Walkout hits Oxford Student newspaper
The staff of the Oxford Student newspaper have walked out in disgust at attempts to censor the publication by the editorial board. A row erupted over the actions of the drama critic, who was accused of writing highly complimentary reviews of plays in which he appeared.
The editorial board demanded his immediate resignation, he complied, but another member of staff attempted to write a piece defending the former critic. The editorial board refused to publish the article. This provoked a walkout by the 25 staff at the Oxford Student, leaving untrained staff at Oxford University Union (OUSU) to complete editions of the paper until further notice.
Many of the journalists are expected to find a new home at the rival student newspaper the Cherwell. The Oxford Student is the junior of the two papers, launched in 1992 on a shoe-string budget. Marketing itself as an alternative to the Cherwell it soon became a weekly publication. Few expect any long term damage to their reputation, but there are concerns that the use of OUSU staff to edit the paper breaches the constitution of the union.
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