generated a string of headlines in the US aroudn the issue of whether journalists are being taught to write only positive pieces about people.
High profile site Gawker headlined its coverage: “University suspends journalism student for asking questions for a class assignment”.
Myers has not commented on the incident.
Peter Simmons, associate professor and associate head of school at CSU told Mumbrella that he had not spoken to Myers. He said:
“Alex is an enthusiastic student who went abroad to develop his skills. He made a couple of errors of judgement, but you learn your craft from the mistakes you make, and hopefully emerge better off for it.
“He should have represented himself more accurately as a student doing an assignment. That was his biggest mistake. He will be shocked by this experience, but will have learned about working in different environments and cultures.”
Journalism academic Jenna Price, undergraduate coordinator of the journalism major at University of Technology Sydney told Mumbrella that Myers’ approach to his profile piece was “a recipe for disaster”, but labelled the response from SUNY Oswego as “absolutely ludicrous”.
She said: “Trying to conduct an interview like that over email is a recipe for disaster. You have to develop a relationship with someone, preferably in person or over the phone, before asking negative questions. It was a beginner’s error.”
“Developed journalists prefer phone conversations,” she added.
However, Price said the no Australian university would have responded to Myers’ approach as SUNY Oswego did.
“It was absolutely ludicrous. The university was thinking about itself and not the student. A better way would have been to back the student while counselling them on a better approach to the interview,” she said.
This is confusing – if he was an intern in the university’s public affairs team, then of course he was working for them. Not only is this a giant overreaction, but also a huge slight on the contribution interns and volunteer staff can make to organisations.
Or was he in fact an exchange student, completing a “class assignment” as Gawker stated?
Either way, poor guy. Come home Alex, where our media is free of bias and overt editorial control! Oh wait…
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This is why we have universities and other learning establishments, so that young and/or inexperienced people get the chance to make such mistakes and learn from them.
However, it doesn’t say much for his learning prior to university; there used to be a fairly well constructed framework of simple courtesy when I was a lad, and to have asked such a question in print would have been considered poor taste as well as foolish.
The university has acted as it has, I suspect, because it’s attempting to save its own neck and reputation, I have no doubt that it will be a relief for them that he is a “foreign” student.
Of course, as that man Romney has just shown in flying colours, it is more about winning these days than being honest, wise or showing good taste.
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So true, Laura. Come home Alex and be sure to look us up!
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Now, that the damage has been done its time for them or him to move on and learn from his mistake.
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*cough* “get a rival coaches view” *splutter* *apostrophe* Is that a verbatim quote?
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The university’s disciplinary action is warranted in the context of the course. The student was clearly leading (i.e. suggesting) the interviewee to provide a possibly nonobjective perspective. Hopefully, the Aussie student will return to Oz knowing the difference between real journalism and the sensationalist media “opinion” he is uncountably accustomed.
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Storm in a teacup.
Charles who?
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How dare a bright eyed student ask a respondent for real views – what was he thinking! But at least the culprit is aware how the world is becoming so sanitised through political correctness and people now being offended by the most trivial things!
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