Student journalism isn’t terrible, you are

I once heard a Cantab raise the concern that: “I shouldn’t need to feel like I have a lawyer present every time I drink with my sports team.”

Curiosity as to what they’d be saying if they didn’t feel like they needed a lawyer aside, this is typical of the sheltered arrogance of Cambridge students. The fact that – wait for it – Cambridge students aren’t exempt from the real world is eye-wateringly obvious to most, and yet seems to fly over the heads of others.

To those of you who will disagree with this article, I’ll bet that you’re one of three things. One: a student who has been covered negatively in the press. Two: someone who has an idealised view of students all somehow sharing one common interest. Three: someone who doesn’t yet realise that – shock horror – the “Cambridge Bubble” is just a metaphor, not a genuinely deflective shield of responsibility.

From reviews of term cards, theatrical productions and balls, to investigations of student cock-ups and to cliche Features pieces deciding ‘Which X is your college’, the main focus of student journalism in Cambridge is the students. Or at least, it usually is. Remember that time Varsity suggested how to achieve lasting global peace?

Symbolism is always welcome in my articles.

Starting at Varsity and moving to The Tab, I’ve had my fair share of experiences as a student journo, hack, Judas Iscariat or whatever you’ll call it. Stereotypes of student journalists are almost as sensationalist as we are; that we thrive off scandal and will do anything for reads or the next big scoop. Or is that just Tab journalists…

But what these stereotypes seem to assume is an idealistic – and ludicrous – logic that student journalists are traitors of some kind. Student journalists simply cannot be traitors as we never owed you anything in the first place.

The pressures of the collegiate system make things worse. Emotional and moral blackmail along with phrases such as “you should feel allegiance to your college” by virtue of nothing more than living a few staircases apart, are laughable. The more insular the college, the greater the treachery, right? The more Cantabs attack student journalists, the more it baffles me when they seem surprised that journalists don’t feel much of an allegiance.

Since when were we all in this together?

The revelation that the fashion show was initially partnered with an illegal charity last term proved divisive to some (the committee). Of course, it is understandable that students get emotionally close to their projects. But I must have missed the memo which said that journalists’ supposed duty of care to you as fellow students, outweighed the fact that you were handling real people’s money. The simple point remains that being a student is not a get out of jail free card. Saying that you’re doing something charitable doesn’t guarantee that it’s effective or legitimate.

You’d also be wrong to think that student journalism is unaccountable. Remember last week’s back and forth between The Tab and Varsity? They saw our coverage of their anti-semitic rhetoric, and raised us coverage of a plagiarised Tab article. Somehow anti-semitism feels a little worse to me, but who am I to judge?

So am I claiming that student journalists are apostles of truth, morality and justice? Are we harbingers of peace, warriors of the people, and bastions of virtue? Ha, of course not. But whether it’s covering the CUSU-branded drug ring, drinking society misdemeanours, or controversy at the Union, we’re here to hold students to account. It’s your fault not mine that I have so many examples to choose from.

Students who use Cambridge as a play-ground and expect no repercussions are arrogant and cowardly. If your career was that important to you, you wouldn’t have fucked up in the first place. College Deans and Porters who step in to protect students who commit offences don’t help. It’s no surprise that some students feel like they can get away with anything. The fact that you study at Cambridge, does not exempt you.

Mistakes, incompetence, illegality, scandal, and gossip have to come from somewhere. If you calling us heartless, or guilt-tripping us into the doing the “right thing”, or puffing up your chest to offer your own legal spin on things makes you feel better, then so be it. You can’t be let down by something that never promised you anything in the first place.

If you believe that student journalism owes you anything, or that it should help you in times of crisis, then realise that you’re refusing to face up to the real world. Or, hide your incompetence better next time. I’m sure there are more illegal charities out there to side with, venues to trash, or scandalous initiations to lead.