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Informed 07 Spotlight


Journalists called on to give evidence


down from 23,000 to 17,000. Michelle said the union’s experience, particularly in local newspapers, was that the staff levels in many newsrooms had been cut by more like half. Dame Frances said she wanted to hear


how the union had reacted to the cuts in the industry and the support and training it had provided for members and the inquiry’s team asked to meet reps and members working in the industry. Te union will be emphasising the levels


Te Cairncross Review into the UK’s press is the union’s chance to have its say


Te meeting, which took place in an airless eyrie at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) in Whitehall, was possibly one of the most important in the union’s recent history. Te Cairncross inquiry is a government- commissioned independent review into the future and sustainability of high- quality journalism in the UK. Te union has long called for such a review and, while welcoming its announcement earlier this year, was critical that the inquiry’s advisory panel did not include the voice of the grassroots journalist. Now we had our chance. Michelle Stanistreet had been called in


by Frances Cairncross and her team for a face-to-face meeting. Te NUJ’s general secretary said there was a case for state funding of public-interest journalism.


It could be used to rescue titles that were under threat from closure, for start-ups and for collaborative ventures and projects producing innovative and investigative reporting. But, she warned Dame Frances, it must not be used to prop up the broken model of the “big three” newspaper groups – Reach (formerly Trinity Mirror), Newsquest and Johnston Press – which over the decades had bled their titles dry to pay out excessive profits to executives and shareholders and had not invested in journalism. A report by the Mediatique consultancy, commissioned by the DCMS, revealed newspaper revenues from circulation and print advertising had plunged by more than half during the past decade, from almost £7bn to just over £3bn, and journalist numbers fell by 26 per cent,


of stress journalists suffer, plus their poor pay, and the effect that has on their well- being and ability to do their job. Te NUJ will work with organisations, such as the Media Reform Coalition, Media Standards Trust, Te Bureau, Te Media Fund and hyperlocals to examine media plurality, new business models of paying for journalism, such as crowd sourcing, subscriptions and pay-walls and call for a levy on Facebook, Google and the other digital giants to pay for public-interest journalism. Te internet organisations have been using newspapers’ content while taking away their advertising revenue and it was time they paid up, Michelle told Dame Frances.


Get in touch


We need to provide the Review with case studies and figures demonstrating the level of cuts in newsrooms and how they have affected quality journalism and community news. How the government can help revive the industry? What can we learn from new enterprises in journalism? Send your contributions to campaigns@ nuj.org.uk by Monday 3 September.


Ana Jaks


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