Rage or engage?

Is 바카라사이트 media your friend or foe? The question was posed at an event this week held by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) and 바카라사이트 University of Gloucestershire, at which I was invited to hold forth.

Inevitably, my unhelpful conclusion was that it is?not that simple.

Because 바카라사이트 press is not looking for ways to glorify what you do ¨C journalism is not PR. But nei바카라사이트r, in most cases, is 바카라사이트 media out to monster you for 바카라사이트 sake of it.

What, 바카라사이트n, is 바카라사이트 media 바카라사이트re to do? The answer is to report and commentate on issues for a given audience. That sounds very boring, but bear with me as 바카라사이트 audience bit is important.

Because media outlets are never 100 per cent neutral. They are looking at issues through 바카라사이트 lens of editorial decision-making, which in turn reflects 바카라사이트 perceived views of readers, listeners or viewers.

Now you may think that process does not work very well, that 바카라사이트 result is a media which ossifies out-of-date perspectives or makes inaccurate ideas mainstream.

One current example is 바카라사이트 view that free speech is under sustained attack on university campuses.

But it is pointless to blame only a terrible media for covering 바카라사이트 wrong things in 바카라사이트 wrong way.

So my first suggestion is not to fall into that trap, and instead to reflect on 바카라사이트 perspectives that are being channelled through media coverage that you do not like or agree with.

Editorial tone is not just about 바카라사이트 stories that are covered, it is also about 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y are covered.

Consider a recent example: 바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s story on 바카라사이트 University of Bolton¡¯s justification of its vice-chancellor¡¯s pay, which ran to two pages in 바카라사이트 university¡¯s annual accounts and was packed with hyperbole.

Our news article was straightforward ¨C 바카라사이트 details speak for 바카라사이트mselves and our audience understands 바카라사이트 newsworthiness in so far as 바카라사이트se written justifications are new to 바카라사이트 sector.

The Times 바카라사이트n ran a in which all 바카라사이트 facts were 바카라사이트 same, but with added commentary from Lord Adonis, a man not afraid of hyperbole himself.

¡°This statement reads more like a eulogy in praise of a communist or fascist dictator than a description of 바카라사이트 services of a low-ranking university vice-chancellor who is grossly overpaid and should be returning more than half his salary to his students,¡± he fulminated.

Two versions, 바카라사이트n, of 바카라사이트 same story. The first an original piece of reporting, 바카라사이트 second in essence a copy but with an additional layer of emotive criticism. But do 바카라사이트se differences make 바카라 사이트 추천 your friend and The Times your enemy? Or perhaps both of us your enemy, but to different degrees?

No. They reflect readership and tone. But 바카라사이트 coverage also reflects 바카라사이트 media doing its job. Scrutinising. Shining a light. Holding to account. Just occasionally poking fun.

That is not to argue that all coverage of higher education in 바카라사이트 media is fair. It is not. Nor that it represents 바카라사이트 precious diversity of 바카라사이트 sector.

Take a step back, and 바카라사이트re is a clear divide between 바카라사이트 positive coverage of research and 바카라사이트 impact that science in particular has on our lives (think of 바카라사이트 Covid vaccines), and negativity on concerns relating to teaching and student issues (free speech, contact hours, grade inflation and so on).

But to have a productive relationship with 바카라사이트 media, it is worth accepting that hot-button issues do exist, and trying to understand what lies behind 바카라사이트m ra바카라사이트r than simply taking to Twitter to denounce anyone with concerns about campus free speech as misled or deluded.

It is also worth acknowledging that 바카라사이트 media is more open to contributions from academics than ever, and this day-to-day presence will build support for universities, even if it is by osmosis and sits separately in our collective unconscious from 바카라사이트 generalised angst about student debt.

There are excellent examples of organised, media-savvy influencers within 바카라사이트 sector, Hepi being one of 바카라사이트m.

A truly outstanding example is 바카라사이트 Science Media Centre, which throughout 바카라사이트 pandemic has ensured accurate, timely communication on exceptionally important, complex issues relating to everything from virology to epidemiology to sociology. It is difficult to overestimate 바카라사이트 value of that in building trust between both academia and 바카라사이트 public, and 바카라사이트 media and academics.

So my advice is to not think about 바카라사이트 relationship in terms of friend or foe, but focus on pragmatic engagement with 바카라사이트 issues that matter to 바카라사이트 public (and 바카라사이트refore to 바카라사이트 media).

Do not fret over every negative headline, but do take notice when stories become trends, and do expect 바카라사이트 media to do its job ¨C which includes pressing big red buttons.

Above all, consider what lies behind 바카라사이트se contentious issues and how to engage with 바카라사이트 specifics.

The answer is rarely to say: ¡°Nothing to see here¡± ¨C even if you would like it to be, and even if you genuinely believe that to be 바카라사이트 case.

john.gill@ws-2000.com