Massey Academics express concern over new media policy

Massey University has recently circulated new PR policies that cover how academics should engage with the media and social platforms.

Concerns over the new policy had been expressed by Massey scientists in Albany in the NZ Herald, who claimed they were being gagged from publicly criticising their university and that there was a “lack of consultation”.

This was due to the timing of the policy’s release coming after the university proposed to stop offering a science degree from its Albany campus, a restructure that could result in around 50 science jobs lost from Auckland and hundreds of students forced to relocate.

Specifically, excerpts from the policy such as, ‘All media enquiries to staff other than those inviting academic staff to comment on their area of expertise must be referred in the first instance to the University's communications team,’ were cause for some concern for Massey academics.

An unnamed Massey staff member in the Herald article said, “"Many staff have contacted the union and they are planning on fighting this."

Programme Leader for Journalism at Massey James Hollings said that prior controversial comments in the media by a staff member could have been one factor among other things prompting the sudden policy changes.

“While I disagree with his views, I think it’s dangerous to shut down voices we may not agree with, unless they are advocating hate or violence, which he clearly was not.”

“Massey’s media policy is authoritarian and wrong. It claims to wish to promote free speech, but tells staff they must ‘seek permission’ before talking about anything other than their own research area, and then they can only do that in what is called an ‘evidence-based’ way.”

Hollings says this phrasing only raises further questions for staff.

“One of our own Senior Leadership Team, which signed off on this policy last week, recently wrote an opinion piece published in the Guardian critiquing the Green Party’s green school’s bungle… However, she was listed in the article as an expert in communication design, not politics or political science, and the article did not seem to contain any ‘evidence’. Did it breach the new policy?”

A Massey spokesperson has claimed that they were, “the only New Zealand university without formally prescribed guidance to support staff in this area”.

However, Hollings disputes this claim.

“To my knowledge, Victoria University has no similar policy and many of its staff regularly and vigorously critique university policies in public without sanction, its recent name-change, and restructuring proposals among them.”

“Some simple guidelines on avoiding abusive language, personal attacks and hate speech would have been appropriate – this policy goes too far and should be rethought.”

Another staff member who wished to remain unnamed said that the policy had come about suddenly and had led to some confusion for the staff.

Several other Massey staff were approached for this story but were unwilling to publicly comment on the policy or be named.

‍According to a Massey spokesperson, “These policies affirm academic freedom and do not in any way aim to interfere with or undermine the role of academic staff in exercising their ‘critic and conscience’ role.

“The policies were developed by the university’s communications team and as with any other document providing guidance around the use of media channels has gone through our usual decision-making processes.”

The Massey spokesperson claimed that the communications team has received no requests for clarification on the policy.

Disclaimer: Dr Hollings is a member of the Massive editorial board. However, he did not contribute to writing or editing this article.