news STV staff strike across Scotland


STV STAFF across Scotland went on strike in early January braving freezing temperatures and heavy snow to oppose cutbacks. Around 50 staff members


formed a picket line outside the Glasgow head office of the broadcaster and were joined by Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary, and Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour leader. More than a dozen members also picketed outside the STV North HQ in Aberdeen, where significant programming cuts are looming. Staff working at the


company’s bases in Edinburgh, Dundee, and Inverness were involved in strike action as well. Members at STV had voted


overwhelmingly in favour of the strike action in December over the company’s plans to


NUJ


opposed by the Scottish government and the leaders of all the main political parties in the Scottish parliament along with the NUJ and Bectu, the broadcasting and technical division of Prospect. The Scottish government


make compulsory redundancies and axe the north edition of its News at 6 programme. Some 94 per cent of those voting backed strike action. In December the regulator


Ofcom gave provisional approval to a revised version of its original plans which would see STV have a single news programme across its two north and central licence


areas, but with a guaranteed minimum amount of regional coverage. The NUJ has repeatedly criticised the plans as being bad for viewers, advertisers, and journalism. A formal consultation by


Ofcom closed in early February and a decision on the planned cuts is expected before Easter. The plans have been


AI ‘experts’ appearing in news A SURGE in fake AI-generated


‘experts’ appearing in mainstream news demonstrates the threat AI poses to trust in journalism and the need for a strong, coordinated response, the NUJ has said. An investigation by Press Gazette uncovered 1,000


articles in the British press that attribute 50 “non- existent and AI-enhanced experts.” Journalists have reported being ‘bombarded’ with dozens and sometimes hundreds of dubious press releases a week bearing the hallmarks of AI-generated images and copy.


According to the Press


Gazette, “Rogue PR operators appear to be using AI to generate press releases which then secure lucrative links and brand mentions for their clients.” The NUJ, which represents a significant number of members working in PR and


has told Ofcom that the cuts “represent a serious weakening of public service broadcasting obligations and risk long-term harm to Scotland’s media ecology, democratic accountability, and local representation.” Last year STV issued a


profits warning because of a 10 per cent fall in its advertising revenue. The warning triggered a substantial fall in the broadcaster’s share price. STV has said that its planned cuts are needed to protect its news service in the digital age.


communications, has responded to the findings. Laura Davison, NUJ general


secretary, said: “All our members - including


those working in PR and comms - have signed up to the union’s Code of Conduct to adhere to ethical standards of journalism and communication. This includes ‘striving to ensure that


Stars turn out for Jilly Cooper’s memorial service


DAME JILLY COOPER, best-selling author and long-standing NUJ member, was celebrated for her ‘champagne soul’ at her memorial service in Southwark Cathedral, Christine Buckley writes. The service was attended by a host of high-profile figures including Queen Camilla, Dame Joanna Lumley, Sir Derek Jacobi, Rupert Everett, David Tennant, Danny Dyer and many of the cast of Rivals, Alan Titchmarsh and Clare Balding. The dean of Southwark, the Very Reverend Dr Mark Oakley,


coined the phrase champagne soul primarily because of her effervescence but also a little to do with her liking of the drink. However, he stressed how the former journalist turned author worked hard and meticulously, producing more than 40 fiction and non-fiction works that had been thoroughly researched.


In a tribute, Felicity Blume, Dame Jilly’s literary agent, echoed the strength of her research and said that she wore her deep knowledge lightly. At the service in the packed cathedral, Dame Joanna read


from her diaries The Common Years – and Alex Hassell and Bella Maclean, stars of Rivals, read an extract from the novel. Rupert Everett read the Parting Glass, a Celtic folk song. Best known for her ‘bonkbuster’ novels such as Rivals and


Riders, Dame Jilly, who started out as a journalist on the Middlesex Independent, was a Sunday Times and Mail on Sunday columnist. She maintained a deep affection for her first profession and her union, saying she loved reading The Journalist. She was also accommodating to journalists locally and nationally, giving her time for interviews and comments.


theJournalist | 03


information disseminated is honestly conveyed, accurate and fair.’ “However, as this


investigation shows, there are plenty of anonymous bad actors out there who have little regard for observing ethical standards. They are enabled in their large-scale deception by the rise of unregulated generative AI.


“


The NUJ has repeatedly criticised the plans as being bad for viewers, advertisers, and journalism


JEFF MORGAN 03 / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO


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