NEWS FROM THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE

Informedissue 27 April 2019

tension and violence. They should not Press become target be facing threats or intimidatory tactics because they are doing their jobs.” The number of incidents where the of the far-right press and broadcast journalists have been targeted by far-right groups has been on the increase, including Channel 4’s team who were set upon by pro- supporters outside Downing Street. Hayley Barlow, head of communications, tweeted: “Relieved to report that our Guy Smallman Channel 4 News crew were unharmed tonight, and while their safety remains our priority, they will not be intimidated or deterred from doing their jobs.” The union has since discussed the challenges created by far-right demonstrators with the Metropolitan Police. The NUJ had to force an employer in the West Midlands to support a member after they were the target of right-wing extremists. Three members who have received death threats relating to their work, including a journalist working in Belfast, have been backed by the NUJ’s Anti-fascists at the counter-demonstration at Salford’s Media City legal office. Similar threats to journalists The NUJ has taken a hard stance condemning the action by the far-right were recognised by the European against attacks on the press by thugs saying: “BBC staff should be free Parliament last month when it far-right groups, including a to do their jobs without these threats. voted overwhelmingly in favour demonstration at BBC’s offices Intimidation and violence carried out of a resolution criticising Iran’s in Salford, and the harassment of by far-right protesters systematically treatment of human rights defenders journalists and photographers by targeting the media, especially and journalists. It said: “The Iranian extremists. photojournalists, are becoming more authorities have systematically An estimated 4,000 supporters of the frequent and we will always call out this targeted journalists, including those former English Defence League leader behaviour and report criminal activity to working for the BBC Persian service and Ukip adviser, Tommy Robinson, the police.” and their families, through the use of real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, The union instigated a letter of support criminal investigations, asset freezes, protested outside the BBC’s offices in for journalist Mike Stuchber who was arbitrary arrest, detention, surveillance, Salford because Panorama was carrying harassed outside his home by Robinson harassment, and by spreading false, out an investigation into him. Speakers after contributing to the funding of a malicious, and defamatory publicity.” called the BBC the enemy of the people legal case against him. It called on the Iranian authorities to and told their supporters to cancel Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general stop their persecution of journalists and their TV licences. Opponents staged a secretary, said: “Journalists have a duty their families. counter-demonstration. to scrutinise the claims and activities of Please report any press attacks by The NUJ put out a statement those who foment Islamophobia, racial the far right to [email protected]

Also Michelle’s Media Cairncross in this Message Literacy Review issue: Page 2 Page 8 Page 10 02 Informed Michelle’s Message

Our reps have always been our strength

that our public service broadcaster it’s a trigger for conversations amongst was not treating its own staff fairly colleagues and draws back the curtains – and where the publication of the on an issue that is all too often shrouded high-earners list back in July 2017 in secrecy – what our salary is. We need demonstrated pay inequity on a massive to encourage members to share data and scale – has motivated many members to information on salaries and terms and organise and champion change in their conditions. workplaces. Greater transparency is key. It’s only With a significant volume of equal ever in a company’s interests for pay Talking to NUJ members in a pay cases for NUJ members still in train to be a private deal. Breaking down workplace canteen recently, I was – at various stages of the grievance, data into detailed quartiles of men and told – not for the first time – how an appeal and even tribunal processes – FoC, in trying to persuade others to frustrations still run deep and the BBC get involved on the committee, was has yet to convince many of its staff “It’s vital that chapels promising that the NUJ’s brilliant that it has got a grip on this problem. and workplaces put reps’ training programme was reason It’s dogged, detailed work. The NUJ has gender pay gaps and enough to get more active. great support from our equality and legal He’s not wrong there. The range of officer Natasha Morris, our lawyer and equal pay at the top of reps’ courses we put on consistently gets equal pay specialist Caroline Underhill their agendas” excellent – thanks largely, of at Thompsons and, most of all, our BBC course, to our wonderful trainer Caroline reps and secondees on the ground who women, and BAME data, is a great way Holmes – but also in no small part are putting in the graft and pushing for of getting under the bonnet and seeing because the reps we bring together have the outcomes our members deserve. what horrors lurk. It’s also a source of a huge amount to share and learn from It’s vital that chapels across all sectors great discomfort for many employers, each other. and workplaces should put gender pay which is to be exploited. We’re constantly looking at ways we gaps and equal pay at the top of their The gender pay gap regulations are can get more members engaged in the agendas. It shouldn’t be something flawed – no compulsion on a company work of the union and what training that’s done by a company-established to publish an action plan, or real would be helpful for them to gain the equality group, which in many cases are consequences if they don’t comply. With confidence to get active in the workplace. set up to take the heat out of the fury our collective campaigning and pushing, area we’ll be developing is that ensues when staff digest just how that will change in time. Our experience addressing gender and diversity issues big their gender pay gap is. The chapel is some companies are engaging with in the workplace. The NUJ has put in a must be directly involved and use it as a the NUJ on these issues – they can see huge amount of effort over the past 18 recruitment opportunity. the benefits – for them – of being seen to months, tackling the gender pay gap, In meetings with the Equality and take this issue seriously. It’s not a genie shining a light on equal pay cases and Human Rights Commission over our that will be shoved back into a bottle. putting the issue of pay parity squarely work at the BBC, it was interesting to That provides real opportunities to on the industrial agenda. hear that the imposition of the gender tackle the actual problems that make We’ve had a lot of successes in the pay gap reporting regulations have gender pay a reality – the layered ways process but it’s clear there is so much proven a game-changer in ways they in which women are discriminated more to be done; and our reps are central never anticipated. For starters – the against in the workplace. No pay scales. to that work and our ability to hold focus it’s led to on equal pay. They’re The lack of transparency. Opaque, employers to account. obviously different issues – a wide gender unfair recruitment processes that lead Not least at the BBC, where anger and pay gap doesn’t necessarily mean to managers hiring in their own image. outrage prompted by the knowledge there’ll be an equal pay problem, but The resistance to flexible working and Informed 03

