Open letter to the Sheaf Board of Directors
Editorial independence is crucial to journalism. This tenet was violated by the board of The Sheaf last week.
As former Sheaf editorial staff and contributors, we were dismayed to see a letter issued by the paper’s board of directors on June 11 stating that they had decided to remove a story from The Sheaf’s website. The article — which can be read in archived form here — is a photo story that shares the experiences of one Palestinian family who now live in Saskatoon, as well as providing historical context regarding the occupation of Palestine alongside photos of the occupation, of the family, and of people demonstrating in solidarity with Palestinians. The board claims to have taken down the article because it “did not meet the journalistic standards set out in The Sheaf’s mandate,” but the letter does not explain how the article falls short of these standards.
Removing published content is itself out of line with standard journalistic practice in all but the most extreme cases of libel or fabrication. There are other steps publications might take if an article has engendered a strong reaction, such as soliciting opposing viewpoints or appending an editor’s note. None of these steps were taken in this case. Furthermore, in the extreme case in which the decision to remove or disavow a story is made, it should be made by the editorial staff of that publication. Any decision regarding the publication or removal of an article lies with the editorial staff of The Sheaf alone. The board of directors is a separate body, primarily responsible for financial decisions, and should have no role in the paper’s editorial decisions.
Even more troubling is that the board’s letter does not make clear why they felt the article needed to be removed. There is no mention of any specific legal or factual issues with the article’s content. Readers of the board’s letter are left to wonder why, exactly, this photo essay needed to be scrubbed from the paper’s website. If this was a response to outside pressure, it sends a dangerous signal that critical voices can be censored at The Sheaf, and undermines the students who contribute to the campus paper.
Editorial independence is one of the fundamental pillars of the profession, and it is one of its most essential privileges. The Sheaf is one of Canada’s oldest student newspapers, and has served as a training ground for journalists who have gone on to distinguished careers across the country. Censoring the staff of The Sheaf is a deeply troubling action from a board populated with working journalists. The board’s principal task should be guiding and supporting the work of these emerging professionals and this decision damages the staff’s editorial control, their perception of the role of journalism and the integrity of the paper.
We stand in solidarity with The Sheaf editorial staff and are opposed to this censorship from the paper’s board. Journalism exists to gather evidence and share the truth with the public. Sometimes this involves saying things that make people uneasy; indeed, “afflicting the comfortable” is a principle that we learned to value during our time at The Sheaf. This is all the more reason for editorial independence free of oversight or interference.
We request the minutes of the Board meeting in which this decision was reached be made public. We demand that the article be replaced on The Sheaf’s website. We further call for the resignation of the remaining board members.
Signed,
Greg Reese
Tannara Yelland (2009–2013)
Ishmael N. Daro (2008–2012)
Matthew Stefanson (2008–2012)
Zach Tennent (2015–2017)
Erin Matthews (2018–2021)
Victoria Martinez (2009–2013)
Ammara Syeda (2018-present)
Aqsa Hussain (2018–2021)
Jordan Hartshorn (2007–2009)
Keith Folkersen
Tomilola Ojo (2020–2021)
Raisa Pezderic
Wardah Anwar (2018–2021)
Fiza Baloch (2019–2021)
Dorian Geiger (2009–2011)
Pete Yee (2010–2014)
Nykole King (2017–2020)
Kienan Ashton
J.C. Balicanta Narag (2017–2021)
Ana Cristina Camacho (2018–2021)
Holly Culp (2009–2012)
Rory MacLean
Tomas Borsa (2010–2012)
Cole Chretien (2018–2019)
Heywood Yu
Michelle Berg
Kimberley Hartwig (2013–2014)
Emily Klatt (2015–2018)
Tanner Bayne (2017–2019)
Hannah Tran (2021-present)
Emily Migchels (2017–2018)
Wendy Gillis
Will Robbins (2003–2006)
Kevin Hovdestad (2006–2011)
Kristine Jones A. del Socorro
Kyra Mazer (2014–2018)
Andrew Spearin (2004–2007)
Matthew Chilliak (2013–2014)
Julia Wagner (2014–2016)
Andy Roebuck
Sandra LeBlanc (2021-present)
Katherine Fedoroff (2013–2018)
Michael Cuthbertson
Leif Jensen (2011–2013)
Anh Phan (2017–2020)
Aren Bergstrom
Robby Davis (2008–2010)
Aleshba Naseer (2021-current)
Phil Greer (1993–1997)
Beth Zentner (2020–current)
Brad Proudlove (2001–2005)
Bryn Becker (2011–2013)
Jess Klaassen-Wright (2016–2018)
Keighlagh Donovan (2015–2016)
Former Sheaf contributors who are interested in signing this letter can email sheafopenletter@gmail.com to do so.