news


BBC to create 100 jobs to ‘do more’ for Scotland


he NUJ has welcomed news that the BBC is to create 80 journalists’ jobs with the launch of a TV channel in Scotland. BBC Scotland will begin


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broadcasting in autumn next year. The BBC said the channel would have a £30 million budget, which is about the same as that of BBC4. It will broadcast from 7pm to midnight. A Scottish news hour at 9pm will feature stories from Scotland, the rest of the UK and around the world. A further 20 journalists’


posts are being created as part of the BBC’s local news initiative with Scottish newspapers. The moves mark the BBC’s


biggest investment in Scotland in more than 20 years. The move comes as STV is


expanding its news coverage. The broadcaster created 20 posts when it set up the Scottish Seven O Clock news, which started broadcasting


last month. Paul Holleran, NUJ Scottish


organiser, said: “It is great news, but we see this as the first step towards growing the investment in BBC Scotland and a move towards increasing the amount of spend north of the border in line with the money raised here through the licence fee.” BBC director-general Tony


Hall made the announcement to BBC Scotland staff at a mass meeting. He said: “The BBC is Britain’s broadcaster but we also need to do more for each


nation, just as we are doing more for Britain globally. “We know that viewers in


Scotland love BBC television, but we also know that they want us to better reflect their lives and better reflect modern Scotland. It is vital that we get this right. “The best way of achieving that is a dedicated channel for Scotland. It’s a channel that will be bold, creative and ambitious, with a Scotland- edited international news programme at its heart.”


“ PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKE STOCK AT SUMMIT ” P


he union has reacted with disbelief at the appointment of George Osborne, the former Chancellor, as editor of the London Evening Standard. Laura Davison, newspaper national organiser, questioned the move as Mr Osborne has minimal journalistic experience. His appointment comes as the free paper is to move to producing a single print edition per day. There are plans for production staff to work half days and receive half of their former pay and for reporters to work four days a week rather than five. The paper will produce a second edition only when there is a major story or for events such as the Budget.


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hotographers and video journalists held a summit in London to share experiences and


advice for getting good, regular work. The summit, called for by the NUJ’s


last delegate meeting, enabled freelance photographers to get together and discuss the state of their


industry. Most photographers are now freelance and are suffering from falling rates and commissions and the rise in reader-generated images. James West, the co-founder of image


library Alamy, told attendees that there were signs that people were recognising that they had to pay for


Shock over Osborne as editor


high-quality photographs. Neil Turner, a vice-chair of the British


Press Photographers’ Association, ran a workshop on ‘Making a living with the skill set of a press photographer’. He said that, when work was quiet, freelances should boost their skills through YouTube tutorials and training courses.


The moves mark the BBC’s biggest investment in Scotland in more than 20 years


in brief...


NEW POLITICS CHIEFS AT NATIONAL DAILIES The Daily Telegraph and The Daily Mail have new political editors. Gordon Rayner takes over at the Telegraph and Jason Groves has the job at the Mail. Rayner was the Telegraph’s chief reporter and broke the politicians’ expenses story. Groves has been interim political editor at the Mail since 2015.


TRINITY SUFFERS DECLINE IN PRINT Increased digital revenue failed to offset falling income from print last year at Trinity Mirror. The group saw digital revenue grow 12.8 per cent (on a like for like basis) but print revenue dropped 10.7 per cent and overall sales fell eight per cent. Total sales and profits were boosted by the purchase of regional group Local World at the end of 2015.


MARKETING WEEK MOVES TO MONTHLY Marketing Week has changed from a weekly to a monthly magazine as part of publisher Centaur Media’s long-term plan to move away from print. The brand is maintaining its title despite the change and there will be daily online reporting. Another Centaur title, The Lawyer, has also switched from weekly to monthly.


BRIGHTON ARGUS EXTENDS ITS REACH Newsquest has started a new free edition of its daily Brighton title The Argus, covering the Sussex towns of Lewes, Seaford, Newhaven and Peacehaven. It is competing with Johnston Press titles. The Lewes & South Coast Argus is the second free weekly edition of The Argus to be launched this year, following the Mid Sussex Argus in January.


TEESSIDE GAZETTE MAKES A MOVE The Teesside Gazette is moving to new offices in Middlesbrough after nearly 80 years at its old base. The daily title will leave its premises in Borough Road and shift its team to nearby Hudson Quay in Middlehaven. The newspaper will still be printed at its local press site.


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