meaningful work-life balance. Pregnancy and maternity discrimination that snapper captured the audience at Headland Our reps have always cuts away opportunities from talented Diary classless Sixties of House. “What Corbyn women. The cult of presenteeism. The Twiggy, Mary Quant needs is a Caribbean been our strength male dominance in senior roles. Workers’ beer and the Beatles, and mum to tell him, ‘You The BBC has woken up to these High on recognition later moved on to have to try harder, you concerns – although there remains a triumph, the Springer photographing Her have to be better, don’t massive issue of loss of faith and trust. Nature chapel scored Pennie Quinton come whining to me’.” The median gap has fallen from another coup as they Of course, acquiring 9.3 to 7.6 per cent, with an action plan gathered to celebrate. new parents as you in place to get to 2020. The mean gap Company CEO Daniel turn 70 is beyond even is also down, from 10.7 to 8.4 per cent. Ropers astonished visionary leaders. While Auntie has become something of activists when he Accepting that, Younge a poster girl of pay inequity, the BBC joined their victory hoped that Diane is much better than the rest of the party. Indeed, as the Abbot might serve media workforce. bar float ran dry, as surrogate. “Maybe Every newspaper group and Ropers suggested a she can give him a clip broadcaster that has covered and, in round on him. MoC round the ear,” he said. some cases revelled in, criticising Michelle Gregory Gary Younge page 7 the BBC on this issue has a worse record politely declined – in their own back-yard. The corporation management largess See you in court is way down the Press Gazette’s league was ill-suited to a union Majesty. His PA banned Billionaire media mogul table of pay gap offenders, with the bash, she said. No photos at the event, Denis O’Brien has sued Economist Group, Dow Jones, the doubt she is planning a so LFB chair Pennie many a media outlet, Telegraph and Mirror Group Newspapers more substantial raid Quinton used her skills but recently lost a showing the largest median hourly on corporate funds once as an artist to capture defamation case against pay gaps. pay talks commence. his image. As he told the Business Of course, we have higher expectations her, he was much more Post for an article about of the BBC; our public service Working-class hero into painting than him being among a large broadcaster should set the standards. London Freelance photography these days group of big borrowers at But it’s a fact that the media industry members were it seemed appropriate. the time of the banking is – from a position of being woefully astonished to find David collapse in Ireland. inadequate on these issues – now feeling Bailey coming along in Caribbean mum The jury dismissed his exposed, putting them in the position person to picking up his What will it take for case, which could leave of taking seriously an issue they have 40-year Life Membership to enter him with €1m legal costs. blithely ignored for so long. certificate to add to Number 10? Guardian He is thought to have So this is very much a work in progress his CBE received from editor-at-large Gary been landed with a – one for which we need more reps the Queen. Swinging Younge shared an similar sum last year wanting to be involved in this part of the London’s favourite idea with a sell-out when his attempt to battle. We’ll continue to roll out more sue the Oireachtas support and training to reps and get (parliament) for chapel committees to organise around discussing elements these issues in the workplace. of his finances in their The NUJ’s strength has always been deliberations was thrown our activists and reps – it’s vital they out by the Supreme are properly equipped and have the Court. Meanwhile, the FT confidence to go out and persuade reports his newspaper colleagues to work together to ensure group, Independent chapels are strong and capable of News & Media, has deploying their collective muscle on been approached for the whole range of issues that make a a takeover. difference to their working lives. 04 Informed News Update

