the news now
This is a new development in a story we have covered before · earlier coverage

Cambridge Chancellor Condemns 'Racist Feeding Frenzy' Following Death of Professor Jason Arday

evening · · thread: Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Faces Plagiarism and Biography Allegations

8 sources across 6 countries · 1 of them is linked to a state

Who reported this

  • The Guardian United Kingdom · Centre-left · Scott Trust Limited
  • The Independent United Kingdom · Centre-left · Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel and Evgeny Lebedev
  • BBC News United Kingdom · Centre · Public · Licence fee, royal charter
  • Der Spiegel Germany · Centre-left · ~50% staff-owned
  • ANSA Italy · Centre · Publisher cooperative
  • Dawn Pakistan · Centre-left · Pakistan Herald Publications (Haroon family)
  • Al Jazeera Qatar · Centre-left · State-affiliated · Qatari government funded
  • El Pais Spain · Centre-left · Grupo PRISA

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.

Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.

Professor Jason Arday, the youngest Black professor in the history of Cambridge University, was found dead in his London home on Friday. His death followed his resignation on August 5 from his post as professor of sociology of education amid widespread media reports regarding allegations of plagiarism in his doctoral thesis and other academic work. Lord Chris Smith, the chancellor of Cambridge University, has since criticized a racist feeding frenzy targeting Arday. Smith stated that while academic integrity must be rigorously investigated for any academic, it is also necessary to refuse to join in such a frenzy.

Prior to his death, Arday had denied the plagiarism claims. Liverpool John Moores University, which awarded him his PhD in 2015, had previously concluded that he did not plagiarize. However, Cambridge University had announced an independent investigation into the circumstances of his appointment and tenure. The university has indicated it will not decide whether to proceed with this investigation while the family is grieving.

Public reaction has been significant, with a fundraiser for Arday's family raising over 160,000 pounds. A petition calling for a public inquiry into the media coverage has gathered more than 80,000 signatures. Prime Minister Andy Burnham described the death as a tragedy on many levels and called for a moment of reflection. Downing Street has declined to confirm if an inquiry is being considered, stating that usual processes, such as an inquest, should conclude first.

Perspectives on the event vary by political lean. Center-left outlets frame the event as a targeted campaign of harassment and a symptom of systemic racism or a culture war. Center outlets focus more on the sequence of events, including the plagiarism allegations and the university's administrative response. One center-left source explicitly described the death as institutional murder, arguing that the academic was used as a target to attack diversity and inclusion initiatives.

How each side framed it

Centre-left
These outlets framed the event as a racist witch hunt and a failure of press ethics that led to a preventable tragedy.
Centre
These outlets focused on the factual timeline of the plagiarism allegations, the university's investigation, and the subsequent official reactions.

Sources

100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.