Delta was awarded two prizes for journalism

The awards were for the investigative article by Editor in Chief Saskia Bonger entitled ‘How duty of silence led to fear among I&IC staff and breach of trust with rector’ and the interview by science editor Kim Bakker entitled ‘Daphne Stam’s resignation: “I was primarily seen as a female academic”’.

Delta published the first article on 15 April only to remove it later that day under protest after the Legal Services department threatened the Editor in Chief with personal liability for any damages that TU Delft incurred as a result of the article. The article is still not online, but the Editorial Office is working on publishing it again as soon as possible.

‘Clear winner’

The jury in the Background category found the article about I&IC ‘a clear winner’. Joep Dohmen (NRC newspaper), Coen van de Ven (De Groene Amsterdammer magazine), and Anne van Kessel (freelance science journalist) selected the article for the ‘pertinent way’ in which it showed ‘how important it is to have an independent media outlet at a university community that acts as a watchdog’. ‘In this case, the watchdog was muzzled by the Executive Board, which generated a lot of outraged reactions in the country.’

‘The jury hopes that this award will support the autonomy of higher education press’

This was not the whole reason for the jury to select this story, they write, ‘but it does emphasise the urgency of the story’. ‘The jury hopes that this award will support the autonomy of the press at universities and universities of applied sciences. It is an excellent article that is well documented and carefully written. It is long, but it engages the reader right to the very end.’

‘Exemplary interview’

In the Interview category, another jury passed judgement. Jannetje Koelewijn (NRC), Nathalie Huigsloot (Volkskrant and other newspapers) and Sara Berkeljon (Volkskrant) say that the interview with Daphne Stam is ‘a disconcerting story’ and ‘an exemplary interview’, a press release from the Kring van Hoofdredacteuren (circle of editors in chief) quotes.

In the article, planetary scientist Stam talks about how paternalism and skewed power relationships were reasons for her to leave the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering. “You see it constantly in small things,” she said. “The mansplaining on subjects in which I actually got my doctoral degree or being sent vacancies that are completely unsuitable for me with the comment that ‘it is open for women’  … the assumption that grants are easier for me to get because I am a woman, and hearing that you are ‘piggy backing’ on a major proposal while you were one of the initiators. Having to defend your work because they listen to a man who clearly has no understanding of the subject. Hearing that you are aggressive because you are sitting with crossed arms.”

‘Hot bath’

Editor in Chief Saskia Bonger is happy with both prizes. “We have had an incredible amount of support over the last few months. And now there is appreciation from journalists who I respect enormously. It feels like a welcoming hot bath and gives us even more energy to continue our work.”

Bonger supports the jury’s words by saying: ‘Higher education media have an important task. They provide students and staff members with independent information about what is going on at their institution. They can only fulfil this task if their independence is not obstructed.’