and excessive executive pay. He said: “This year’s gap was slightly down, Because nobody will possibly because the union forced the chief executive to take a £1 million pay cut.” Reps were encouraged to pin up look after Maryport their company’s pay gap at the office. Laura Downes, former MoC at RCNi, Manchester’s Mechanics Institute the health professionals’ publisher, told is famously where the Trades Union how a new chief executive’s bullying Congress was founded in 1868. made people’s life a misery. Collective While our 19th century comrades action resulted in an independent review would have puzzled over the terms of the company which backed the union online trolling and clickbait, the and led to the departure of the CEO and experience of poverty pay and bullying her sidekicks. managements would have been very NEC member Adam Christie explained familiar. So, it was a fitting venue for the Adam Christie: health and safety laws are vital how health and safety legislation was the NUJ’s reps’ summit, bringing together greatest tool for combating bullying and union activists and officials to share with apprentices on a £7,000 salary. harassment at work. information, network and draw up Poverty pay is rife at Newsquest, The reps took part in practical sessions strategies to meet the challenges she says, but it’s even worse where the on making a pay claim, determining of the industry. union isn’t strong.“Despite all, we still employment status while a group of Federica Bedendo, the Newsquest do it,” she said. “I always think of my local democracy heard from group MoC, said she was proud of 69-year-old colleague Viv who says she Phil Morcom, chair of the NUJ’s council colleagues in Cumbria who went on does it ‘because nobody else will look for communications workers, who said strike at Christmas. She described after Maryport’.” council press officers needed more barely-staffed newsrooms, with Steve Bird, Financial Times FoC, said information about the scheme which experienced journalists being replaced his chapel exposed the gender pay gap pays for council meetings to be reported.

Lunch in your lunchtime Research shows that only 15 gender pay gap, with women are determined to uphold Friday 21 June is the longest per cent of photojournalists on average paid 29.2 per the progressive values that day of the year and the NUJ are women. cent less per hour than men. Vice embodies and believe is celebrating by urging The NUJ is holding a Wall Street Journal’s Dow everything that we stand all members to organise conference on Wednesday Jones, the Telegraph and for as a union is in line with breaks outside offices and 19 June to discuss how to Mirror Group Newspaper were these commitments.” newsrooms and to use combat the barriers female among the worst offenders. social media #longestlunch photographers face. CNN had the biggest Newsroom diversity to draw attention to the median bonus pay gap for the Applications are now open importance of taking breaks Gender pay second year, with magazine for the bursaries provided by from work. More than a third of UK publisher Hearst going from the NUJ’s charity, the George Get your your chapel to media companies have had 3.8 per cent to 50.2 per cent. Viner Memorial Foundation, organise some cakes increases in their gender pay Companies said their pay to help black and minority and pies. gaps, according to a Press gap was down to the fact ethnic journalism students Gazette analysis, with the that more men occupied fund their studies. Women photographers Press Association’s median senior roles. Find out more on the NUJ The TUC backed a motion pay gap rising from 0.5 per website; the deadline is by the NUJ calling for more cent to 4.6 per cent in favour Vice recognition bid Friday, 31 May. opportunities for women of men. NUJ members at Vice UK https://www.nuj.org. in photography, mentoring The Economist Group have written to the company uk/rights/george-viner- schemes and grants to remains the media company seeking union recognition. memorial-fund/apply-for-a- address gender imbalance. with the highest median A staff statement said: “We bursary/ Informed 05

BBC investigated by TV News After a long battle atITV there has been welcome breakthrough and a equality watchdog new car-lease scheme will start this month, but discussions on changes to World Service’s and Radio 4’s bank holiday working continue. The World Tonight. They said it would ITN members voted to accept a pay severely damage the news coverage, offer of 2.5 per cent. At Alaraby, the undermine the distinctive voice of year-long union recognition push Radio 4’s only evening news programme resulted in a constructive meeting and the World Service radio’s flagship, between Michelle Stanistreet and the and was unworkable. company and there are high hopes of Six production jobs would be lost and a voluntary recognition agreement. remaining staff and presenters put under As membership increases at Iran unacceptable pressure. Members called International, the London-based for support – a briefing was sent to the 24/7 Farsi-language news channel, NUJ’s cross-party Parliamentary Group the union is pressing for recognition and MPs signed an Early Day Motion talks with its launch company, which called on BBC management to DMA Media, and discussing problems hold meaningful talks with the NUJ to of victimisation of its staff by the develop a plan to preserve the quality Iranian government. and integrity of both programmes. At RTÉ the union successfully moved The BBC board has also been told to members on bogus freelance contracts ditch the deal which will require the to full-time jobs but is still pressing to Pensioners protest against licence threat corporation to fund the free TV licences make those rights retrospective. for over-75s. The BBC has signed a £300m deal MPs back call for a stop to the A letter signed by the NUJ, Age UK to provide natural history shows to merger of flagship radio shows and and the National Pensioners Convention a new global streaming service run pensioners protest against the threat said the scheme would cause poverty by the Discovery Channel and to free TV licences among the elderly and compromise the streaming rights to hundreds A survey of BBC members who have the quality of the BBC’s output so of BBC documentaries; the BBC will lodged equal pay claims is being carried the government must take back receive around £30m per year. The out by the union after the Equality and responsibility for the benefit. BBC and Discovery have agreed to Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Members of the NUJ’s 60+ Council split the 10 channels run by UKTV, launched an investigation into the joined a demonstration outside the office which they jointly own. BBC Studios, broadcaster following complaints from of the Department of Digital, Culture the corporation’s commercial arm, female employees. Media & Sport to make the same points. will take full ownership of seven The commission has held discussions The Daily Mirror’s Paul Routledge said entertainment channels: Alibi, Dave, with the BBC about pay for the past Margret Thatcher had been the milk Drama, Eden, Gold, Yesterday and year and said this month it suspected snatcher and her heirs were the licence W, while Discovery will get Good that some women at the organisation snatchers. Food, Home and Really. It cost the had not received equal pay for equal Discussions about the £40m extra BBC £173m, which came from BBC work. NUJ general secretary, Michelle cuts in BBC News continue and Michelle Studios funds and was not licence Stanistreet, said it was clear from the Stanistreet met National Audit Office fee money, the corporation said NUJ’s involvement that this was correct officials last month to discuss the BBC’s … and finally, Michelle Stanistreet and results of the survey will be sent to implementation of changes to pay and paid tribute to Sue Harris, national the EHRC. terms and conditions. Progress has broadcast organiser who has retired. BBC journalists have issued an urgent been slow, and the unions have made She said she would pass on a big warning on the planned merger of two an application to the ACAS-chaired collective thanks from colleagues and of the corporation’s most important Weekend Working Group to impose the NEC. radio current affairs programmes, the binding arbitration. 06 Informed News Update

