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THE IRISH JOURNALIST


Newsletter of the National Union of Journalists in Ireland


New Govt must act to save media


The National Union of Journalists has called on political leaders to make the future of the media a key priority in the next programme for government, arising from the devastating impact of the Covid-19


pandemic on the industry. The NUJ is calling for a new Department of Arts,


Culture, and the Media, claiming that the current alignment with Climate Action and Environment “is simply unworkable”, due to the vast range of departmental responsibilities. Following publication of the union’s plan, ‘From Health Crisis to Good News', Irish Secretary Séamus Dooley called on Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and his Green Party counterpart Eamon Ryan to agree a programme for media recovery based on the document. He has also written to the other parties in Dáil


Éireann and is seeking cross-party consensus on the need for a media recovery plan. In launching the document Séamus said, “Public


service and commercial broadcasting organisations, national newspapers, the regional press, specialist titles and online/digital publications are tethering on the brink of ruin at a time when the role of the media was never more important to citizens.” Calling for bold, imaginative polices, including specific measures to protect the regional press and specialist publications across all platforms, he said,


The Stand up for Journalism campaign drew support from across Northern Ireland and farther. See full report on pages 6-7.


“Targeted measures aimed at supporting jobs and quality journalism, and bolstering independent, diverse, ethically produced content are needed.” The union has reiterated its call for a Commission on the Future of the Media in Ireland and has demanded a set of immediate and long-term measures aimed at securing employment and the development of the media sector. The plan mirrors the blueprint published by Michelle


Stanistreet, General Secretary, last month and the union is preparing a specific plan for Northern Ireland. Among the measures tabled by the union is a


windfall tax of 6 per cent on the tech giants, using the UK Digital Services Tax model, towards funding a News Recovery Plan.


See report, pages 4-5.


NUJ proposals for media recovery plan, pp 4-5; NI unites to condemn threats to journalists, pp 6-7; Freelance Forum offers tips in new podcast, p 11


Summer 2020


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