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Is it about diversity and youth or virtue signalling?


While largely agreeing with Cristina Lago’s general point about ensuring the NUJ’s structures and terminology are fit for purpose in the 21st century, I can’t help but think her stated surprise “at the strong opposition from some members” about replacing the ‘mother/ father of chapel’ title betrays a prevalent lack of empathy when it comes to comprehending how other people may have alternative points of view (Celebrating our in-person meeting, June/July 2023). “Surely introducing a more inclusive term in the union’s dictionary


would be widely supported by DM?” she asks. To which I would respond: “Why would it?” Many people clearly have what, at least to them, are legitimate reasons for keeping the mother/father terms — and an understandable opposition, regardless of position, to brutally ending a century’s tradition based on a mere 10-minute discussion involving a fraction of the union’s total membership. To be honest, I am still surprised that the motion was allowed onto


the floor at all; what were the national executive council thinking? For many of us, use of language is our bread-’n’-butter. We – above


anyone else – should be aware of words’ meanings and the consequences arising from their usage. Yet, viewed from more than 500km north of the TUC’s Congress House, this motion (and the result of the vote) struck me as being less about welcoming a more diverse and youthful membership (including current members) and more about virtue signalling. This is not least because, if you’re going to get rid of the binary


mother/father titles then, logically why hang on to the equally archaic use of a religious-based term like chapel? I mean, it’s not as if any of our employed members still meet in their nearest church… or do they? Paul Fisher Cockburn Welfare and equality officer NUJ Edinburgh freelance branch


H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H Last year, your correspondent


What archaic, baffling term is next for the chop? So, 116 years of history and tradition is being consigned to the dustbin because today’s young journalists consider the terms “father/mother of the chapel” to be “gendered, archaic, inaccessible and part of the language of an exclusive club from a bygone age”. Well, to be honest, I did always think of the NUJ as something of an ‘exclusive club’ and still carry my press card with pride.


George Morris claimed that the titles ‘baffled’ new union members and argued they needed “something more easily understood”. In response, I suggested that if these


young hacks were so easily confused, they should perhaps consider a less challenging career than journalism. Unfortunately, it looks as if they


didn’t take my advice. Perhaps we should now also get rid of the word ‘chapel’ lest our new


Email to: journalist@nuj.org.uk Post to: The Journalist 72 Acton Street, London WC1X 9NB Tweet to: @mschrisbuckley


of the work. This disadvantages freelances and small companies. We need your help to gather recent


examples of public sector photography and videography commissions and contracts that include copyright grabs, onerous and unfair indemnity or liability clauses, as well as overly complicated and bureaucratic tendering processes. We will use such evidence to lobby for fairer contracts and tendering systems so freelances are better able to secure work. It’s time to end unfair rates, copyright


grabs and dumping liability on freelances. Please send examples to: digital@ nuj.org.uk with the email header ‘Freelance campaign’. Natasha Hirst NUJ president


Respectful ‘crap’ name may up my chance of winning… It wasn’t clear who awarded the Golden Bollock award (illustrated well by Kipper Williams, page 13, June/July). But I was surprised a more gender-neutral term wasn’t used to recognise the author of a particularly egregious story. I suggest the Steaming Crap award as a more modern, respectful name. As someone who occasionally makes mistakes, maybe this will give me a better chance of winning this insalubrious trophy. Siobhan Wall Netherlands


colleagues mistakenly pile into the local Methodist church next time they’re summoned to a union meeting. Mal Tattersall Life member


Tell us about bad public sector picture practice The NUJ photographers’ council is increasingly concerned about public sector procurement processes and contracts that take rights from creators, often without paying fairly for the value


… but women won the Golden Bollock too The Golden Bollock was awarded to a poor, unsuspecting victim entirely on the whim of the previous year’s winner. Industrial correspondents gathered at a dinner for an amusing and sometimes fair review of the year’s top industrial stories. All those chosen had an element that


could be construed as bollock worthy so reporters had a nervous wait til the declaration. It was great fun and only one recipient threatened legal action. It may have seemed a somewhat


sexist title but it was in fact an inclusive award and women won too. I was one! Christine Buckley Editor


theJournalist | 25


DENIS CARRIER


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