What the cognoscenti in Suva have known for several days was finally revealed in a statement today from the University of the South Pacific – that the head of the USP’s School of Journalism, Dr Marc Edge, has been unceremoniously dumped. Dr Edge has been the subject of at least one formal inquiry at USP – with evidently more to come – after complaints from some of his students, fellow academics in Fiji and New Zealand and three Pacific governments – Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.
He denied this and threatened to sue both Grubsheet and the Fiji Sun for defamation. Well, now the truth has finally been laid bare. We were right and he was wrong and Dr Edge is gone from the top journalism job, though not from the USP itself. Yet. He’s been demoted from Head of School to Senior Lecturer and his place has been taken by his chief protector at USP, Professor Sudesh Mishra. It was Mishra who defied a request from the USP hierarchy to act against Dr Edge weeks ago, claiming “academic freedom”. But the USP’s patience with Dr Edge finally ran out after further multiple complaints about his erratic and increasingly bizarre behaviour, not least in relation to his own students. The School is said to be irrevocably split between the brainwashed first years who worship Dr Edge and senior students who think he is bordering on the certifiable.
Dr Edge has also waged an increasingly bizarre campaign against Grubsheet for our links to the American company, Qorvis Communications. Grubsheet has made no secret of the fact that it works for Qorvis on its Fiji account. But the mad Dr Edge seems to be gripped by the strange belief that he has been the subject of a “black ops” campaign of denigration when the truth is that Qorvis is totally underwhelmed by events at USP. In any event, whatever disagreements Grubsheet has had with Mad Marc precede our Qorvis association by several months. Oh, well. Some people just love conspiracy theories and Dr Edge evidently more than most. And, of course, let’s not allow the facts to get in the way of a good story.
At the annual USP Journalism Awards on Friday night, invited guests were stunned when Dr Edge publicly mentioned Qorvis several times, opining that the USP should institute the Qorvis Award for Best Propaganda by a journalism student. That particular drama is still being played out behind the scenes as more complaints reach the USP hierarchy from those present. But this imported Canadian know-it-all appears to blame the Fijian Government for his demise at USP when the truth is that it has been entirely self inflicted.
Grubsheet has a thick file of Dr Edge’s lunatic rantings to third parties – plus leaked internal USP correspondence – ready to provide our lawyers when we receive the defamation writ that he has threatened. Our defence, of course, will be truth. Dr Edge is not only thin-skinned and a hypocrite. He is a continuing menace to Pacific journalism through his manipulation of his younger students and the bizarre war he is waging against respected and more senior academics such as Professor David Robie, Shailendra Singh and Dr Crosbie Walsh. He has brought the USP and its journalism school into disrepute and the sooner he departs these shores the better.
To follow is the official announcement:
PRESS STATEMENT
RE: Dr Marc Edge’s position
With reference to the questions raised on the above stated subject, please see below a statement from the University of the South Pacific.
The University of the South Pacific would like to confirm that Dr Marc Edge has been relieved of his administrative responsibilities as Course Coordinator of the Discipline of Journalism at USP effective from 12 November, 2012.
The Head of School of Language, Arts and Media, Professor Sudesh Mishra, will assume the role of the Coordinator of the Discipline of Journalism.
Dr Edge was filing this position temporarily since the departure of the substantive Head of Journalism, Mr Shailendra Singh, who proceeded on study leave.
However, Dr Edge is still an active employee of the University in his capacity as a senior lecturer in the Journalism programme and will be working closely with Professor Mishra in the education and training of journalism students.
The University wishes to thank Dr Edge for his work in training students in the fields of media and journalism.
I think in all fairness, Marc Edge has truly become what most of us fear ourselves; that we’re a hazard to ourselves!
Marc evokes images of a man on a crusade desperate to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders! Sadly, this scenario plays in only one place; HIS HEAD!
AND, I hope that Marc is reading this when I say; GOOD RIDDANCE!
