iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Another, small but important, example of how politics and media really works in the UK 👇

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

"When those like Professor Arday pass, people aren't just mourning an individual – they mourn everything else he represented. He built his career around challenging inequalities of race, class, belonging... Many relate to that: that their very existence can be an act of resistance" Aker Okoye-Downie

17818

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

"There is a legitimate role for scrutiny in journalism and academia, but scrutiny should never mean the abandonment of proportionality or humanity. Professor Arday's death forces an uncomfortable reckoning with what happens when the subject of a story ceases to be treated as a person" Richard Sudan

37916

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

"Cambridge must recognise attacks on one minority ethnic leader could have implications for others. We have seen questions subsequently raised about the leadership of Lord Simon Woolley. That raises a much broader question about what happens when minority ethnic staff are targeted" Aker Downie-Okoye

15412

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Among the concerns raised about the advice Jason Arday received from Cambridge in the weeks before his death is that he spoke to the Daily Mail, which surprised those who knew him. It is understood he did this on advice from the University. This period will be examined in Nazir Afzal's inquiry.

15614

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

"The trust has been severed, particularly for black and minoritised students of colour, because they are thinking now: this could be me, and I could be unprotected. In future, they need to know they will be safeguarded – that Cambridge genuinely cares about their wellbeing and safety" Sarah Misraoui

25313

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

"It is vital the rise of the far-right that has infiltrated certain establishments – Cambridge possibly being one of them – is looked into. The task ahead for Cambridge & society is huge. Cambridge holds the future of many influential minds. Who influences those minds is fundamental" Dawn Butler MP

16519

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

"The contrast with the comparatively limited attention to controversies involving James Orr is profound. Accountability cannot function credibly if its intensity appears to selectively change according to who is being held accountable. Accountability itself becomes a racialised weapon" Richard Sudan

16219

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

"This moment is bigger than one individual or even one institution... academia is increasingly at the centre of conflicts around inclusion, justice, who gets to shape ideas. There is an important question for the University about who gets to decide who belongs in this institution" Aker Downie-Okoye

14910

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

The story of Jason Arday is the story of James Orr. Of the ideology which has found a foothold in Cambridge University, fostering the sorts of ideas that formed the undercurrents – sometimes explicit; sometimes unconscious – against Arday. I returned to my alma mater for an in-depth exploration 👇

bylinetimes.com

The Two Professors and a ‘War On Ideas’

The different stories of the Cambridge academics Jason Arday and James Orr reveal the wider cultural and ideological forces around hierarchies and structural power – and who gets to belong in our inst...

11397173

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Thanks for your support Jackie. It all makes a difference.

010

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

In recent weeks, many people have got in touch with me & my colleagues at Byline Times to show their appreciation of the work we've been doing (in some cases for years) on what happened to Jason Arday & the deeper currents revealed by the story of James Orr. Journalism funded by you. Join us here:

subscribe.bylinetimes.com

Come Join Our Quest for Truth – Byline Times

subscription-funded investigations Byline Times’ exposé of the PPE scandal → Within weeks of the Coronavirus lockdown in 2020, we were reporting on what ended up being billions of non-compete contract...

315239

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

A new era for Byline Times goes to press! @peterjukes.bsky.social & I are proud to have worked on a print redesign with our new art director Sonny Dhamu. With your support, we continue to grow. This issue marks a story no one else can/will. Two Cambridge professors. Two very different narratives...

13494182

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

That's a lovely way to put it, Liz.

020

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Bonnie Greer was never anybody but herself. So unique. So indomitable. So unaffected by the crowd. A lover of complexities and no easy answers. We were emailing in recent weeks about Jason Arday – she had much to say which she wasn't able to in the end. A mentor who lifted us up. We will miss you.

