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Journalism is devalued when staff are exploited
“contracts” and the gender pay gap were the main issues of debate at the recent Biennial Irish Delegate Conference in Dublin under the banner of “Valuing Journalism”. Irish Secretary Séamus
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Dooley told delegates that journalism is devalued when workers are exploited. “Journalism is exploited when the national public service broadcaster seeks volunteers to work for nothing on digital radio. I am delighted to say that we have made significant progress in ending that unacceptable practice at RTÉ. There will be no more unpaid volunteers on digital radio.”
On media ownership, he
said: “Journalism is devalued when ownership and control is vested in the hands of the few, and yet again we call on the government to tackle the issue of newspaper
ownership,” he said. “We have a new Taoiseach
– and yes, Leo, we love your new socks. But you know what? If the Taoiseach wants to be different to his predecessor he can forget about the socks – and sock it to the newspaper owners. “He needs to confront the
powerful media interests and bring in legislation.” Dooley explained that the dangers of the concentration of media ownership affected not just journalists, but it was also a threat to democracy. “It impacts on terms of
employment, it impacts on editorial resources, it impacts
on the value of news and the ability of journalists to do our job.
“It means that there are
parts of this country where courts and local authority meetings are no longer covered.” Dooley also urged an end
to the ban on Irish Times contributors on Communicorp programmes including Newstalk and TodayFM. He said: “The action of Communicorp in banning journalists simply because they caused offence, illustrates the danger of the concentration of media ownership.”
UNION NEEDS TO EMBRACE CHANGE
delegates. “Our branches are not functioning as they should, and we need to get our act together, and we need to do so with a sense of urgency.” But he added: “I fully accept the media in Ireland is in
T A
he NUJ in Ireland needs to look at structural change so that it can work effectively in the changing media landscape, Irish secretary Seamus Dooley told
“ ”
The fight against gender pay gaps
ction to tackle gender pay gaps was debated at the seminar, Mind the Gap: Inequality at Work, chaired by Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh (pictured) of the Dublin Broadcasting branch. Esther Lynch of the ETUC
said women work, in effect, 59 days a year for no pay, and returning from pregnancy is when their pay can be most affected.
Norma Prendiville of the Limerick Leader pointed out that the pay gap really kicks in
as women move up the ladder, while Siobhán Holliman of the West of Ireland Branch said women are sometimes paid less than men who are in more junior positions.
he concentration of media ownership, bogus self-employment
in brief...
GARDA’S FRY PROBE A WASTE OF TIME The Dublin Freelance Branch noted the farce earlier this year when it emerged Garda time was wasted investigating whether Stephen Fry breached Irish blasphemy laws. The meeting instructed the IEC to participate in any campaign to remove the blasphemy provision from the Irish Constitution as it is contrary to the principles of freedom of expression and religion.
We call on the government to tackle the issue of newspaper ownership
JAIL AND LASHES FOR MILD CRITICISM The meeting condemned the increasing repression and imprisonment of journalists throughout the world, and sent greetings to Raif Badawi, a blogger imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for mild criticism of the regime, who has received 50 lashes. The Derry & North West Branch called on the Irish Government to protest to the Saudi government.
NON-JOURNALISTS JUMP THE QUEUE Freelance photographers expressed their frustration and dismay at new restrictions on accreditation for covering GAA matches, and that non-journalists are getting in ahead of them. They called on the IEC to contact Croke Park officials.
crisis. The decline in our membership is linked to that crisis. We need a commission that examines the future of national and local media, which examines ownership models, examines recruitment and training and the barriers that exist in the promotion of women and minority groups.” He added: “I hope that when we bring forward proposals
for reforming branches that there is not a running back to looking at the past.”
FREELANCERS NEED NEW AGREEMENTS Following the passing of the Competition (Amendment) Act 2017, which removes the anomaly where freelance journalists were prohibited from engaging in collective bargaining, the union was instructed to engage in a campaign for new agreements, since those in place are at least two decades old.
NUJ AWARDS GIVEN TO IRISH ‘LIFERS’ Life membership was awarded to. Vincent Browne, Patsy McArdle, Raymond Cullen, Michael Hilliard, Hugh Oram, Matthew Kavanagh, Liam O’Connor, Kenneth Kelly, Michael Glynn, Brian Trench, James Rhatigan, Mary Leland, Cathal Mac Coille, Finbarr Coughlan, Geraldine Collins, Ann Cahill, Donal Buckley and Gene Yore.
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