This week, pro-choicers have been celebrating 40 years of abortion rights in the UK.  But, while the abortion debate rages in the mainstream press, the editor of the University of Sheffield’s student society newspaper, The Steel Press, wants nothing to do with it.  Last week, I approached the newspaper’s feature editor and outlined my idea for a fair but essentially pro-choice feature on the abortion debate, including coverage of the Women’s Committee’s latest campaign on the issue.  It met with his full support  and I went ahead and wrote the article, which he then formatted for publishing. 

 I was informed yesterday that the Editor had decided not to publish it.  Speaking to her today, she claimed that she needed to make room for advertising and my feature was the one that had to go.  I would like to think this was because she had instead decided to print a number of features on articles more topical than the abortion debate, more relevant to students than the right to abortion (female students falling into the demographic most likely to have one) and of better journalistic quality than my own.   I have a hunch, however, that it had more to do with her personal views on the subject.  

I reproduce my article here not through arrogance or a desire for self promotion (honest!) but because I think the pro-choice view needs to be heard.