news


BBC to cut more than 1,100 jobs in huge savings drive


THE BBC is to cut 1,120 jobs in its national news operation and across regional news in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Some 520 jobs are to go in national news and 600 in regional output, of which 450 are in England. The Andrew Neil Show, launched last September, is one of the high-profile casualties along with the Victoria Derbyshire Show, which was cut earlier this year.


The BBC anticipages that it


will lose £125 million from commercial operations because of the impact of the coronavirus crisis on its revenues. It has already had to make £800 million in savings during the current licence fee period, including £80 million in the news department. Before the coronavirus crisis, the


corporation had planned to cut 450 jobs in national positions but it has now added another 70 to the total. It then put those cuts on hold in recognition of the importance of news during the pandemic. Of the national post closures,


120 were identified in January and a further 150 in July when the total was increased, leaving 250 still to be specified. The corporation wants the


regional cuts to contribute towards the savings planned during this licence fee period, which ends in 2027. This means savings of £25 million will have to be made in England by 2022. Paul Siegert, NUJ national


broadcasting organiser, said: “All through Covid-19, the BBC has shown its worth time and time again, with staff going the extra mile to keep services on air. Now the reward for many of those hard-working journalists will be the threat of redundancy.“


“


AWARD-WINNING current affairs series Inside Out has had a semi-reprieve after petitioning from well-known people including Sir Lenny Henry, Stephen Fry,


Benjamin Zephaniah, Ken Loach, Samira Ahmed and Edwina Currie.


Staff had been told to stop


working on the autumn series pending a review. But, after a


letter from 100 high-profile figures asked the BBC to save the series, a new current affairs show will be produced in six regional hubs. However, 29 jobs will still be lost.


BAJ backs away from sweetheart deal


THE BRITISH Association of Journalists (BAJ) has withdrawn from a sweetheart sole recognition deal with the broadcaster Iran International following a concerted campaign against the agreement by the NUJ. The NUJ will now resubmit a recognition request to the Central Arbitration Committee. The BAJ won the deal with Iran International in July, despite


the overwhelming number of journalists there being NUJ members who were fighting for recognition. The NUJ received reports of pressure being put on staff to join


the BAJ. This created great concern especially as many of the journalists depend on their job and their employer for their visa to live in the UK.


theJournalist | 05


All through Covid-19, staff have gone the extra mile. The reward for many of those hard-working journalists will be threat of redundancy


Paul Siegert NUJ national broadcasting organiser


inbrief...


TIM DAVIE IS NEW BBC DIRECTOR GENERAL The BBC has appointed Tim Davie, currently chief executive of BBC studios, as its next director general. He will take over from Lord Tony Hall in September. Davie has been a BBC executive for 15 years and, before that, had senior roles at PepsiCo and Proctor and Gamble. He was acting director general during the Jimmy Savile scandal before Lord Hall’s appointment.


IVENS REPLACES ABELL AT THE TLS Martin Ivens, a former editor of the Sunday Times, is replacing Stig Abell as editor of the Times Literary Supplement. Abell has left after four years to take up a role as executive editor at News UK’s radio and podcast division Wireless. Abell was launch director for Times Radio and co-presented the breakfast show.


Celebrity pleas win reprieve for Inside Out The union also welcomed


the news that Sunday Politics, which had been cut to one national programme during Covid-19, will return to its regional slots.


BLOG TELLS STORY OF JOURNALIST PIONEER NUJ member Michael Herbert has created a blog to highlight the work of Madeline Linford (1895-1975), the first woman journalist on the Manchester Guardian, who worked there from 1913 to 1953. In 1919 and 1921 she reported on hunger and disease in Austria and Poland. https://madelinelinford. wordpress.com


New editor starts at Evening Standard


Emily Sheffield has become the new editor of London’s Evening Standard with George


Osborne moving to the role of editor in chief. She started in journalism as a graduate news trainee at the Guardian before spending five years at the Standard. She has been a


columnist for the Standard since 2018 and is also the founder of female-led digital news brand ThisMuchIKnow.


JESS HURD


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24