How is the collaboration between the press spokespersons and Erasmus Magazine?
“In Rotterdam, it goes quite well. I have been working here since September 2023 and before that, I worked for eight years at Wageningen University, where it went well too. You get to know each other, you understand each other’s differences, and I think that’s the same everywhere. At the beginning of my career, I worked at the Breda University of Applied Sciences on the ‘other side’ and produced the newspaper for students and staff.”
Does that experience help to understand both positions?
“Definitely, and I think that’s the crux: if you understand each other’s perspectives and interests, you also respect the differences between them. This generally applies to spokespersons and journalists.”
Erasmus Magazine and Profielen (our colleagues from Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences) are organising a conference on journalism in higher education on Thursday 12 June. In the lead-up, we celebrate press freedom with a series of articles.
At what point do those interests diverge?
“As a spokesperson, you consider the interests of the organisation and deal with administrative processes. Journalists from a university or college newspaper do not need to take that into account. There is also an important common ground: both roles have the responsibility to inform the academic community. When it comes to a subject that is quite informative, the roles of communication and media are not that different. It’s when opinions are expressed that things change. That’s a journalistic interpretation of a situation that we will never engage in, and I see that as the added value of the university newspaper.”
Does that ever create friction?
“Of course! That’s what I mean by those differences. As an editorial team, you have to write about what is happening administratively. But that often differs from the image that you as a communicator want to share about a subject. There can be a gap there. However, that shouldn’t be seen as a problem. Staff and students are smart enough to understand that there is a difference between the source from the university’s official channel and that of a journalistic article.”
Spokespersons are sometimes less pleased with articles.
“Can you give an example?”
Well, it’s before your time, but in 2020, an article appeared about how the expenses of the Executive Board increased by 100,000 euros.
“Yes, situations like that can lead to discussions, and that will continue to happen. That’s perfectly fine.”
Is it good that university media also have the role of holding the administration accountable?
“Yes, just as you said: it is also a role. I would find it a bit narrow if that were to be the main task. Especially since, as a university newspaper, you have a unique position: on one hand, you follow the administration, and on the other hand, you are sitting on a goldmine of stories that you could bring first, even before de Volkskrant. You are at the heart of knowledge development; those are beautiful stories. Of course, there are also stories that the administration would prefer not to have published. But that’s something you have to deal with.”
Are you ever approached by an administrator who says: I’m really not happy with this story?
“No, I haven’t experienced that here yet.”
What are you less happy with yourself?
“We often get the question: ‘Someone thinks this, what do you think of that?’ So, an opinion about an opinion is requested. I find that difficult to answer. Because we are being forced to have an opinion as well, without it adding much. If you are just putting opinions against each other, I don’t find that a very appealing way of communicating. I also see that as part of a broader movement in society: we have moved from an information society, through an opinion society, to the current positions society. That means communication is based on interests, so someone does not just hold an opinion, but wants others to share it as well.”
Press officers want all interviews with staff to go through spokespersons. Why is that?
“To help staff convey their story effectively to journalists. Dealing with journalists is a craft that we have here in-house. Of course, there are people who think they do not need us for that, and that does happen.”
And that’s also fine?
“I would rather it didn’t happen. Because I think we can help in that regard. Look, Erasmus Magazine has its own network that you utilise, and I understand how it happens. However, sometimes staff speak with journalists because they see them as colleagues from the same academic community. But they are not speaking with a colleague; they are speaking with a journalist. And that isn’t always clear. The editorial team should make a sharper distinction between an interview and a conversation. It also has to do with making clear agreements up front; not everyone is alert to that. We can also help with that in advance if we are involved. And it cuts both ways because if a staff member wants to revisit statements made after publication, it is up to me to stand up for journalism.”
