news


Recognition win for Reach local democracy reporters


THE NUJ has secured a recognition deal for local democracy reporters (LDRs) at Reach, the country’s biggest publisher of regional titles. The union said it was now looking forward to working


positively with the company and LDRs across the UK in the BBC-funded scheme. LDRs will benefit from collective bargaining


for pay and conditions along with union representation for other issues. The union has now secured recognition


agreements in each of the three major publishers involved in the scheme, having also won deals at Newsquest and JPI Media. Reach is the biggest partner in the BBC-


funded scheme where reporters are allocated to news organisations and cover top-tier local authorities, second-tier local authorities and other public service organisations. Of the 165 LDRs, 75 are employed by Reach. The deal covers collective bargaining subject to the terms in


the agreement Reach has with the BBC. There is also provision for consultation on terms of employment, job structure and content, and health and safety.


Chris Morley, NUJ Northern and Midlands senior organiser,


said: “The BBC’s local democracy scheme has proved to be a success in safeguarding quality public interest journalism in a key part of the UK democratic fabric. LDR journalists are, rightly, highly respected for the work they do. “The NUJ welcomes this voluntary agreement


with Reach which recognises the union’s ability to represent its LDR members in the company collectively on important elements of their employment. Our members are keen to build on the constructive relationship developed with the company during the discussions that culminated in this agreement. Charlotte Green, mother of the LDRs’ chapel, said: “The chapel is delighted to have been able to sign this voluntary agreement with Reach. To have achieved recognition is a milestone that is the culmination of several


years of hard work by union members and officials since the launch of the scheme in 2018. “We are now looking forward to working positively with the


company and advocating for local democracy reporters based across the UK.”


More Covid cash help for Welsh freelances The NUJ, as part of the


WELSH freelances can claim more Covid funding after talks between trade unions and the government. Grants of up to £1,000 are


now available, twice the previous amount.


Wales TUC cultural and creative sector group, has been instrumental in persuading the Welsh government to increase the funding package to support


Locally produced news has public support


PEOPLE ARE more likely to trust news about where they live if it is produced locally. A majority of people (58 per cent) would trust news about


their area it it were produced by local organisations, compared with 31 per cent who would not, according to a survey. Fewer than one-third (31 per cent again) said they would


trust a media organisation based outside their area producing news about where they lived, with 55 per cent saying they would not trust it. The weighted poll of 2,000 British adults was conducted by Opinium between November 29 and December 2 for the Public Interest News Foundation (PINF). Jonathan Heawood, executive director of PINF, said this


preference “could explain why small, independent news publishers are attracting large audiences”.


the sector in Wales during Covid restrictions. The grants are available


from an emergency business fund open to business and sole traders who do not pay business rates.


inbrief...


STELLA SUPPLEMENT BOWS OUT OF PRINT The Sunday Telegraph print supplement Stella has been closed amid a revamp of the paper’s weekend pages. The women’s lifestyle and beauty magazine, which began in 2005, will continue as a brand within the Sunday paper in print as well as online and with Stella Live branded events.


ADVERTISERS PLAN TO TARGET VIDEO The advertising industry’s trade body has predicted advertising growth of 5.2 per cent this year, slightly below the 6.2 per cent in its previous quarterly report. The Institute of Practitioners found more advertisers lowered budgets for audio, print and online in the last quarter of 2021 than raised them, with many planning to spend more on video advertising.


David Nicholson, NUJ national executive member for Wales, said: “This is a real benefit from NUJ involvement with the Wales TUC and our meetings with government ministers and officials.”


CORNWALL SUNDAY PAPER PUT ON HOLD The publication of the Sunday Independent newspaper in Cornwall has been put on hold indefinitely. Staff have been given other duties while ways to address rising costs and printing issues that made running the weekly newspaper unviable are sought. The paper is owned by Independent Media, which runs other Cornwall titles.


Move could be a big one, fnarr fnarr...


Publishing group Metropolis has bought adult satire magazine Viz, paranormal title


Fortean Times and Cyclist. Viz, with characters such as Johnny Fartpants, Sid the Sexist and


Finbarr Saunders, was once one of the UK’s three most read magazines. In the early 1990s, each


issue sold more than a million copies; sales have fallen to 43,000. Metropolis bought the titles


from Broadleaf Group, the holding company of Autovia, which private equity group Exponent separated from Dennis last year. The three titles were excluded from the sale when Future bought Dennis for £300 million.


theJournalist | 05


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