Advertisement

BCIT journalism students suspended from school magazine after email posted online

Click to play video: 'BCIT Reporters Suspended'
BCIT Reporters Suspended
WATCH: It would seem to go against the code of journalism ethics at a school that produces many of Canadian reporters. But the BCIT Student Association is under fire amid allegations it tried to prevent students from reporting an event that could cast the school in an unflattering light. Jill Bennett explains – Feb 6, 2016

Two BCIT journalism students say they were suspended from a school magazine after an email from their publisher was posted online. In the email, the students were encouraged to write positive stories about the school following an alleged voyeur case rocked the campus.

The students say they have both been suspended from working at the magazine, which is run by the BCIT Student Association.

According to a post on the BCIT Broadcast News website, Link Magazine publisher Dan Post wrote that the case of an alleged campus peeping tom was a “kind of non-news story” and suggested they “take this opportunity to promote all the positive BCIT student stories coming out of this campus.”

Breaking news from Canada and around the world sent to your email, as it happens.

After the email appeared online, journalism students Lindsay Howe and Jessica Fedigan say they were called in for meetings where a member of the human resources department would be present.

Story continues below advertisement

Howe says she asked an instructor to accompany her to the meeting but the instructor was denied access.

“We did ultimately what was right. Our instructors have backed us fully. We have their support,” Fedigan said.

“We don’t feel we did anything wrong.”

This comes after BCIT was criticized for not alerting the campus community that a student had been arrested and charged for allegedly watching and recording men in a bathroom late last year.

Sponsored content

AdChoices