08 Informed Update


Anti-troll law for Ireland published


Artur Widak/NurPhoto


Funding for Welsh members


Te Irish government has published an online safety and media regulation bill which establishes a new regulator, replacing the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.


An online safety commissioner will set safety codes outlining how social media services should deal with harmful content, including criminal material, cyberbullying and posts promoting self- harm, suicide and eating disorders. Tech giants, such as Google-owned


YouTube and Facebook, could be fined 10 per cent of their Irish turnover if they do not comply with the new rules. However, the bill does not allow for individual complaints. Following a briefing by Michelle


Scotish chair


Claire Harris has become the first woman to chair the Scotish Executive Council. She works on long-form investigations


for the BBC and previously in business, advising the Japanese government. She has been the Glasgow and Edinburgh chapel joint MoC for five years. “Being part of the NUJ is something I value greatly” she said, “I’m really looking


Stanistreet to representatives of Ireland’s leading publisher, Mediahuis Ireland, on the union’s role on the UK safety commitee, a leter, also signed by RTÉ, was sent to media and justice ministers highlighting specific threats to journalists. Te leter said members reporting on the Covid-19 emergency and issues around vaccine disinformation had experienced abuse and personal atacks on social media. Aſter writing articles about the tragic death of Joe McCarron in Leterkenny, Sunday Independent journalist Rodney Edwards experienced a torrent of threatening and vile online messages. Women had been the target of especially vile abuse.


forward to this next chapter in my union journey.” John Toner, NUJ national organiser Scotland, said: “Claire’s energy and insight will be hugely important as the SEC pushes the Scotish government on the Public Interest Journalism Working Group recommendations, defends the BBC and revives Scotish branches. Te SEC vice-chair is Mark Fisher, one of our most hard-working and experienced activists.”


Te NUJ, as part of the Wales TUC Cultural and Creative Sector Group, has persuaded the Welsh government to increase the funding package to support the sector in Wales during Covid restrictions. Local authorities will pay out from a £120m discretionary Emergency Business Fund. Following discussions with the industry and trade unions, the government agreed to increase the award for sole traders and freelances who do not pay rates to £1,000 from £500. Te industry-wide Wales Public


Interest Journalism Working Group met for its second meeting this month and discussed how to spend a £100,000 pot of funding from the Welsh government by the end of March and further define the scope of the working party’s remit. Te Welsh language broadcaster S4C, which this year loses its Westminster government grant and is to be funded by the BBC, was told it had been allocated an extra £7.5 million a year to develop its digital offering. NUJ Cymru/Wales Training Fund had its government funding for 2022- 2025 confirmed. Te Welsh Executive Council gave thanks to the project’s staff, manager Rachel Howells and co-ordinator Zena Chandler-Burnell, for their work securing the bid and their exciting professional training programme.


Book now for professional training courses and online resources, also open to members outside Wales: htps://www. nujtrainingwales.org/


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