Please do the world a favor and get that head of your checked! and for Christsake please put on a Bula shirt! Watching you strut your stuff around the awards in your suit is condescending to say the least!
Some insider tweets about the circumstances behind the fall of Marc Edge.
He was removed as head pending an investigation into complaints, He is abusive, idiotic, condescending and a runs USP like the dictator he claims to be against and should be out of USP after investigations.
Brainwashed first years students? We might be young but we’re not zombies and we all have minds of our own. We sometimes do not agree with the Professor but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a good lecturer and head of school. You all should try and get to know him before passing judgement. You and your journalisn…pfft! pathetic. Fiji’s media is going down the drain because of articles like these ! You are journalists; do your job and report the news; we don’t want your bloody opinion. We want the facts and both side of the stories. Not some bias crap. Typical Fijian attitude, as soon as something new comes in that threatens the “normal” way we do things, we throw him/her/it out the window which is PATHETIC ! Wake up and smell the roses, Fiji’s current situation is because of lazy, incompetent journalists like yourselves.
Y’all have a blessed day 🙂
@MEDIA FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY
Not only you brainwashed, you are dopey. You swallow hook, line and sinker about marc edge’s international standard. haha what a joke! Marc edge talk about improving grammar but your grammar pathetic. we know because we look at your stories. marc edge make you people just like he is, all talk no action. thats why we call you marc edge clones. you can’t even write a intro properly. you don’t know how to format story. mac edge flatter you, he did nit teach you.
In our first year we were working in fiji newspaper companies and writing story which was published. you first years english is poor and you can’t even write, haha pot calling kettle black.
marc edge talk too much about english but if we apply his standard than 70 per cent student in all of USP will fail, including JN101. marc edge only pick on this to make him look good but he never improve anyhting. he was too busy fighting with everybody, students staff, journalists, thank god he is gone.
you first year students stupid not see see how he divide and rule. he turn studets against each other. but not all first year stupid. many don’t like marc because he is NASTY.
You’re talking about grammar? Just look at your comment, its hopeless. If people like you are editting our stories, then I’m not surprised we have so many errors in the Wansolwara.
At least I won’t boast to have perfect English like you people who boast but can’t write simple story and have zero news sense. marc edge boast about english but he can’t teach english and he can’t teach journalism. you first year students prove that. all you know is how to talk about english standard. Irene Manueli final edits wansolwara but buck stop with marc edge as head of journalism and english language guru who is big talk no results. Screw your fancy english, i would rather be poor english than pathetic marc edge clone like you.
HAHA! thank you 🙂 GOD BLESS YOU my brother !!! I’d say something else but I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I have said what I had to say and you’re just wasting my precious time. Good luck with your future.
why is wansolwara full of errors when daddy marc edge has been promising to the whole world he is here to improve english? Looks like Dr Marc Edge has been sleeping on the job. no wonder he got the kick.
Hahah! god bless you to sistah, clucking around marc edge like mother hen. I hope you one day became independent thinker not easily brainwashed.
@MEDIA FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY, 2:55 PM
You should be the last one talking about grammar. You can’t even get a short sentence right, for example: “Just look at your comment, its hopeless.” It should be “it’s”, not it. This is beyond a joke!
@MEDIA FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY, 2:55 PM
Ha! It’s you who should be the last one talking about grammar. You can’t even get a short sentence right, for example: “Just look at your comment, its hopeless.” It should be “it’s”, not it. This is beyond a joke!
I was just about to call media freedom and democracy aka Marc edge for his terrible english but someone beat me to it lol.
