The Linc has been told it cannot place copies of its latest print edition in venues owned by the Students’ Union.
On Tuesday, Lincoln SU told the student newspaper it had ‘politely declined’ their request, referencing a statement on the footer of The Linc’s website which reads: “We are in no way associated with the University of Lincoln’s Students’ Union.”
In an email, a Students’ Union spokesperson said: “In the interest of keeping in line with the information displayed on the footer of your website, it is felt that the distribution of your publication within SU venues might confuse your message.”
“With that, the Executive Team would like to politely decline your request,” they said.
In response to the news, The Linc’s Editor, Liam O’Dell, said he was ‘disappointed’ by the decision.
“It’s a shame that the Students’ Union has declined our request to distribute copies of The Linc on campus.
“Whilst we have stated on the footer of our website that we are in no way affiliated with the SU, I do not believe that placing copies of the student newspaper in Tower Bar or The Swan would ‘confuse our message’.
“We are completely independent of the University and Students’ Union, so as to hold them to account as any news publication should.
“If, upon distribution in SU venues, we were to be seen as associated with the SU by students, one would hope that articles inside the edition rightly holding them to account would surely eliminate this confusion.”
It comes after the first newspaper of the academic year was distributed around university buildings earlier today.
Copies of the print edition can currently be found in the Minerva Building, MHT Building, Isaac Newton Building, Mary de la Haye Building (formerly the AAD Building) and the University Library. An online version is to be made available shortly.
After contacting Lincoln SU for clarification, a union spokesperson said ‘no further comment’ would be given.
Update: The Linc’s Deputy Editor, Connor Creaghan, has also voiced his ‘disappointment’ with the SU’s stance:
“I am proud of the work that our whole team has put into producing this newspaper, so I am quite disappointed that the SU do not want us to distribute it in their venues.
“We have worked with the Students’ Union to advertise their work – two of the students have columns published in The Linc – so I hoped that they would be happy to have The Linc in their venues,” he said.
Copies of the print edition can currently be found in the Minerva Building, MHT Building, Isaac Newton Building, Mary de la Haye Building (formerly the AAD Building) and the University Library. An online version is to be made available shortly.
Correction: Upon receiving a complaint from the University of Lincoln’s Students’ Union, we have since made corrections to the above piece. We would like to apologise for any inaccuracies.