tuc news Call for state intervention in broadcasting


AMID massive job losses at the BBC and threats of cuts elsewhere, delegates urged the government to intervene to halt the decline in public service broadcasting. Proposing the motion, Fran


McNulty, joint president of the NUJ, pointed out that delegates had expressed concern about the rise of the far right and about the damage done by ‘mis- and disinformation’. “A properly funded public


service media is the antidote. If only those making the decisions realised this,” he told conference. “Sadly, the reality is that


the BBC has seen its funding cut in real terms by 30 per cent in the last 15 years.” He warned that there was a prospect of at least 2,000 more job cuts at the corporation.


programmes – and


Channel 4 was to axe its staff by almost a quarter. “Each cut to public service media is a cut to our democracy, and this impacts


of actors to enchant, musicians to entertain, journalists to expose, camera operators to capture, painters to paint and carpenters to build sets.


At ITV, the takeover by American conglomerate Comcast was also a threat, reshaping the commercial broadcasting landscape in the UK. McNulty pointed out that STV had cut jobs and


us all,” said McNulty, who works for RTÉ, which has also suffered job losses. Many union members earn their living in or around the BBC, he told delegates. “Every cut reduces the ability


That’s just the tip of the iceberg,” he said. The BBC was not just about news, he added: “Public service broadcasters seek to inform, to entertain, to educate and to question. Delegates, imagine a world without this. The future would be much darker.” He pointed out that the current charter governing the BBC ends in December next year and that a new one would take effect from January 2028. That provided an opportunity to secure the changes urgently needed. The NUJ, as part of its Back the BBC campaign, was joining unions in calling for the resources and reforms the BBC needs, he said. Congress backed the motion, composited with a similar proposal from the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain.


Windfall tax: a simple step


NUJ general secretary Laura Davison urged the


government to introduce a six per cent windfall tax on tech giants to be reinvested in serious journalism. It was a ‘simple, practical step’ to increase public access to quality news, while retaining editorial independence. She said it


would boost ethical public service journalism and local news coverage and help media start-ups.


The fund she envisaged would also seek to protect jobs, improve conditions, promote union recognition and boost diversity. “Tech platforms have sucked up editorial content


Far right no friend to women


CONGRESS condemned what it said was the misogyny shown by the far right. Delegates registered their strong belief that hatred of women is a ‘defining feature’ among reactionary pressure groups. The motion expressed deep concern over the growing trend of blaming migrants for sexual attacks in the UK. It noted that one in three of those arrested on far-right demonstrations in August 2024 had convictions for domestic abuse.


NUJ delegate Natasha Hirst said that she was a survivor of domestic abuse and that she was ‘far from alone’ among delegates. Hirst, who also has a disability, spoke in favour of a motion that registered deep concern over proposals to ‘support disabled people into work’. She pointed out that, despite the claims of right-wing politicians, there was no ‘spiralling welfare bill’ or overdiagnosis of disability.


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without making any contribution to its production,” she told delegates.


She thanked other unions and TUC colleagues for their support for the NUJ’s proposals: “Dare I say they will be popular? The power wielded by billionaire tech owners must be redressed.”


“


Public service broadcasters inform, entertain, educate and question. Imagine a world without this


Fran McNulty Joint president, NUJ


Trusted quality news was a fundamental ingredient in a ‘just, thriving, democratic society’, she said.


The NUJ’s resolution was merged with motions from Unison, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers and the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association, which similarly urged the government to redistribute wealth from corporations to workers.


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