City University London has announced that it will be banning major publications in its campus. The institution is well-known as one of U.K.'s top journalism schools.
Huffington Post reported that City University London's student union has voted to ban major publications such as the Daily Mail, The Sun and Daily Express on campus. This has sparked outrage from its students and graduates.
The school's student union passed a motion to ban the tabloid newspapers. Apparently, these publications "stir up racial hatred," "attack the weakest and poorest members of society" and have stories that are "inherently sexist."
"There is no place for the Sun, Daily Mail or Express (in their current form), on City University London campuses or properties," the City University London's student union wrote. The motion also stated that the school should urge students to put pressure into the publications to stop promoting "fascism, racial tension and hatred."
There are concerns over how the school will implement this as the said newspapers are not being sold on campus. The union also wants to see City University London use its contacts in the industry to pressure these media outlets as well.
The decision was passed at the union's annual general meeting, with 69 votes to 54. It has caused a storm with the school's journalism students and graduates.
"This is absolutely ridiculous," MA Newspaper Journalism student Alice Cachia said. "It should be the students' choice whether they purchase a paper or not. What happened to freedom of the press? What happened to freedom of choice?"
According to Harriet Marsden, in a piece for The Independent, it seemed ironic that the student union wants to ban these publications are part of efforts to oppose fascism and social divisiveness in the U.K. media. However, it was noted that one of the most common weapons of fascism is actually media strangulation.
"If you believe these papers are your enemy, know your enemy," Marsden urged. "Go and work for those publications and try and improve things from within, or work elsewhere and challenge them from without."