Journalists under fire New law on as gunmen roam free copyright Amnesty International Since scores of armed officers burst welcomed into their homes on 31 August last The NUJ has welcomed the year, NUJ members Trevor Birney Copyright Directive in the Digital and Barry McCaffery have been Single Market passed by the clear on one thing, the police action European Parliament. was designed to put a chill on The union worked with the investigative journalism. International and European Seven months on, they remain on Federations of Journalists to get in police bail, their movement in and out place this important and long-awaited of is restricted and the piece of legislation which aims to give police have attempted to prevent them artists, musicians and publishers a from speaking about the case. better chance of being paid when their Both worked on Oscar-winning director work appears on the internet. Alex Gibney’s No Stone Unturned Under article 13, platforms such as documentary feature, released in Google and YouTube will be required to November 2017. It investigates the filter or remove copyrighted material Lochinisland massacre of 1994 in which Barry McCaffery and Trevor Birney from their websites. Memes and Ulster Volunteer Force gunmen sprayed GIFs which are parodies or pastiches a country pub with automatic rifle fire, the facts,” said Barry. The men are will be exempted. Article 13 says killing six and wounding five. feeling the pressure. “We go through a content-sharing services must license The film named the chief suspects and whole range of emotions of anger, guilt, copyright-protected material from the laid bare the Royal Ulster Constabulary’s resignation,” he said. rights holders. apparently wilful failure to bring They have been granted leave by the Under article 11, Google’s news convictions in the case. “Once the film High Court to seek a judicial review, platform will need to take out licences was released, Northern Ireland’s chief expected in May, to challenge the with publishers such as newspapers constable, George Hamilton, had a legality of the search warrants and the for showing content that is less than choice.” said Barry McCaffrey. “He could NUJ continues to campaign for the case two years old on its news feed. The launch a proper investigation to bring to be dropped EU member states have two years to the killers to justice, or he could pursue At a meeting of MPs in Westminster, transpose it into their own laws. the journalists who had shown up the pledges of assistance came from cross- Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general force; sadly, he chose the latter.” party politicians including Tony Lloyd, secretary, said: “The European Their original arrests were made on the the shadow secretary of state Parliament’s adoption of the pretext that they had stolen documents for Northern Ireland, John McDonnell, Copyright Directive is the culmination from the Police Ombudsman – that body Tom Watson, David Davis and Liz of years of campaigning and has since made it clear that it has made Saville Roberts. collective effort by trade unionists no complaint about theft. During their stay in London, the two and campaigners around the world, In March, the authorities attempted attended the Amnesty International including the NUJ and our sister to amend the existing bail conditions media awards. unions. That work has been motivated to prevent the journalists from talking Michelle Stanistreet said: “This case by a shared determination to ensure publicly about the police investigation. is the biggest specific threat to press that journalists and other creatives This was successfully opposed by freedom in UK at present and should be a are properly rewarded for the work the journalists’ lawyers, and the NUJ major concern to all journalists.” they create, and that their rights and condemned this extraordinary attempt Screenings of the film with Trevor livelihoods are not trampled on or to restrict the journalists’ freedom of and Barry present will take place in in ignored by the major global entities speech. “This attempt to gag us shows Glasgow on Sunday 14 April and in that dominate the media industry.” the lengths that police will go to hide Edinburgh on Monday 15 April. Informed 07 News Update

