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02 | theJournalist Main feature


14 Publishers continue to axe newsrooms Will it damage journalism and the NUJ?


D News


o you remember what you were doing on Budget Day? For thousands of people, the answer would be striking. March 15 saw the biggest show of industrial action in many years as


doctors, train drivers, postal workers, journalists, and many others stayed away from work in protest


about pay, conditions, and services. The NUJ’s strike saw 1,000 members in BBC Local walk out because of plans to merge local radio programming, thereby reducing the amount of bespoke local content. We have a photo round-up of the widespread action in our news section. Our cover feature looks at how important a newsroom is to a


journalist’s work as so many publishers cut them back or axe them altogether. Writer Conrad Landin finds they are not only important for collaborative work, but also for young or inexperienced journalists to gain insights. And for union activists looking to organise, collective workplaces can be crucial. Other features in this edition include Duncan Campbell on


journalists suing other journalists ahead of a motion at the NUJ’s delegate meeting and Neil Merrick on the kind of journalism that looks at solutions, not just problems. And our media columnist Raymond Snoddy examines the myriad of difficulties facing the BBC, many of its own making. I hope you enjoy reading the latest issue of The Journalist.


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ISSN: 0022-5541 ”


Cover picture Simon Spilsbury


3 NUJ strike hits BBC local broadcasting Budget day action over cutback plans


4 Conference celebrates pay dispute victories Union confidence boosted by several wins


5 192 staff at Reach could lose their jobs Second wave of cuts planned by company


8 Journalists helped save thousands Ukrainians honoured over Mariupol


On Media


BBC’s existence is under threat


Page 09 Letters


On photography, Christine Keeler, and other issues


Page 24


50 years of rock pics


Page 22 Arts


Access all the latest NUJ news and views by scanning the QR code here or by visiting www.nuj.org.uk


Features


12 Should journalists sue other journalists? NUJ launces debate at delegate meeting


16 Let’s accentuate the positive! Is good news better than bad news?


18 Murdoch hoodwinked by fake Hitler diaries Small-time forger dashed off ‘memoirs’


24 War stories, heroism and censorship Starting out in local journalism in the 40s


Regulars


10 Spotlight on Belfast 21 Tech download 27 And finally...


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