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H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H


The myth that the old have it easy


In 2006 the NUJ published guidelines on how best the media should report on issues affecting older people’s lives. A new report by NUJ 60+ (Older people need more


respect in the media) shows how older people’s roles have assumed greater social and economic importance. The headlines are stark “Young tax-paying population


funding, to its detriment, an ageing society”. Serious comments such as this should be matched by


facts but they rarely are. The NUJ’s 60+ Council report takes this is on – here’s a taste of it. There are, it says, two big basic myths: 1) That “Old People are a Burden on Society” “The young are paying for the old now and in


the future” The latest UK figures show that pensions, age-related


welfare payments and health services cost £136.2 billion per year and revenues from older people add up to £175.8 billion. So older people contributed £36.6 billion a year net. 2) The old have “generous pensions” The facts are that Britain’s basic pension is worth 18


per cent of the average male earnings compared with 60 per cent of in many other European countries, One in five of the older people live below the poverty line, the majority being women. Generous? www.nuj.org.uk/rights/60-plus


Roy Jones Chair NUJ 60+


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Life members who want to help? Try NUJ Extra I wonder might I be permitted to exhort colleagues of a certain vintage to join me in adding NUJ Extra to any new year charitable resolve they may be considering, those who aren’t already helping out, may I add. When I was added to the long list of Life Memberships, I visited the Dublin office of the NUJ to ask would it be possible to continue making my union contributions and obtaining a Press card only to be politely told “no”. We owe so much to the NUJ that I thought,


24 | theJournalist


while I continued working at least, I might be allowed continue contributing to NUJ coffers. Why it has taken me so long to find an answer in NUJ Extra I can’t say as, despite regularly meticulously perusing The Journalist, I had not noticed until the December issue the very prominent call for help from NUJ Extra. I think it’s a good way for life members to continue contributing financially. And why anyway, when the union awards a life membership, should it automatically discontinue accepting contributions and issuing Press cards


to lifers. Acceptance of life membership does not mean we suddenly retire and/ or stop turning a shilling. Apologies to those members who


have been loyally doing their bit for NUJ Extra at www.nujextra.org.uk. I’m belatedly joining you. Ray Managh Dublin


Help record our fast disappearing profession Many press photographers were saddened by the ‘Bringing Down The Shutters’ piece in the October/


Email to: journalist@nuj.org.uk Post to: The Journalist 308-312 Gray’s Inn Road London WC1X 8DP Tweet to: @mschrisbuckley


November magazine. For ex-staff photographers like myself there was a sense of loss as we seem to be witnessing the disappearance of our trade. It might be that staff photographers are joining the lintotype operators and compositors and are being dismissed into the bin of press history. So can I draw any retired or still


practising photographers attention to a project that is seeking to preserve press photography’s story. Have a look at the website http://


www.pressphotohistory.com/ and perhaps you might like to share your experiences and preserve some our fast disappearing history. Jeff Wright Life Member Hampshire


twitter feed Tweet us your feedback: @ mschrisbuckley


Andrew Bardsley (@ ABardsleyBN) 15/12/2015, 18:36 Nice to see this month’s @NUJofficial magazine covering the attacks to local news with job cuts at Newsquest NW pic.twitter. com/iuzNHBGWPp


Steve Hill (@pow365) 15/12/2015, 19:20 Out now @ gemmasmith7667 is in The Journalist mag Advice to new journos: study at Westminster and join @NUJofficial pic.twitter. com/OhpZV8j9wq


Luke Dray (@ LukeDrayPhoto) 15/12/2015, 22:35 Evening reading the journalist @NUJofficial pic. twitter.com/OgASL9vGj1


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