Shocker: SU responds to censor allegations and The Ripple quickly calm down

The SU executive team and ARC have ushered in a swift response, following The Ripple’s complaints of attempted censorship.

Yesterday, the story broke that a negative front page story, involving a lack of engagement within the union, caused verbal threats of closure and attempts to pull the article by the SU executive team.

However, by the evening, the Union had published their own response via their website.

The SU released their response late yesterday

Their answers were evidently enough for The Ripple, who stopped retweeting their own society members’ outrage and pulled their angry petition; ‘Say YES to the press, say NO to censorship’.

The union response acknowledged that the executive team had found concern with some of the content in the publication, to do with reporting on “union politics in a neutral manner”.

It also took the blame for the twenty-seven hour ‘proofing’ that caused the paper to miss their printing deadline, but pointed out they did allow the publishing of the article unamended.

The Ripple is part of Leicester Student Unions’ media group, along with LUST and LUSH, who are bound by a media constitution as to what content they can produce.

The Ripple received only 11 signatures on their online petition

This means the executive team and the ARC proof the paper before it is printed, to ensure the content is not ‘illegal, libel or unconstitutional in nature’.

It also means that The Ripple get all the funding and equipment they require from the SU and the bond is such that, if “The Ripple is sued, the Student Union is sued”.

Unlike the Tab, The Ripple can therefore not have complete independence from the Student Union and it’s unlikely anyone else would foot the thin, fortnightly student paper’s bills.

Michael Rubin, President of the Student Union and part of the executive team under scrutiny, seemed relieved to reach an arrangement so quickly.

ARC and the SU control part of The Ripples funding

He said, “I’m happy to have reached an agreement and I think the change [in the SU media constitution] will clarify The Ripples role much more and clear things up for everyone involved.”

However, any changes still have to be approved by the executive committee and passed through council before becoming permanent alterations.

In the SU statement, the executive team announced the introduction of ‘scrutiny panels’ to ensure the SU’s team are “open, transparent and accountable”.

Rubin explained: “Scrutiny panels will have the task of scrutinising Sabbatical Officers to ensure we’re working effectively, achieving our manifesto points and making progress on our key projects.”

Both sides were relieved with the outcome

He added, “they’ll be made up of independent members, who are all current students”, who can rate how well the executive team are doing.

Results on the council’s decision will be reported on in due course.