about “black stuff” by their editors and the Home Secretary’s decision to Road trip and chat strip Shamima Begum, the Isis bride, of her citizenship. “Sajid Javid is a year younger than me and grew up with our boost NUJ charities immigration laws and sus laws [stop and search laws used by the police NUJ Almost £1,150 was raised for the predominantly on young black men], but NUJ’s charities by two entertaining that’s what Tory Home Secretaries do.” evening talks by ’s Gary Eugene Costello described his madcap Younge and freelance writer, Eugene road trip to Timbuktu. The freelance Costello. journalist had been forced to turn to NUJ Extra is the union’s hardship fund NUJ Extra and the kindness of friends which assists members and their families following a heart attack and stroke which who need temporary financial help. The meant he couldn’t work. George Viner Memorial Fund (GVMF) was He detailed with his characteristic sense set up to address the lack of diversity in of humour the 5,000-mile trip which the British and Irish media by giving black Gary Younge and Saadeya Shamsuddin ended at a bougainvillea-clad nirvana and ethnic minority students financial in Mali, but also entailed flea-pit hotels, help with their journalism studies. Conversation With… evening was broken axles, “navigational cock-ups”, Gary was the Guardian’s US Saadeya Shamsuddin, a former George hot deserts, hot tempers, and the rapidly correspondent for 12 years and his Viner scholar and now a trustee of GVMF deteriorating relationship with his latest book, Another Day in the Death of who produces Eddie Nestor’s Drivetime travelling companion, travel writer America, centres on 23 November 2013, on BBC Radio London. Nick Redmayne. when 10 people were killed by guns. He In a wide-ranging discussion, Gary So far he has made £1,700 each for NUJ spent 18 months unearthing the stories talked about journalists’ failure to Extra and The British Heart Foundation that lay behind these young lives and their predict events such as Trump’s election on his fundraising website https:// premature deaths. and the result of the EU referendum, uk.gofundme.com/uk-to-timbuktu-by- Fittingly, his interviewer for the In black journalists being forced to write road-challenge.

“Think Dan Brown’s Illuminati meets Students’ exposé of secret David Cameron’s Bullingdon Club” and high-profile members denied society defended by NUJ the hazing allegations, with senator David Norris, an honorary member of The NUJ has defended a university society being taunted, jeered at and the club since 1990, saying: “When I newspaper which recorded the instructed to bend over and get in the joined, they simply dipped my tie into a activities of the all-male Knights of shower as part of a “hazing” or initiation pint of stout.” the Campanile society and reported process. Members were told to “open Riding to the rookie reporters’ rescue on groaning, gagging and retching your fucking mouth” and asked, “Why came Professor Chris Frost, chair of sounds emerging from an apartment aren’t you on your knees”. the NUJ’s ethics council, who described where an initiation ceremony was The report made national news, the the editorial staff’s investigative taking place. student journalists were accused of techniques as “beyond reproach and The organisation, established in 1926, breaching ethics standards by the consistent with the highest professional is known for its “mysterious entry editor of the university’s rival student standards of public interest, procedures and a reputation for alcohol- newspaper and the students’ union investigative journalism”. fuelled high-jinks”, according to the Irish called for a referendum to starve the It was acceptable to use a tape Times. publication of funds. recorder to record conversations that The Trinity College Dublin’s University Commenting on the society, Irish can be heard in a corridor when in the Times article reported members of the Times writer, John McManus, said, public interest, he added. 08 Informed

Spotlight

, WhatsApp, Snapchat, YouTube “Hey Alexa, and the smart speaker in your sitting room all competing with the TV, radio and newspapers, greater sophistication in media literacy is needed. what’s the news?” For the journalist the story is about the who, why, what, where and when. For the reader it has always been: “Why are they telling me this?” But, increasingly, it is also “Who is telling me this?” as the constant

Matt Kenyon Matt bombardment and buzz of information from our mobile devices makes it hard to track where the news without mastheads is coming from. For young people, many of whom learned to use their iPad in the pram, it can be a minefield. They are constantly targeted by a range of vloggers and “influencers” paid by advertisers to promote their wares among the make-up tips and whacky videos. Digital marketing company, Exposure Ninja, claims on its website: “A whopping 81 per cent of the population trusts the advice they get from bloggers, making them very powerful advocates for any brand online.” On the first Monday of Media Literacy Week (18 to 22 March), the NUJ brought together a panel of media experts who work on projects to promote better understanding of the news process, particularly for young people. Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary, said the union had a long tradition of supporting ethical journalism, promoting a diverse media industry and regularly works with journalism colleges. With non-stop Hey Alexa, are your stories second- “Boosting our critical capacity to weed out sourced, the data confirmed by the what’s been fact-checked from what has news popping Office of National Statistics and not is the challenge we all face and a skill up on our digital are you following the NUJ code of we need to help our children acquire from practice? the earliest possible age,” she said. devices, Frances Hey Alexa, is my news coming from a “Trust in journalism underpins all this Rafferty asks how neo-liberal media mogul, Saudi Arabian work – as does having a media which prince, Ofcom-regulated broadcaster, left- reflects the world it depicts.” journalists can play leaning Trust or Keith’s mum? Kate Morris, a former journalist and Half the people who own voice-activated convenor of the BA in Journalism at a role in helping digital appliances use them for news and Goldsmiths, University of London, said people make sense information. Because the ways people the Edelman Trust Barometer 2019 receive their news proliferate, with found that 55 per cent of British people of it all Facebook, Instagram, Google, iTunes, believe the media does not represent Informed 09

