In our pursuit towards a transparent and accountable newsroom culture, we would like to address a recent interaction that members of The Argus’ masthead had with the University administration and student supporters of the University Network of Human Rights (UNHR).
On Wednesday, Feb. 19, University Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Nicole Stanton and Dean of the Social Sciences Mary-Jane Rubenstein hosted a discussion to provide an update on the future of the partnership between the University and UNHR.
“We would like to hear about your experiences in the minor, your hopes for its future, and answer any questions you may have. Please join us for an open conversation,” Provost Stanton and Dean Rubenstein wrote in an email to all students in the Human Rights Advocacy Minor (HRAM). “Please feel free to pass along this invitation to other students who would like to join the conversation.”
Having been forwarded this email, two Argus reporters attended the session under the impression that it was open to the University community. Directly before the start of the meeting, Provost Stanton confronted the two and stated that she was uncomfortable with their presence, but did not force them to leave.
“I confess I was surprised that [this event] was published as an open invitation and that we now have reporters in the space, so that makes it more formal than I had hoped,” Stanton said to the room of attendees. “I’ll just say that my comments will be tempered, since what you say here will now become a part of the public record.”
The reporters felt discomfort due to Provost Stanton’s comments but remained present at the meeting in a personal capacity. It was unclear how Stanton would have modified her remarks if staff members from The Argus were not present.
We have now learned that there had been a misunderstanding about the nature of the discussion—the administration did not intend for the Feb. 19 meeting to be an open session.
We kindly ask that the University provide clearer and more precise communication if similar meetings were to take place in the future. The Argus takes the responsibility to report on campus events, including important administrative updates, very seriously. Accurate and timely information would help avoid any confusion for all individuals who are interested in participating, including representatives from The Argus.
We would also like to reiterate that The Argus maintains the right to record and report on statements made in public-facing events, as there is no expectation of privacy in settings intended for open discourse. In accordance with our quotes policy, for a source to go off the record in an interview or in written correspondence, the source must first ask the reporter whether they are permitted to go off the record, at which point the reporter may grant or deny their request.
If not explicitly stated otherwise, all correspondence between a reporter and a source is on the record.
As a newsroom, we prioritize the safety of our sources and our writers. For more information on all of The Argus’ standing policies, please visit the “About” section of our webpage. We encourage you to reach out to us with any questions or feedback.
Sincerely,
Rose, Sida, and Miles
Rose Chen is an Editor-in-Chief for The Argus and can be reached at rchen@wesleyan.edu.
Sida Chu is an Editor-in-Chief for The Argus and can be reached at schu@wesleyan.edu.
Miles Pinsof-Berlowitz is a News Editor for The Argus and can be reached at mpinsofberlo@wesleyan.edu.