For anyone who may read The Sunday Post you will have been surprised and somewhat baffled to notice that over the last few months it has made a conscious decision to engage in sustained reporting which appears driven by a desire to intentionally misrepresent The Glasgow School of Art.
For each article the GSA has patiently and politely responded to questions and requests for comment from The Sunday Post timeously, even though the approaches are more often than not deliberately made late on a Friday afternoon and on a Saturday. In all cases we have immediately provided their journalists with factual information including specific links to where the GSA has made information publicly available.
At 3.30pm on Friday 21st February the GSA was approached by The Sunday Post to comment on unredacted Board papers they had obtained. These papers referred to a proposal to consider the appointment of external communications support. Approval was indeed given by the Board to explore this proposal further, with the sensible intention of offering temporary extra support to our excellent communications team whose work load has been hugely increased with the unprecedented events over recent times. However, after initial scoping work with an external company the decision was made to not progress further. The journalist was advised of this.
Possibly disappointed by this rather pedestrian piece of information, the same journalist then contacted the GSA on Saturday 22nd February requesting comment on the appointment of the new Director, providing the name of a short-listed and interviewed candidate. He was advised that at present no appointment has been made.
I’m delighted to say that following a two-day interview process earlier this month, the Board, subject to references, has selected a preferred candidate. However, until all the paperwork has been finalised and due diligence completed no appointment has been made. Only at that time can a formal announcement be made to staff, students and the wider public. We would of course be looking forward to informing you, the staff and students, first of this. A new senior appointment is always an exciting development, hopefully will be a pleasure to announce, and so it’s the people who make up the GSA that should own that information and that moment.
The decision by the Sunday Post to make public a name, in what we can only surmise to be another attempt to undermine the GSA, is to say the least disappointing, but based on their history of vexatious reporting since summer 2019 is not surprising.
We wholly believe we as an important public institution should be always be rigorously challenged and questioned. It’s what responsible and professional journalists should do. Indeed we have been thoroughly investigated by many first-rate journalists, and it makes me very proud as a member of the GSA family that we’ve been able to respond with nothing untoward to hide, and with full and detailed answers to every question, no matter how complex or difficult.
But in return to being challenged it’s not unreasonable to expect to have our responses listened to, the factual information we provide (and have made publicly available) acknowledged, and most importantly the integrity of our staff to be respected.
This is the professional foundation on which our relationships with other media is built. Regrettably, it is an approach which The Sunday Post has decided, for reasons only they can explain, not to follow.
However, I would add that while the conduct of the inexplicably embittered and obsessed author of this campaign is unlikely to ever to achieve Pulitzer prize level for investigative journalism, his colleagues nevertheless do some very impressive work. Plus the paper remains the home and originator of The Broons and Oor Wullie, and therefore should always be held in the highest regard for this alone.
We’ll keep you informed of all developments as we are able to formally announce them, and in the meantime please don’t allow vexatious, disingenuous and unprofessional individuals to dent your morale. It’s because of you that we still have one of the most wonderful, unique and internationally respected art schools in the world.