news Call on Wales to fund public service news


TRADE unionists from all over Wales backed the NUJ’s call for strengthened public interest journalism to counter the far right amid similar moves in Scotland and Westminster. Moving the motion at the TUC Cymru Congress, David Nicholson, the co-chair of the NUJ Welsh executive council, pointed out that there was an information deficit in Wales, which meant people used social media to access news. This allowed the far right to foment unrest. Nicholson, who was


re-elected to the TUC Cymru general council, pointed out that redundancies were happening across the media


in Wales, with a further 10–15 per cent of cuts proposed by the BBC. However, he added: “There are many small ways in which the fragile flower of public interest journalism can be nurtured in Wales.” He said the NUJ had called for an early meeting with culture and media minister Heledd Fychan to provide public money to support the sector. The motion urged the TUC to lobby the Welsh government to enact in full the recommendations contained in the Of and For Wales report compiled by the Wales Public Interest


Journalism Working Group. The document calls on the government to designate public interest journalism as a vital public service, which would release public funding for it.


It also urges ministers to set up an independent Wales Media Institute, which would be tasked with administering


state grants to encourage media literacy and develop journalism training. The initiative follows a


Scottish Trades Union Congress resolution calling for the Scottish government to help protect local journalism amid widespread cuts, including at STV. On June 24, MPs from various parties gathered in Westminster Hall to debate the media green paper and urged the UK government to protect public service journalism and address the impact of social media and artificial intelligence. The green paper is intended to improve public access to trusted news.


Bank shuts Canary account


THE NUJ is seeking an urgent explanation over reports that Lloyds Bank has withdrawn banking facilities from left-wing media organisation The Canary.


The outlet, which launched a daily tabloid in Steve Bell


May, had not been given a reason for being ‘debanked’ as The Journalist went to press. However, it speculated that this was because of its support for the Palestinian cause and opposition to the Israeli government.


Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary, expressed concern over indications that it would not be able to pay its staff as a consequence of the action. She said: “That a major bank appears to have cut off an independent publisher’s


financial access without clear explanation sets a disturbing precedent for press freedom in the UK. “The potential loss of an alternative voice in the sector and employment opportunities for staff and freelance journalists would be a blow to media plurality. “We are in contact with The Canary and seeking


“


There are many ways in which the fragile flower of public interest journalism can be nurtured


David Nicholson Co-chair, NUJ Welsh executive council


clarity on why Lloyds has chosen to suspend access. Members at The Canary who are affected should contact the union for confidential support.” In a statement, The


Canary said: “We do know that multiple other politically engaged people have suffered similar actions by other banks in recent times.”


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