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NUJ hails victory for student journalism at Trinity College


THE NUJ has warmly welcomed the outcome of a referendum at Trinity College Dublin rejecting an attempt to cut funding of the University Times newspaper. University Times is published by the TCD Students Union but enjoys editorial independence. Editor Eleanor O’Mahony found herself the subject of a sustained campaign following an expose revealing initiation ceremonies by a secretive, all-male society known as the Knights of the Campanile. The NUJ responded to request for support


from the University Times editorial team. In a statement supporting the UT, NUJ Ethics Council Chair, Prof Chris Frost, described the way editorial staff investigated the practice of hazing by a secretive male-only society at TCD as being “beyond reproach and consistent with the highest professional standards of public interest, investigative journalism.” The investigation into activities by members of the Knights of Campanile was published in the March 19th edition of the newspaper. UT reporters stood close to the apartment of the president of the society and overheard taunts, jeers and degrading insults as an initiation ritual was conducted. As a result of the investigation, the newspaper


was accused of breaching ethics standards by the editor of rival newspaper, Trinity News, while the Students Union called a referendum which would have starved the newspaper of funding. However, returns showed 74 per cent voting against the funding cut in the April referendum. In the run up to the referendum Séamus Dooley, Irish Secretary, addressed a public meeting in TCD and stressed that the role of University Times was the same as any other community newspaper. The issue was no less important because it was a student newspaper and as student members the journalists were entitled to support. The support of the Ethics Council, the NEC and the IFJ was greatly appreciated by the new


“Well done, congratulations” was the warm May Day greeting of President Michael D Higgins to the editorial team at the University Times when introduced by Séamus Dooley, Irish Secretary. Pictured, from left: Edmund Heaphy, former editor; Séamus Dooley; President Higgins; Eleanor O’Mahony, Editor; and Donal MacNamee, Deputy Editor. The president was aware of the recent threat to funding at the title and in his address stressed the importance of independent student journalism.


Eleanor O’Mahony checks out the bust of President Douglas Hyde at the May Day reception


members at University Times. In a letter to the Irish Secretary, Eleanor said: “This is obviously so much bigger than just one


story and one newspaper and I hope that this national conversation that has been started does good in the long-term for the media in Ireland and particularly for student journalism.” The editorial team were guests of the NUJ at a


May reception hosted by President Michael D Higgins to celebrate youth activism and were introduced to the President by the Irish Secretary.


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