Informed 05


Update Conferences roundup


NUJ delegates highlighted issues of press freedom, welfare reform, and ethical LGBT+ reporting at recent conferences in the UK and Ireland. In September the TUC Congress unanimously passed an NUJ motion calling on delegates to continue standing in solidarity with journalists globally and condemn atacks against media workers. Te NUJ’s specific demands were laid out by general secretary Laura Davison, including: an investigation by the International Criminal Court into the targeting of journalists by Israeli forces; access for foreign journalists to report alongside Palestinian colleagues; and the adoption of a binding UN Convention on the safety of journalists. At the ICTU biennial conference in Belfast, the NUJ called for a full public inquiry into the surveillance of journalists by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and Durham Constabulary. In December 2024 the Investigatory


Powers Tribunal found that police had unlawfully targeted journalists Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney over their investigation into alleged collusion between security forces and the perpetrators of the 1994 Loughinisland murders. Te PSNI were ordered to compensate the journalists for unlawful intrusion, establishing a judicial precedent. Te union supported McCaffrey and


Government freelance champion


A litle-noticed summer announcement revealed that culture secretary Lisa Nandy plans to appoint a Freelance Champion to advocate for freelances and improve their lot. Te role’s remit is still to be determined, but the NUJ’s Tim Dawson suggests in an article on our website that key concerns


cited by freelance journalists could be covered, including: byline theſt, copyright abuse, and poor professional conduct. One of the biggest challenges remains freelance fees, which have barely risen in 25 years, amounting to a shocking cut of around 30-40% in real terms. A recent Sheffield Hallam University survey found


50% of freelance journalists have been offered less than £100 per 1000 words. Finding someone to be the Freelance Champion will not be easy. But Dawson points out that the government could save on search agents’ fees and look at the NUJ’s Freelance Directory, which offers many qualified candidates!


Birney from the beginning of the ordeal and Séamus Dooley, assistant general secretary, thanked conference for their solidarity: “Te scandalous treatment of Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney, the outrageous breach of process and fair procedure, the deliberate targeting of investigative journalists and the flagrant use and abuse of investigatory powers by the PSNI is a mater of grave concern to all who care about human rights.” At the TUC Disabled Workers’


Conference in London, the NUJ delegation joined workers across the UK in strongly opposing government cuts to disability and benefits payments. “Tis is a full-on atack on our rights,” said Natasha Hirst of the Disabled Members’ Council. NUJ


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motions on protecting Access to Work and bolstering the right to reasonable adjustments passed as unions agreed to campaign in solidarity with deaf and disabled people’s organisations on welfare cuts. At the TUC LGBT+ Conference, the NUJ’s delegation submited an emergency motion on inclusive and accurate LGBT+ reporting. James Doherty condemned “blatant atacks on our trans and non-binary communities who have been stripped of their rights, vilified and marginalised in a campaign of fear, disinformation and slander.” Te NUJ delegation also proposed a motion highlighting the potential for AI to exacerbate disinformation and regressive representations of LGBT+ people, urging protection for human-made ethical journalism.


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