news


FoC wins back job after redundancy outcry


P


hil Turner, a journalist at the Rotherham Advertiser for 30 years and the NUJ’s FoC at the paper for most of that


time, has had the threat of compulsory redundancy lifted after a huge campaign for his reinstatement. Phil was the only journalist targeted for


compulsory redundancy when the Rotherham Advertiser was bought from Garnett Dickinson group by Nick Alexander, a former group chief executive. The NUJ’s campaign to get Phil reinstated


was backed by local politicians, other unions and readers and led to a protest involving more than 250 people on the streets of the South Yorkshire town. A one-day strike at the newspaper had been planned but was called off when Phil was reinstated and the Advertiser’s new owner promised there would be no other compulsory redundancy to replace Phil’s. Phil said: “I am truly grateful for all the


support and solidarity that has been shown to


both me and the chapel. It has been a difficult time but this fortified me and helped us come to a proper conclusion. I am sure that all this support was crucial in bringing about this outcome.” Chris Morley, Northern & Midlands


organiser, said: “The chapel had always opposed the job


loss, well before it was known that Phil was the intended target, but once it was clear he was being forced out, a good deal of anxiety about the company’s intentions to the union was generated.


“I’m glad that the company has had the


good sense to think again about this whole issue and put its relations with the NUJ once again on a firm and positive footing. I welcome the pragmatic approach displayed by the company in this regard.” Sarah Champion, the town’s MP; Louise Haigh, Phil Turner’s local MP and Linda McAvan, MEP Yorkshire and the Humber, had all called for his reinstatement.


  FIGHT BEGINS FOR FUTURE OF THE BBC


campaign to fight for the future of the BBC. The move comes as the corporation approaches charter renewal negotiations and faces uncertainty over the long-term future of the licence fee under the new Conservative government. The FEU is seeking alliances with


T


he NUJ and other unions in the Federation of Entertainment Unions (FEU) are launching a


other supporters of the BBC to boost its campaign. The NUJ with the FEU held a lobby and public meeting in parliament last month to build support for the BBC.


The campaign comes as it is expected that Rupert Murdoch and others in the press will intensify their calls to reduce the funding and reach of the BBC. Critics of the BBC have been encouraged by the appointment of John Whittingdale as Culture Secretary. •The BBC is to extend its moratorium


on compulsory redundancies in News Group, Wales and Scotland until the end of October.


Author wins David and Harper Beckham as fans


A


uthor and NUJ member Teresa Heapy can now count David Beckham and his three-year- old daughter Harper as avid readers. The former England captain told his 6.5m Instagram


followers he was reading Teresa’s Very Little Cinderella to Harper before bedtime and posted a picture of the book, saying “Bedtime Stories. Sweet dreams Harper Seven.” The book is the second in a series of Very Little books by


Teresa, who lives in Oxford. Her first book was Very Little Red Riding Hood. Very Little Red Riding Hood


won Best Picture Book in the Oxfordshire Book Awards and the What’s the Story prize in the Coventry Inspiration Book Awards. Teresa is a former


commissioning editor at Oxford University Press.


I am truly grateful for all the support and solidarity that has been shown to both me and the chapel


in brief...


O’HAGAN FAMILY OFFER REWARD The family of murdered Irish investigative journalist and NUJ member Martin O’Hagan has offered a £50,000 (€69,359) reward for information leading to a conviction. Martin was an investigative reporter for the Dublin-based Sunday World and chair of the NUJ’s Belfast and District branch. He was killed by gunmen in Lurgan in 2001.


JUDGE SENTENCES SUN JOURNALIST The first Sun journalist to be found guilty of payments to a public official following the Operation Elveden investigation received an 18-month suspended sentence. Anthony France cultivated a “corrupt relationship” with PC Timothy Edwards, his trial heard. Judge Timothy Pontius described him as of “hitherto unblemished character” who was “essentially a decent man of solid integrity”.


COULSON CLEARED OF LYING IN COURT Former News of the World editor and David Cameron’s director of communications Andy Coulson was cleared of lying in court after a Scottish judge threw out charges of alleged perjury. Lord Burns told him he had been formally acquitted of lying under oath about his knowledge of phone hacking at the News of the World.


NEW EDITOR FOR LONDON’S CITY AM London’s City AM has made Christian May, head of communications at the Institute of Directors, its new editor. May, who has no senior editorial experience, replaces David Hellier, who leaves after eight months in the role.


ENGLISH LEAVES CARDIFF UNIVERSITY David English is retiring as deputy director of Cardiff University’s journalism school after 35 years with the faculty. In that time he taught more than 1,000 aspiring journalists, including Sunday Telegraph editor Ian McGregor, and Daily Mirror assistant editor Kevin Maguire.


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