The Montreal campus' revelations that UQAM journalism professor Patrick White signed sponsored articles on his blog, some of which referred to online casino and escort sites, had the effect of a bombshell in Quebec's journalistic environment. Students now believe the university should review its recruitment protocols and ethics teaching.
“Patrick White has been running this blog for almost twenty years. How come we didn’t recognize these practices sooner? There is a mea culpa,” says Jean-Hugues Roy, professor of journalism at UQAM. Mr. Roy will replace Mr. White as head of the journalism program while he is placed on unpaid leave for 2024.
The man, who had been teaching journalism at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM) since 2019, was still considered a leading figure in the media world. As a former journalist and executive at La Presse canadienne, the Portal agency and the Journal de Québec and founder of HuffPost Québec, he regularly commented on current events in several forums.
There is definitely unrest among the students [quant à l’idée que M. White continue à enseigner]
However, on Thursday, UQAM student newspaper The Montreal Campus revealed that Mr. White had signed at least 113 sponsored articles on his website patwhite.com – a practice that violates the regulations of the Quebec Professional Association of Journalists (FPJQ). About sixty of these articles led to online gaming sites. A Ukrainian escort dating site and a homework plagiarism site were also referenced on other sites.
“Conflict of Interest”
Although these texts were identified as “branded content”, i.e. sponsored advertising content in the form of articles, some of them were accompanied by a photo of Mr. White or signed directly with his name, making them similar to journalistic texts.
On Monday, the Quebec Professional Association of Journalists (FPJQ) suspended Patrick White's associate membership card. She will decide on the revocation in January. The Press Gallery of the National Assembly, which counted him among its honorary members, will in turn decide on his status at the next meeting of its board, confirmed its president Olivier Bossé.
“The facts that have come to light are quite disturbing,” says Éric-Pierre Champagne, president of the FPJQ. Not only has Mr. White signed advertising copy, which puts him in a conflict of interest, but he is also training the journalists of tomorrow. […] We will wait for the explanations he will give before making a final decision. »
On Friday morning, Mr White wrote on his Facebook page that he admitted he “made a mistake in accepting sponsored links on the site”. “I should never have had my name and image associated with it. […] I regret it today, I take full responsibility for it and the site is now permanently closed. »
“Discomfort” at UQAM
Gabrielle Fallu, a journalism student at UQAM, co-signed the Montreal Campus article that highlighted the professor's practices. She received dozens of responses from dismayed readers. “There is definitely unease among the students,” she said of the idea of Mr. White continuing to teach.
He will have to make a decision about his professional future during his time off. Jean-Hugues Roy declined to comment on the matter. However, he acknowledges that “the practices uncovered contradict the codes of ethics taught to students.”
William Gemme, a journalism student at UQAM and communications manager for his student union, said the news came as a “shockwave”. Whether Patrick White stays in office or not, “there is a loss of confidence in him.” When he returns, “he has to speak openly with the students and restore his credibility.” »
The student, on behalf of his association, is calling on the university to review its hiring protocols and ethics teaching to “ensure that professors are as competent as possible.” “We already have a course on ethics, but we could perhaps go deeper [la question des contenus publicitaires] and study it with concrete examples like this one. »
Jean-Hugues Roy claims that the university “probably” needs to review its hiring practices in light of these events. “When he was hired, I was in charge of the program. We carried out certain checks but also trusted him. »
Jenny Desrochers, head of the press department at UQAM, states that “a recruitment committee formed by the department or school is specifically tasked with carrying out an in-depth assessment of applications.” “An internal investigation is underway” and “in response to this situation “Concrete measures have been taken,” she adds, without specifying which ones.