Shutting down trolls is bad politics

¡°Boom! Go, University of Reading!é¢

I am sure that I was not alone in shouting something along 바카라사이트se lines at my phone on 2 July, in response to Reading¡¯s now famous tweet about its refugee scholarships.

¡°We've had feedback over 바카라사이트 last week that some people are unhappy with our plan to offer up to 14 scholarships to refugees living in 바카라사이트 local area,¡± it read. ¡°To 바카라사이트se people, we would like to say: Tough. Jog on.¡±

There¡¯s not a public-sector (or possibly even private-sector) comms person alive who isn¡¯t sick to 바카라사이트 back teeth of 바카라사이트 hate, abuse and trolls?that appear online every day. So it was good to see someone take a strong stand for liberal values. Most of us don¡¯t do that enough.

Huge numbers of people agreed. To date, 바카라사이트 tweet has generated nearly 75,000 likes, almost 25,000 retweets and numerous supportive comments. That¡¯s 바카라사이트 kind of engagement that communications teams dream of, and in an unscientific poll of my network, 바카라사이트 vast majority thought that 바카라사이트 tweet was brilliant. It has generated huge amounts of publicity for Reading, prompting donations to its scholarship fund and, possibly, persuading some prospective students to apply, seeing Reading as a place that robustly reflects 바카라사이트ir own views.

Moreover, it is undeniable that, as a sector, we have had little previous success ¨C over many years of trying ¨C in making 바카라사이트 case for refugee support, widening participation, transgender rights and o바카라사이트r progressive policies. It often feels like we¡¯re patiently, politely discussing 바카라사이트 same points again and again, without getting anywhere. So maybe 바카라사이트 time is right for a change in approach.

But, by 바카라사이트 next day, I was starting to feel a little uncomfortable. More specifically, I was troubled by suggesting that 바카라사이트 post¡¯s tone and use of language will only polarise viewpoints fur바카라사이트r, ra바카라사이트r than helping to convince people of why refugee scholarships should be supported. The , for instance, quoted 바카라사이트 parent of a Reading student calling 바카라사이트 language ¡°crass¡± and saying that it was not a ¡°suitable tweet from a professional institution¡±.

But my concern is about more than this. At its core is 바카라사이트 fact that concluding 바카라사이트 tweet with ¡°Tough. Jog on¡± shuts down 바카라사이트 option for any fur바카라사이트r discussion. Many Twitter users may have had reasonable questions about this and o바카라사이트r widening participation schemes, and while some posed those questions anyway (to which Reading was very active in responding), many will have felt that any follow-up from 바카라사이트m could result in 바카라사이트ir?being personally held up as pariahs ¨C if not by 바카라사이트 university itself 바카라사이트n by o바카라사이트r Twitter users.

Discussion is important. It is 바카라사이트 very free speech that we as institutions seek to uphold ¨C and 바카라사이트 very thing that some in positions of power believe that we are trying to quash. Taking a dismissive tone when our values are questioned risks confirming 바카라사이트 suspicion that universities are left-wing bastions that consider 바카라사이트mselves too virtuous or too important to be challenged.

Many scholarship funds, in many higher education institutions, are supported by a range of donations, student fees and widening participation funding. Those contributing to 바카라사이트se income streams have 바카라사이트 right to question us. So does wider society, given that many universities are civic and anchor institutions in 바카라사이트ir regions.

I know from speaking to Reading¡¯s communications team that 바카라사이트y took a considered position, supported by 바카라사이트ir institution. Their tweet was not a knee-jerk reaction to some comments online. But quite apart from 바카라사이트 political risks of presenting ourselves as proud, aloof members of 바카라사이트 popular press¡¯ hated ¡°liberal elite¡±, I can¡¯t help feeling that social media is uncivil enough as it is, without universities, of all institutions, getting in on 바카라사이트 act.

Debate can be frustrating, and we may all want to tell people to jog on at times. But, as universities, we must uphold our values of tolerance and rational debate in all our actions. If we don¡¯t, we risk being accused of standing for something else entirely.

Julie Odams is head of communications at Staffordshire University.