Online casinos, escort sites, homework cheating sites: this type of content was hidden on the blog of Patrick White, the director of Bachelor's degree in journalism at UQAM. In exchange for money, Mr. White published articles on his website with hyperlinks leading to these pages patwhite.com.
Mr White will not return as head of the Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) in 2024.
It was Jean-Hugues Roy, professor of journalism at UQAM, who led the investigation. According to his research, 113 publications with sponsored content were posted online on patwhite.com, around sixty of which led to virtual casino sites. The content of some of them was misleading. The Montreal Campus has verified and confirmed this information.
“ I saved everything. It's so unbelievable that I thought no one would believe me. »
– Jean-Hugues Roy, Professor of Journalism at UQAM
For example, an article about Berlin fitness studios that is linked directly to a Ukrainian escort site. Another text intended to help students at the end of the session actually asked them to have their homework done for a fee. In light of these discoveries, Mr. Roy contacted his colleague and questioned him about the ethics of these practices.
Credibility at risk
“I told him that my trust in him had been seriously shaken and asked him if he could still be the program director, to which he replied that I was right and that he was leaving his position. For him the problem was solved,” reports Jean-Hugues Roy.
Mr White has since deleted those articles but believes he has remained within the ethical boundaries of journalism. According to him, his blog was never an information site. “The content has been clearly identified as such for readers,” he told Montreal Campus via email.
According to Jean-Hugues Roy, although the patwhite.com website is a cultural space, certain content looks like informational articles and is not branded content. The professor gives the example of an article that focused on a film by Philippe Falardeau. “If you want to find out more, clicking on the hyperlink will take you to an online casino website. It's misleading! »
Patrick White responds
In recent weeks, Patrick White requested, and was granted, unpaid leave for 2024 for “personal, family and professional reasons.” Mr White says he is proud of his four years leading the Bachelor of Journalism program at UQAM and particularly highlights the establishment of the Journalism Immersion Summer School in the Indigenous community.
“ I understand that some journalists may disapprove of this practice, and I respect their point of view. I think it is important to have a debate about these issues. »
– Patrick White, journalism program manager
The reaction among journalism lecturers would have been unanimous. “Journalistic credibility is our livelihood, so it is certain that the news that the person responsible himself violated these rules shocked and disappointed us, even shocked us,” confessed a lecturer who wished to remain anonymous.
Patrick White's associate membership card with the Quebec Professional Federation of Journalists (FPJQ) was suspended on Monday. The new president of the FPJQ, Éric-Pierre Champagne, was informed about the file concerning Patrick White on December 8th at around 5 p.m. As of 7 p.m., the president called on board members to meet to discuss the situation. “We will reassess the file in 2024,” Mr. Champagne said. Membership card cancellations only happen once or twice a year, the president said.
A few hours before this article was published, the website patwhite.com was still accessible. Since then, a user code and password have been required to access the blog.
*Montréal Campus member Naomie Duckett Zamor sits on the FPJQ board.
Photo credit: Chloé Rondeau