their views, however, since the Brexit sessions for teachers to develop critical referendum, a third said they had read The three-second literacy skills.” more political news. challenge They also learn about the role of Part of this lack of trust, she said, was journalists in holding power to account. due to poor media plurality in the UK. Just Lucie Spicer (pictured) is education A recent lesson discussing the Windrush three companies (News UK, Daily Mail co-ordinator of Shout Out UK which scandal proved popular. Group and Reach) dominated 83 per cent promotes political engagement “They enjoyed discussing the issue and of the national newspaper market. among young people. having their say on an ‘adult’ subject; Five local news groups covered 80 per The project teaches them to think they had a clear view on how unfair it had cent of the market and two companies critically about the information they been,” said Angie Pitt. owned nearly half of all commercial consume. Media Minded, a series of The BBC’s Young Reporter scheme analogue radio stations, she said, quoting plays a similar role for 11- to 18-year-olds, new figures from the Media Reform working in partnership with schools, Coalition show. colleges, youth organisations and The other cause was the lack of charities, and the young people get to investment in journalism and the cut in meet BBC journalists and presenters, numbers of journalists. She cited figures such as Huw Edwards and the from the media consultancy, Mediatique, team. Like NewsWise, it creates resources which in its report for the Cairncross for schools and colleges. review into the press, estimated the NUJ members are involved in other number of front- line journalists had fallen schemes, such as Press Pass, a week-long from 23,000 in 2007, to 17,000 . events held in Birmingham, Belfast initiative set up in 2012 between the Irish “This leads to less fact-checking, less in- and Newcastle last year, gave tips press industry and schools which is held depth investigative reporting and more to avoid “being fooled by the media” every November. so-called churnalism,” said Kate Morris. which included asking them to Pupils learn about the writing, analysis, Journalists had a role to play in analyse their emotional response to a preparation and photography involved in rebuilding the trust in our news and story, to be aware of their own biases putting a newspaper together. in helping young people how to spot and to look further into a story’s Online Media Law, run by Holly Powell- quality news that can be trusted and to source. They were shown how images Jones, educates social media users about understand why it is vital to a functioning can be easily be manipulated. media law and ethics in the UK – including democracy, she added. “Most young people will only read in schools. Even journalism students found it the Metro if there is no Wi-Fi,” said Catherine Deveney is a journalist and difficult to distinguish from news and Lucie. “Instagram and Snapchat are author working on the NUJ Media Skills adverting copy: “Pressure on newspapers, the main sources of their news. They for Schools project in the Highlands. caused by the loss of online advertising prefer YouTube to TV. They need to It teaches teachers and pupils how to revenue to Google and Facebook, has learn how to work out how to access produce newspapers and radio led to some resorting to clickbait copy to news that is accurate and can be shows with high journalistic and ethical generate clicks for advertisers, and the trusted. My challenge is to get them standards. It nurtures young talent blurring of advertorials and rise of native in the habit of counting to three while and offers pathways, such as advertising is skewing good journalism.” they think about a story or link before apprenticeships, to young people The Guardian Foundation’s NewsWise sharing it on social media.” interested in media careers. helps 9- to 11-year-olds recognise The biggest challenge is the funding, disinformation, bias, opinion, rumour and Catherine Deveney says: “The project is media-driven hoaxes such as the Momo Angie Pitt, NewsWise project director, the perfect vehicle for several government Challenge. The foundation, funded by said: “If we want to build trust, we can’t be strategies, but funding is piecemeal and Google and working in partnership with a closed shop, we have to open our doors. there is a lack of cohesion and coherence. the PSHE (Physical, Social, Health and “There is a classroom at The Guardian “This is common among many of these Economic) Association and National and we also go out to schools all over the projects and it is too important to have a Literacy Fund, found that only 2 per cent UK. We create teams of sub-editors and hit and run approach to such an important of children had the critical literacy skills editors with an editor-in-chief (who has a issue – it needs to be sustainable and they needed to tell whether a news story visor) to show them how to produce news embedded knowledge.” was real or fake. stories and fact-check and we run training Any ideas Alexa? 10 Informed

