Brett Fairbairn, president of Thompson Rivers University

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Thompson Rivers University

On the same day Thompson Rivers University released a previously redacted report in the name of transparency, the school's president introduced a new policy that will keep some information out of the public eye.

The policy will serve to keep details about upcoming meetings away from the public until three hours before the meeting starts.

TRU president Brett Fairbairn introduced the new policy on March 25.

The details were previously available a week in advance on the university's website, but Fairbairn said news coverage in advance of the meetings was "disrespectful" to decision makers, according to audio of the meeting provided by Castanet.

While the March 25 meeting was live streamed, recordings are not made available online.

On the same day, TRU also made available a workplace investigation that probed accusations about two executives. It was released in an effort to stifle suspicions and rumours about the investigation.

"It is clear that TRU’s prior release of the extensively redacted report was insufficient to answer suspicions created by the allegations or to generate the trust in governance processes required to operate a public institution effectively in the public interest," a news release read.

More than a year ago, the university held a news conference and released a version of the 537-page report. Around 400 pages were completely redacted.

The editor-in-chief for TRU's student newspaper The Omega, Robert McAlaster, said the new policy presents "bad optics" for the university.

"Well, obviously it flies against everything that we've been taught as journalism students," he said. "I mean transparency is kind of the foundation of everything we do, so this sort of change is concerning for us."

While the move is a "bad look" for the university in terms of its transparency, McAlaster said the effect on his newsroom is that it's more difficult to plan ahead. Student reporters have to pitch stories in advance, plan what stories they'll pursue and make deadlines, all while balancing their schooling.

"It doesn't help us as journalists and it doesn't help the university either," he said.

While briefing the university senate on the new policy, Fairbairn said there has been a "pattern" of news stories published before the meeting based on details in documents published to the university website.

It's a common practice when reporting on publicly-funded institutions like the university or a local government.

“I’m concerned that this change will create declining perceptions about the openness and transparency of TRU business,” senator Juliana West said.

Fairbairn said she could share information with people who she believes to be necessary, but went on to express disappointment over news coverage at the university because it's "not the audience" he's writing for. 

As the president, he includes a written update for senators in the meetings, detailing the latest briefings on university business. 

"Senators, people who attend senate meetings, should hear information on the most important issues facing TRU, and I've drafted written reports with that goal in mind. I would say I appear to have succeeded too well because the media have discovered those written reports as a convenient way to obtain quotable information about what's going on at TRU. That isn't the audience that I'm writing them for," Fairbairn said.

"If I were looking to write a media release, I would write a media release."

The documents published a week before senate and board meetings will only give brief summaries of the agenda. Senators and board members will get the full details at that time, but the public, including news media, will have to wait until three hours before the meeting.

"Like all procedures of the senate, we can monitor this as we go, and if senators wish to request any changes that's always possible," Fairbairn said.

Despite the new policy, the university said it "remains committed to transparency and engaging with our community," according to a statement provided by Robert Koopmans from the TRU communications department.

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