MEDIA FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY @ 2:55 PM:
you have proved my point that you are empty. You look at the substance of my comments, not only the grammar silly! This is why we say marc edge teach you nothing. You can’t see anyhting, only grammar. marc edge has turned you in journalist with brilliant english but no news sense and substance. poor girl I pity you.
hahaha I think i know who this is… lol…@Wansolwara editor lol
sounds so familiar :L
@beyond a joke. bravo ! you have a future in editting 🙂
Even I know who wansolwara editor is .haha
I think we had already determined from the last blog that “media freedom and democracy” is none other then Marc Edge. I already have already received documented evidence from a USP student that Edge uses a fake facebook account to spy on his journalism students on their facebook page then blackmail them. Let’s all hope USP does the right thing and removes this tyrant before he completely destroys USPs reputation.
seriously? haha good to know that I sound like Dr. Edge, I take that as a compliment 🙂
@MEDIA FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY, 7:24 PM.
…and it is editing, not “editting”. The point, which you missed again, is not my future as editor. The point is that before you criticise anyone about grammar, make sure you know your dots and commas, or you make a joke of yourself!
GOOD POINT! Thank you for your comments. But that is still beside the point that I just don’t like people saying that I am “BRAINWASHED”. I have a mind of my own and I stand up for what I believe. Is it a crime to also believe in what the Professor advocates? I think not. I hope you can all understand that I have a right to my own opinion and take a chill pill. Thank you 🙂
You are brainwashed.
Mr Davis, after reading your most illuminating insight I have to ask why is Dr Edge still teaching students at our regional university? The role of a senior lecturer at USP should be to teach students so they have the ability to go out into the real world and get real jobs. It should not be to teach students of the region to go out and oppose their governments. I am not surprised three governments are complaining and USP is concerned,
I am afraid there are several factual errors in this column.
Dr Edge was never the Head, School of Language, Arts and Media. He was the Coordinator for the Discipline of Media and Journalism which falls under the School of Language, Arts and Media, of which I am the Head.
Dr Edge has always been a Senior Lecturer at USP; he remains so.
It is the responsibility of the Head of School to mediate between dissenting views and parties; not to take sides. The university has clear guidelines and procedures regarding complaints. ‘Chief protector,’ therefore, is an incorrect description of my role at USP.
Moreover, there was no “request from the USP hierarchy to act against Dr Edge weeks ago:” hence there was no defiance on my part. Defiance would constitute insubordination and there are clear policies regarding that as well.
We teach our pupils to cite evidence when they make claims, large or small. .
You have got one thing right, though: I believe utterly in academic freedom.
With that, however, comes responsibility (to fact, etc.)–a virtue that appears to be absent from this blog.
You fail to mediate between us and marc edge properly.You just ask us students to apologise to marc edge. you ignored some big problems. Some students went to semi Francis for counselling and they shelter in radio pasifik. because you did not do your job, we went to the usp students association and the deputy vice chancellor. Three of us students also went to get counselling from Elia Vesikula who is the journalism coordinator at the Fiji National university because you can’t do you job properly professor Mishra. You are a poor head of school and you should also be relieved, like marc edge. If you believe in academic freedom, why you people ask student don’t talk to media or write blog.
And who can forget this news story from the Fiji Time.
It’s the best accommodation in town
Verenaisi Raicola
Friday, January 27, 2012
‘Professor Marc Edge the head of Journalism at USP’s School of Language, Arts and Media just moved in a week ago and couldn’t be happier with the locality as well as the standard of the Suva Point Apartments he now calls home’.
So this is example of ‘academic freedom’ under Prof Mishra and Dr Edge. How inspiring and illuminating it must be for students!
It is a shame on USP’s part if journalism students had to seek counseling at Fiji National University. Mark Edge’s actions and Sudesh Mishra’s inaction have done a lot of damage to USP’s image. The facade appears to be slipping. The whole place appears dysfunctional, raising doubts about standards across USP. The actions of two inept staff, marc Edge and Sudesh Mishra, have been revealing in more ways than one. They give the impression that Vice Chancellor Rajesh Chandra is precariously perched on a house of cards of his making. House of cards seems to be collapsing.
Professor Mishra, you are splitting hairs. Whatever his precise title, Marc Edge has been the acknowledged head of USP Journalism and has been universally described as such.
