YUSU press ban

Tonight Matthew · 18-08-2005: 18th August 2005 22:09

I know I should be doing something more interesting on the night I found out I got into university (I've got a good excuse, I promise), but I just stumbled across this on Wikipedia, about the YUSU:

In 2005 the current president caused controversy by imposing a new media charter on the campus press, forbiding anything to be published before first being checked by YUSU. Failure to comply with the charter will result in press equipment being confiscated.

Did this actually get enforced? What was the thinking behind it? Surely people got seriously *****ed off about this? I imagine I probably would to be honest.. or did no one really care?

Splendid.

Aylia · 18-08-2005: 18th August 2005 22:26

Originally Posted by Tonight Matthew

I know I should be doing something more interesting on the night I found out I got into university (I've got a good excuse, I promise), but I just stumbled across this on Wikipedia, about the YUSU:

Yes it is definitely enforced - a copy of the newspaper has to go through the YUSU office before it can be sent to the printers.

It was to stop the newspapers irresponsibly publishing information about students which could potentially cause them harm. eg. if a student is charged with a crime the student newspapers aren't allowed to release this information.

The argument is that it both protects the students rights and the newspapers from potentially being sued for libel or something.

Theres something about it on the foreum here: York students first but I can't get it to work at the moment so not sure exactly where.

Tonight Matthew · 18-08-2005: 18th August 2005 22:27

Oh I see. I hadn't really considered the arguments 'for' in all honesty. Seems fair enough.. does it get abused by the YUSU though?

Aylia · 18-08-2005: 18th August 2005 22:31

Originally Posted by Tonight Matthew

Oh I see. I hadn't really considered the arguments 'for' in all honesty. Seems fair enough.. does it get abused by the YUSU though?

well, there was a bit of controversy over it - at the time it was brought it one of the YUSU exec and mate of the president had been charged with assault (I think) so the media were arguing it had been brought in just to protect him.

Barny · 18-08-2005: 18th August 2005 22:44

Must of been living in a cave, never heard about this! James alexander was a class A penis though.

Tonight Matthew · 18-08-2005: 18th August 2005 22:52

He looked it from pictures I've seen. What was wrong with him though?

Juno · 18-08-2005: 18th August 2005 22:53

James Alexander was a really nice bloke.

Barny · 18-08-2005: 18th August 2005 23:15

Just from the posts on that yorkstudentfirst forum he seems like a nob, and his pic of course, god I'm so judgemental

Aylia · 18-08-2005: 18th August 2005 23:26

Originally Posted by imasillynarb

Just from the posts on that yorkstudentfirst forum he seems like a nob, and his pic of course, god I'm so judgemental

I agree, he always seemed a bit pretentious. Did you not see the 'I've just come out of jail' interview Ozzy did in Vision?

RK · 19-08-2005: 19th August 2005 01:42

Originally Posted by imasillynarb

Must of been living in a cave, never heard about this! James alexander was a class A penis though.

Is James Alexander the present President?

I can't say I took any notice what so ever of YUSU politics in my final year .

Personally I think all the Presidents in my time at York were pretty useless...think I'd have to say (and right not I can't believe I'm going to be saying this) but Ffion Evans is perhaps the ebst President from my time at the uni...at least she seemed more visable, both personally and in univeristy press and seemed to do things. The others just seemed to disappear into oblivion once elected....not that they were ever really noticable during the election campaign either.