Spotlight

Facebook of behaving like “digital Has Brexit blocked gangsters”. Zuckerberg, the MPs said, had “shown contempt” towards them for refusing to give evidence in person. The committee called for an independent press reform? regulator to oversee a new compulsory code of ethics for tech companies. In the wake of Cairncross, the duopoly finds itself at the centre of probes by the Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) which, at the behest Mark Thomas of the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, is investigating the fairness of the digital advertising market, and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, which is reviewing how that market is regulated. “These things are not happening randomly,” says Polly Curtis, a former editor-in-chief of HuffPost UK and a member of the Cairncross advisory panel. “Watching how they are landing in sequence, I think there is a concerted effort to actually do something meaningful about this.” Mimi Turner, consulting chief marketing officer to News UK’s Wireless Group and an adviser to Cairncross, says big tech is no longer seen as an “Alice Through the Looking Glass world” that is beyond Ian Burrell says the trade. Her government-backed Cairncross regulation. “What feels very apparent Review of the future of British quality is that governments and regulators all Cairncross review journalism is central to a concerted, multi- around the world are looking at Google agency pushback against the dominance and Facebook with a level of scrutiny of news has some of the digital duopoly which, as she noted that regulation didn’t try to address good ideas, but are in her final report, sucked up 54 per cent previously,” she said. of the UK’s digital advertising in 2017. But Cairncross was about more than ministers listening? Research firm eMarketer predicts that protecting news from big tech’s share will reach 65 per cent by 2021. on the ad market. Its mission was also to Fifteen years ago Dame Frances The key Cairncross recommendation assess how journalism was reporting on Cairncross swapped journalism for is to ensure that an “unbalanced public bodies, nationally and locally. an eminent role in academia, just relationship” between online platforms The 156-page final report is a sobering as a geeky student was hatching an and news outlets “does not jeopardise the snapshot of the UK news industry in 2019. enterprise in a Harvard dormitory that financial viability of news publishers”. It It highlights how the number of “full- now dominates global media. calls for new codes of conduct between the time frontline” journalists working in the Today, as Mark Zuckerberg’s two parties, overseen by a new regulator. UK has fallen from 23,000 in 2007 to Facebook and its Silicon Valley Attacks on the duopoly are now coming 17,000 today. In that period, newspaper sibling, Google, threaten to engulf from all angles. annual advertising spend dropped by advertiser-funded UK news, Dame Within days of Cairncross being 69 per cent (£3.2 billion) and annual Frances, who had long careers at The published in February, Parliament’s circulation revenue declined by 23 per Economist and The Guardian before Digital, Culture, Media & Sport select cent (£500 million). becoming rector of Exeter College, committee reported on its 18-month Cairncross concludes that quality Oxford, was sought out to bail out her old investigation into fake news, accusing journalism in the UK is in such a parlous Informed 11

state that a new Institute for Public News is needed, and tax relief should be What the NUJ said the inquiry. The NUJ’s initial response given to those engaged in public interest When the review was announced the to Dame Frances’s report was that she journalism. Culture Secretary, Jeremy NUJ was critical that there was no had let the tech giants off the hook. Wright, has promised to discuss this voice for journalists on its advisory They had for too long had a free ride by proposal with Treasury colleagues body; the union believed it had a raiding content supplied by the press and to examine with the Charity right to a seat at the table. without contributing to the industry. Commission whether public interest Michelle Stanistreet was invited to It was time to pay up. It is now the job investigative journalism could benefit meet Dame Frances and gave her a of the DCMS to take on the report’s from charitable status. picture of what the local newspaper recommendations and Michelle met That drastic measures are needed was sector means for those working in it: officials to discuss the next steps. She made clear in March with publication of no investment in journalism, poor said the report had been wrong to The Media Reform Coalition’s Who Owns pay and never-ending cuts. Michelle make the BBC the villain and to expect The UK Media report, which suggests said the market was broken and, licence fee payers to fund the failings of that the disruption caused by the digital if funding was made available for the commercial sector. duopoly has done nothing to improve public-interest journalism, giving it to If an Institute for Public Interest plurality of UK media ownership. the established news groups would News was set up, any funding must be It found that more than half of national do nothing to improve sustainable, linked to public-interest journalism and print daily sales are of The Sun or Daily quality journalism. The union sent a increasing the diversity of the industry Mail, and that the publishers of those comprehensive written submission to by class and ethnicity. titles have 60 per cent of the weekly print market and 49.85 per cent of national newspaper revenues. support reporting of courts and councils. the BBC’s impact on online news to the The MRC reports that 83 per cent of The scheme is a response to criticisms damage caused to the music industry by the national newspaper market is held by that the BBC’s ambitions – like those of digital piracy. three publishers (Rupert Murdoch’s News Facebook and Google – have distorted the But Cairncross panelist Polly Curtis UK, the Daily Mail group, and Reach, which online market, particularly for local news insists the BBC is not the villain. “There’s owns the Mirror and Express titles). media. Cairncross suggests the not been enough innovation in local news These publishers, along with the BBC “should do more to share its technical and that’s part of why they are in such dire Guardian and Telegraph stables, have and digital expertise” with straits,” she says. 80 per cent of online market share. local publishers. “I think it’s absolutely the role of Digital native sites, such as The Canary, In yet another review, Ofcom is now the public broadcaster to fill those Westmonster and Novara Media, are tiny “considering the role” of the BBC in the gaps. It’s not about subsidising news in comparison. “It is clear that smaller news market. companies, but ensuring we have a and newer UK-based digital journalism The LDF builds on an existing BBC local healthy democracy.” sites… find it difficult to compete for digital democracy reporters’ scheme which The Welsh government is also trying to audiences with legacy news outlets,” the costs the broadcaster £8m a year and plug holes in public interest journalism report concludes. pays for 144 journalists nationwide. and has created a new £200,000 funding When it comes to local news, five The scheme has been criticised because pot to be shared by hyperlocal companies own 80 per cent of the nearly all the reporters are placed with news services. 1,068 titles, with the remainder shared three major publishers: Reach, Gannett The clarion call from Cairncross among 57 small publishers. Media UK/Newsquest and JPI Media. has prompted pledges of action in plurality “is getting worse”, says the Natalie Fenton, professor of media Westminster but whether they will be MRC, which conducted a similar study in and communications at Goldsmiths, seen through is far from certain. 2015. Concentration of ownership is at University of London and Media After years of decline, the UK news “endemic levels”, it suggests. Research Centre chair, said: “What you industry may be celebrating a watershed Days after Cairncross was published, have to do is insist that money goes moment – if only its timing hadn’t BBC Director-General, Tony Hall, into not-for-profit journalism, so it’s not coincided with Brexit. announced the formation of a charitable going into shareholders’ pockets at “Sadly, there currently isn’t a focus Local Democracy Foundation (LDF) to major organisations.” on anything other than one thing “bring about a sea change in local public In a speech in March, Reach CEO and in government,” reflects one of the interest journalism” through a fund to former HMV boss, Simon Fox, compared Cairncross team. Informed 12 Recruitment Update