I have key correspondence between you and your superiors in my possession. It proves beyond doubt that you were Dr Edge’s chief protector. So you are being disingenuous to boot.
From my reading, both Mishra and Edge failed to uphold standards, protect students’ interests or inspire them. This appears to have been the case for quite some time. USP, going by its website, is good at rhetoric about student interests, but typically slow to take action. Now that that shit has hit the fan, Mishra and Edge are seeking refuge in ‘academic freedom’. After failing to carry out his responsibilities, Mishra even has the gall to preach about responsibility as virtue that appears to be absent from this blog.
Mishra and Edge – a match made in heaven!
Well I’m confused on Marc Edge’s web page http://www.marcedge.com/ It states:
‘He is currently a Senior Lecturer and Head of Journalism at the University of the South Pacific in Suva’
Dr Edge – down but not out. What will he do now; I wonder. Oh dear me…………..
Maybe he’s weighing his options. Perhaps to lay low and then off to another University. Or to fight back and redeem whatever may have been lost.
Maybe he will fight back – perhaps not too much as not to cause too much ramblings – but just enough to discredit his major opponents and gain some form of redemption – then scoot off to another Uni.
In fighting back he would love to first get at his worst enemy – that perhaps will be Grubby and some senior lecturers at USP.
It seems not all of us were missing Graham’s articles – Edge may be the greatest one eagerly waiting and wondering why it’s taking such a long time.
My view – I think Graham is now ready for any Edge attacks as he too anticipates that now. He has given Edge a hint – but does Edge believe this?
Well folks perhaps Part 2 is coming soon – at a well calculated time. Oh dear!
Or perhaps this is just the end of the Edge story.
Ah………….. an unexpected event!
Mishra coming into the picture.
So what’s the game plan here I wonder…………. to publicly embarrass………….. a three way ‘game’?
Maybe another character coming soon to balance the scale.
Maybe with this tyrant gone we can get somebody who can teach the first years how to write stories, editing their work is is one of the most daunting tasks I can possibly think of, we pretty much have to re-write their whole story and they walk around as if they own the place. Hard times ahead for you first years, good luck getting jobs.
I love your comment., maybe it is best for our first years to be unfettered in their studies and focus entirely on their major priorities which is primarily their journalistic education and not become so involved in bureaucracy and unnecessary finger pointing. After all, this is what they are there for originally.
Sudesh Mishra hopes to have his name on the research and book marc Edge is currently undertaking to further boost his status. This is common knowledge among USP staff. I sometimes wonder if the first years are actually brainwashed, his acts are so open and disgusting and the whole world including his own students and staff can clearly see and disagree, yet Mr Sudesh and the brainwashed first years defend him to the grave. The future of journalism is looking mighty sad if these first years ever get jobs, a scenario I will ensure the Fiji Media know about before they hire them.
Mr. Sudesh mishra is a poor leader. he does not know the abc of administration- students here know that he was kicked out of FNU and there was a police case against him. students know that he is a chief protector of marc edge and will continue to do that. students know that there are several cases of misconduct filed against mishra by his own staff and USP has failed to even institute an investigation! we know that he has direct link to vc and VC is protecting him. the sooner sudesh is removed a better for journalism and the language school and for the uni. marc edge will therefore remain and damage journalism further
Who in USP is handling such cases?
This person or people needs to be identified and they need to speak out or they’ll regret for not doing so as students and lecturers will spill the beans and things getting messier!
In the end it’s the man at the very top who will get the pressure – this is the VC I suppose?
It seems all the measures put in place in keeping this mess within USP walls will not work …………. the pressure is too much ……………… and the man at the top now needs to act quickly .
Only hope he chooses well.
