news
BBC local hit by third strike in protest over output cuts
JOURNALISTS at BBC local radio and television in England staged a third strike on the day of the by-elections in July in the ongoing protest against cuts being implemented to local radio. Coverage of the by-elections in Uxbridge and West Ruislip, Selby and Ainsty and Somerton and Frome and other local news across the country was disrupted as local news programmes were taken off the air. Politicians including the Manchester mayor Andy Burnham
and Labour MPs Rachel Long-Bailey, Sarah Champion, Kim Johnson, Alex Cunningham, and former shadow chancellor and chair of the NUJ parliamentary group John McDonell visited picket lines and NUJ members reported strong support from passers-by and motorists.
The BBC is cutting local content by nearly a half by merging
services and cutting programmes. The NUJ has been joined by organisations representing the blind, older people, non-league football and other groups who rely on quality news radio in the fight to save BBC local radio output. In early July a petition was handed to 10 Downing Street which was signed by more than 230 local organisations and 40 cross-party politicians. The delegation taking the petition to the heart of government included NUJ officials, politicians, and representatives of the National Federation of the Blind UK. The campaign also has its own song – Need My Local Radio by Beldon Haigh. Paul Siegert, NUJ broadcasting officer, said: “We’re asking Tim
Davie to pause and rethink. We believe there are ways to protect and promote digital investment without cutting much loved and valued local radio content. With an election around the corner, holding local politicians to account is more important than ever. Let’s protect and promote BBC Local, not eviscerate it.” Blob According to the BBC’s annual report the corporation is
Britain’s top media brand with eight out of 10 adults using it each week. The report says: “The BBC overwhelmingly remains the most trusted source of news in this country and around the world, with eight in 10 UK adults consuming BBC News services each week – double the next nearest provider.”
Police monitored No Stone co-writer
BARRY MCCAFFREY, of the No Stone Unturned film which highlighted police actions following the 1994 murders of six men in Loughinisland, Northern Ireland, had his phone unlawfully monitored by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) in 2013, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) found.
The IPT is an independent judicial body which hears complaints about surveillance by public bodies. In 2019, McCaffrey and
Trevor Birney, the film’s co-writer, asked the IPT to investigate whether they had been surveilled by the service. Upon confirmation that
McCaffrey’s communications had been monitored in 2013
- four years prior to the film’s release, the journalists agreed to attend an IPT open hearing on July 17 this year, on whether surveillance could be considered by a tribunal due to the length of time passed. A last-minute decision
by the PSNI to avoid contesting led to cancellation of the hearing.
The Journalist wins TUC top award
THE JOURNALIST has been named best union journal by the TUC at its annual communications awards. The magazine competed
against publications from the major unions. The TUC said: “The judges
were impressed by the magazine’s low-cost, direct,
and effective design and diverse content relevant to the NUJ’s membership. Well-written and edited with an easy-to-read layout and clear headlines, this magazine stood out for its interesting stories combined with practical tips for journalists. The mix of
relevant UK and international news related to journalism rights abroad was commended by the judges who enjoyed reading the stories.”
The edition entered for the
awards featured a remarkable first-person story of Jeff Farrell a sub-editor member who
Séamus Dooley, the NUJ’s
assistant general secretary and Irish secretary, said: “By any measure this is a shocking revelation and is the cause of utmost concern. It confirms that the actions which informed the makers of No Stone Unturned were deeply rooted in a culture which has no place in a democratic society.”
took time off his job to report from the war in Ukraine as a freelance. It also included a first-hand account of the start of the public relations initiative that made RMT general secretary Mick Lynch a household name written by his press officer and former NUJ national executive council member John Millington. John won the best media story at the awards.
theJournalist | 03
EMBLEY LEAVES TOP ROLE AT REACH Reach group editor-in-chief Lloyd Embley has left after almost 30 years with the publisher. He has been editor-in-chief since 2014 and his previous roles at Reach, which was formerly Trinity Mirror, include Daily Mirror night editor and assistant editor, Sunday People editor, and editor-in-chief of the Daily and Sunday Mirror.
NME AIMS FOR PRINT AND SCARCITY The NME music magazine is relaunching in print after five years of being available digital-only. There will be a glossy magazine costing £10 every two months. There will be a limited print run each time to stimulate interest because of scarcity in a similar way to the way some types of trainers and sneakers are released for sale.
LUKESANTILLIPHOTOGRAPHY inbrief...
WALES URGED TO ACT TO PROTECT MEDIA Welsh ministers have been urged to make public interest news a public service and to create a Welsh Media Institute to promote a well-funded, plural, and diverse media. An industry group created after lobbying by the NUJ’s Welsh executive council. Its report - Of and For Wales: towards a sustainable future for public interest journalism - says that access to accurate news which holds those in authority to account and protects Welsh- language journalism is essential for democracy.
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 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28