for more diversity in the characters Why the NUJ could be portrayed in books, but until you have a more diverse workforce, with people from a much wider range of the next bestseller backgrounds commissioning authors, this will not happen.” Poor pay and lack of diversity make Last year, when companies with more the books sector ripe for recruitment than 250 employees were forced to The London Book Fair was buzzing. published data on their gender gaps in With more than 25,000 visitors over the pay and bonuses, there was nowhere three days and 1,500-plus exhibitors, to hide for the publishing industry. the industry was networking, making Hachette reported a 30 per cent pay gap six-figure deals, showcasing new (mean) between men and women and authors, promoting already-famous ones Elsevier Ltd 29 per cent; whereas for and discussing trends in publishing and Penguin Books Ltd it was 6 per cent. its workforce. “There have since been moves to tackle Catherine Brereton, NEC member for this issue,” said Catherine, “and it hasn’t books, and Fiona Swarbrick, national all been a box-ticking exercise. But there organiser, were flying the NUJ flag, is great room for improvement and the putting forward the union’s case during London’s Book Fair attracts 25,000 visitors union can play an important role by seminars on age discrimination in working with managements to put in publishing and the need for greater of start-ups doing interesting things, place policies promoting more women to diversity. Setting up shop in one of the plus a flourishing trade in regional top management roles. It is bewildering cafes at the Olympia venue in London, publishing outside London.” to see so many very talented women who they welcomed anyone who wanted to Publishing was ripe for NUJ don’t get to the next level.” find out more about the union. recruitment and pay was proving a huge Fiona Swarbrick believes lack of The digital revolution has not had the issue for editorial staff, said Catherine unionisation has been a factor in the same devastating effect on the book Brereton. “For many, pay is poor and poor pay. trade as it has in the newspaper there is a real problem with the gender She said: “There is not the same union industry; the e-book has not killed the pay gap. culture in publishing that there has been printed book star. “It is an industry dominated by women, in newspapers. But where the union is Benedicte Page, deputy editor of but with mainly men at the top. It is also strong, say at Penguin Random House, The Bookseller, said the publishing an industry where unpaid internships Faber and Usborne, the conditions are sector was relatively stable, while not have been rife and getting a step on the much better. We now need to boost our showing much growth. “E-books are ladder, say with work experience, has profile in the books industry – we’ll be well-established, but readers still love been the preserve of the rich and well- back at the Book Fair next year and plan the printed book. Publishers are making connected,” she said. to speak at a seminar on the future of the the printed book a beautiful object, “I went to a seminar about the need publishing workforce.” with lovely jacket designs and gorgeous production. So the balance has settled between the two formats, each with its own strengths. In academic publishing, Bread & the NUJ’s London HQ putting on stand-up businesses are having to adapt to the with a range of pop-up comedy, play, cabaret digital transformation under way in Roses chapel kitchens providing a and quiz nights. There scholarly communications. bar news variety of food. is a discount for NUJ “Although a few big publishers The NUJ has a new It’s a great place to members on food, drink dominate the publishing scene, partnership with meet contacts and and tickets. particularly since the merger of Penguin the Workers Beer network. The Chapel For details, see with Random House five years ago, the Company, which is Playhouse, in the What’s On: http:// independent publishing sector is really running the bar on basement, is London’s www.chapelplayhouse. vibrant. Indies feature strongly on the the ground floor of newest fringe theatre, co.uk/whats-on.html literary prize shortlists and there are lots