220933

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

This important piece by my colleague @nafeez.bsky.social aims to shed light not heat around the death of Jason Arday – which Byline Times will continue to report on, with complexity, nuance, and evidence. Like any other profession, the established press should be willing to ask questions of itself.

bylinetimes.com

Jason Arday: The Story Behind the Story of The Times’ ‘Impossible Data’

The newspaper of record failed to distinguish between corrections and retractions in the work of the late Cambridge University academic, fuelling the media firestorm that engulfed him

28126

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

As a Cambridge alum, I too found it sad Kate.

010

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

A criminal investigation is underway by Met Police into allegations Reform broke the law in relation to foreign funding, following a C4 broadcast involving James Orr. James Orr is Associate Professor of Philosophy of Religion at the Faculty of Divinity. Any media interest in hundreds of articles?

12436101

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

After James Orr was filmed by undercover reporters, Cambridge University has told the Guardian that it "is looking into these matters". What about the other extensive concerns raised about Orr, Associate Professor of Philosophy of Religion at the Faculty of Divinity at Cambridge, by Byline Times?

theguardian.com

Cambridge University examines conduct of academic suspended by Reform UK

James Orr, an associate professor, was shown in Channel 4 News footage apparently trying to sidestep electoral law

826883

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

A second part will be a broader review of institutional processes and practice. Cambridge University has said it will appoint an "independent external chair to lead this work and will establish an expert panel, including individuals with lived experience, to advise". Reporting within 6 months.

24212

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice: "We worked very hard to support Professor Arday during an appalling period of external criticism and focus but given the devastating outcome, we are all asking ourselves whether we could have & should have done more. This review will answer that question"

13413

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Former Chief Prosecutor for North-West England @nazirafzal.bsky.social will lead part of an independent review following the death of Jason Arday, Cambridge University has announced. He will examine the support available to Jason Arday during the period prior to his death. Reporting within 3 months:

cam.ac.uk

University of Cambridge launches independent review following the death of Professor Jason Arday

The University of Cambridge is launching an independent review following the death of Professor Jason Arday. It will examine the University’s decision-making, policies and organisational processes, wi...

313156

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

The FT did not credit any of Byline Times' work, which was published beforehand, in that article.

180

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Cambridge's only response (which it said we couldn't publish) to our James Orr investigation: "Byline Times has sent a slew of unsubstantiated allegations, wilful mischaracterisations & falsehoods, which we strongly reject... we are unable to engage with the approach as a legitimate media enquiry"

19340110

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Now James Orr has stepped down as Reform UK's Head of Policy after C4's report, questions remain for Cambridge – where he is Associate Professor. Byline Times revealed serious concerns about his activities there months ago. We all know there won't now be 200+ articles on him and his life don't we?

551914736

Reposted by Hardeep Matharu

Sally @sallyapiacere.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

An even more interesting question for @cam.ac.uk following #c4news expose of Reform, and James Orr's special role in it.

16024

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

"If people aren't struggling to pay their energy bills, they can lift their heads up. I always say: the problem is, when you're struggling, you can never lift your head up to look. It's only when you’re not struggling that your head can begin to lift, and you begin to notice the beauty" Asad Rehman

0449

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

"The biggest change between then and now... it always felt like there were real moments and bonds of solidarity. Much more of a sense of possibility. Places of community were being built & you never felt alone; it was a collective experience, not one you were dealing with in isolation" Asad Rehman

1214

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

"[The establishment] was very fearful of this 'lair' of radical black organising. So where we were fighting for an anti-racist society, they started talking about 'multiculturalism'... But, for us, the most important thing that mattered was the state's ability to use violence against us" Asad Rehman

1112

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

"For the first time, we've got them not just on the streets, not just in Parliament, but controlling the public square – in a way the far-right has never been able to do... It's like the 1930s, where you've got a large part of the establishment willing to go along with far-right ideas" Asad Rehman

1152

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

"What the left has failed to do is understand how much place matters to people in their identity. For many whose lives are in a 40-minute radius of where they were born, that's their world: the lens through which they look at absolutely everything. Far-right can talk to them about place" Asad Rehman