Mishra,
look if you wanna come out and defend yourself thats fine! Just dont sound like a blabbering idiot! Yes your position at the University is clear! Your little affair with Marc only started with your personal views and you and I both know what I’m on about! ……….shall i or shall I not? hmmmmmm 🙂
Dish the dirt Marcy!
good decison by USP to remove marc edge as head of department of journalism. but we are now moved from frying pan to fire with mishra taking over. we students know that mishra is even more confused then marc edge about pacific journalism. mishra recently organised a conference at usp probably funded by usp. not a single pacific topic and person of any worth from the pacific was speaking- what we see all the time is him and his wife margaret mishra- who teaches governance, presenting and reading poems together. mishra will defend marc edge because both he and marc does not believe in anything pacific?? neocolonialists !!!!!!!!!
Perhaps USP is no longer the best Uni for our future journalist. FNU should be a better option – if this is the case.
Mishra afraid to speak now? Why no comment from Edge so far? USP Disciplinary Committee functioning well – what decision did they come up with on this case?
Why no comments from VC? News black out???
If no further comments do come from Mishra, Edge, Disciplinary Committ, VC or Council then something really fishy is happening there at USP.
To some it can mean that they know dirty stuffs about each other and no one ready to shake the balance.
Perhaps insiders and students have more news on these.
Graham should dig deeper into mishra and marc edge- mishra should be further exposed for mismanaging the journalism programme and his blind support to edge. mishra seems to have some ‘higher protection’ that is why he has survived all his misconduct complaints. we know that Mohit Prasad who is a better lecturer and who should be a professor is not with good terms with him- actually mohit is better for students- he should be the head-
Graham
Who are you to take it upon yourself to tell the regime what to do with this Mark Edge chap – it seems you and Crosbie Walsh are using your new found powers with the regime to help hire and fire people you dont like – I wont be surprised to see you heading the Journalism school – you regime sucker?
Oh God nooooooooooooooooo. Sudesh Mishra and Marc Edge are just fine. We need no “Graham” here.
Anyway, everyone, go get a life ! There is something known as “outside” too you know. Sitting day and night stuck to this !! Oelei !! sccrolling down the comments and I’m like wow… don’t these pipz have better things to do !! Like dude ! There are better causes to use your energy. Sitting and commenting isn’t gonna help unless and until someone stands up and actually DO something about it !!
God bless Fiji.
Looking at the record of this Marc Edge fellow during his time in Fiji, neither Graham Davies nor Crosbie Walsh need to lift a finger. Marc Edge seems to be apt at self-destruction.
When Marc came in, Professor Mishra made him appear so magnanimous in the sense that marc was doing the Pacific a favour by coming to teach in the Pacific. In this same vein, he made no qualms about his support for Marc even thought his actions at the USP are highly in doubt. This will have a major impact on the studies of the students currently enrolled at the university. The university needs to stand clear especially in the light of a tuition fee increase or they will loose out on students who aspire to be journalists to other universities.
I would like to plead with people not to judge all first years because of the actions of some. I along with quite a few of my first year friends disagree with the path Edge has taken but will not say anything for fear of victimization. Please don’t use the term first years instead use something like Edges students (which is what he tells the world the first years are and he also says he can’t wait to be rid of the second and third years in the class).
Neisau Tuidraki Saturday at 22:35 near Suva City:
I LOVE IT!
To the journalism student who took our conversations and posted it, it’s bordering on stalking. I see my tweets made it on the grubsheet!
Really that’s the best you got.
I’ve been in the media since before your ‘ucu luka’ days and I’m gonna be here for a helluva long time. Keep the lime light on me and keep commenting on me…..I LOVE IT!
‘I GOT THIS’! The only reason you’re posting on Grubsheet is because you have no balls if not we’d be doing this head on!
FYI I am doing the Edge story, I was just being courteous and letting the senior students have first dibs.
Well we can expect a nice Biased story about Marc Edge in the wansolwara, the former student newspaper which is now just public relations for the tyrannical Marc Edge. A dictator with his own media outlet to help his PR, sad day for USP journalism.