1173

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

"We're given a sense of having no agency, that nothing changes, nobody gives a shit, which has been deliberately engineered. I think this actually is a profound moment of hope & justice: we can fix the problems. The answers to the climate crisis are the answers to the inequality crisis" Asad Rehman

1184

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

"We're the villains in the right's story. To some extent, the climate movement is tone deaf if it talks about carbon & doesn't talk about the fact people can't afford energy, to buy a home or pay rent, when they're talking about 'warm homes' – it just doesn't connect to where people are" Asad Rehman

1184

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

"They're talking about it with a polar bear on an iceberg... a fucking plastic straw? It just made no sense at all. Here's this picture of catastrophe & you've totally depoliticised it" I sat down with Friends of the Earth's Asad Rehman to explore why fighting climate crisis = fighting inequality 👇

bylinetimes.com

‘A Polar Bear on an Iceberg? Here’s This Picture of Catastrophe and You’ve Totally Depoliticised It’

The climate crisis can’t be solved without a commitment to fighting injustice at the same time – Asad Rehman, chief executive of Friends of the Earth, sat down with Byline Times' Editor in Chief to ex...

35223

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Since its founding 7 years ago, Byline Times has paved the way for fearless, independent, investigative journalism – that is truly outside the system. We couldn't do it without our subscribers. To support our mission, join us: subscribe.bylinetimes.com Or buy a copy of the print edition in shops 👇

subscribe.bylinetimes.com

Come Join Our Quest for Truth – Byline Times

213253

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

With unprecedent El Niño announced, the fossil fuel age is burning itself alive. And yet... The new edition of Byline Times has gone to press, exploring the ultimate existential crisis of our times We also examine the story dominating our media in recent weeks instead of this crisis: Jason Arday 👇

314161

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

This deeper, structural, reality about the media-political-societal culture journalism operates in – the lens journalists/editors choose to adopt on how a story is reported – is what I would have raised on today's BBC Media Show. But I was dropped at the last minute due to over-booking, I was told.

69224

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Jason Arday's death will/has quickly become about 'the media shouldn't be censored' & 'journalists shouldn't be condemned'. The discussion that should be had is why journalism can't calmy reflect & scrutinise itself. It's about the culture. The water we swim in. The knee-jerk response confirms this.

1234089

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

"We must rage against its cruelty, against the casual conversion of humiliation into entertainment, against the idea that because each blow can be defended in isolation no one bears responsibility for the beating" Poignant reflections by my colleague @iainoverton.bsky.social on Jason Arday's death:

bylinetimes.com

Jason Arday: We Must Rage – Rage Against the Journalism of Cruelty

The death of the academic shows the casual conversion of humiliation into entertainment by a media running on monetised hate and cruelty

417857

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

I agree. A later version of this piece made that line clearer (the tone is meant to be sarcastic): We are told the press 'isn't free' if it lacks the impunity to do anything it likes. It is how power protects itself. By declaring it has none.

030

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Have made that line a little clearer Brian.

160

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

It is meant to convey tonally what the media outlets argue: 'we can't be free unless we have impunity to do what we like'. It needs to be read within the entirety of the tone of the piece. If that helps...

281

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

"There will be another Jason Arday. We know this. Because the media knows this. The press isn't free if it lacks impunity to do anything it likes. It is how power protects itself. By declaring it has none. There is no check to fetter power when unfettered power resides in the check." My Editorial:

bylinetimes.com

There Will Be Another Jason Arday

There is no check to fetter power when unfettered power resides in the check

16392113

Reposted by Hardeep Matharu

Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

I don't believe Byline Times' extensive reporting on Cambridge academic - and Reform policy chief - James Orr has received a single piece of pick-up by other outlets

18790317

Hardeep Matharu @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

What is in the media's *own* interests versus the public interest is often a vastly different story. The defensive position of the majority of the established press – that the press isn't free if it can't do anything it likes without consequences – is defensive for a reason. Power protecting itself.

116943