MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS

WWW.NUJ.ORG.UK | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2018 Contents

Main feature 16 Taking the long view Demand for in-depth blogs News t’s that time of the year again to look back, 03 Fight for equality at the BBC take stock and look forward. 2017 has been a challenging time for our Eight out of ten women paid less industry on many levels. The difficulties 04 Diversity, more action needed of job cuts, closures and much less time People at the top are white says Abbott forI journalists to leave their desks and meet the people they write about have continued 05 Oldham daily resurrected unabated. Then there is the damaging spread of fake news and But Doncaster jobs move out of town the pall it casts over all news reporting. 06 NUJ backs ethical PR Accusations of biased journalism have also gained traction 10 principles for practitioners especially in the case of Jeremy Corbyn, who was largely and persistently written off by many in the media despite him “attracting massive crowds to his public appearances. Features But in the face of these problems there have been successes 10 Tough times for college papers too. Community-based journalism has led to the creation of Pressure mounts over cash and content new titles that are embraced by their readers. And at its best, journalism remains one of the most varied, 12 A day in the life of... stimulating and satisfying ways to make a living. In this edition an agricultural correspondent we see enthusiasm for the profession from Rachel Martin, an 14 See you in court agricultural journalist and farmer who writes A Day in the Life Do freelances need libel insurance? of, and from freelance Delhi journalist Will Brown, the author of the Starting Out column. Wishing you a prosperous and successful 2018. Regulars 09 Viewpoint 18 Starting out 19 NUJ & Me 26 And finally Christine Buckley Editor @mschrisbuckley

Arts with Attitude Pages 20-21 Editor NUJ [email protected] 72 Acton Street Design London WC1X 9NB Surgerycreations.com [email protected] [email protected] www.nuj.org.uk Advertising Tel: 020 7843 3700 Steve Bell Melanie Richards Manchester office Raymond Page 22 Tel: 07494975239 [email protected] Snoddy [email protected] Glasgow office Print [email protected] Page 25 Warners Cover picture www.warners.co.uk Dublin office [email protected] Steve Bell Distribution ” GB Mail www.gb-mail.co.uk

02 | theJournalist news Equal pay fight begins in brief... HOPKINS LEAVES THE MAILONLINE for 100 BBC women Katie Hopkins, the controversial columnist, has left MailOnline after he NUJ is taking action show that the gender pay two years writing for the website. to secure equal pay on gap for women in their 20s is The Mail said that her departure Tbehalf of more than 100 now five times greater than it was by mutual consent and that her women at the BBC. was six years ago – rising contract was not renewed. The The move comes following from 1.1 per cent to 5.5 per move comes several months after a survey by the union that cent. They also demonstrate her radio show was axed by LBC. found nearly eight out of 10 that older women still face women at the corporation greater pay discrimination Nearly eight SUPPORT FOR BBC believe they are paid less than workers at the start of PERSIAN CAMPAIGN than male counterparts their career, with women in “out of 10 The International Federation of Over 78 per cent of their 50s paid on average Journalists executive committee respondents to an NUJ survey minority ethnic backgrounds. 18.6 per cent less than their women at the unanimously backed the BBC said they knew or believed The pay disparity came as a male colleagues. Persian journalists campaign to stop that men doing the same or great shock to many women The BBC’s own report of its corporation the targeting, harassment and comparative roles got better journalists who suddenly graded staff, overseen by Sir believe they persecution of journalists and their pay than their female discovered their male Patrick Elias, the former families by the Iranian authorities. counterparts. counterpart next to them on Appeal Court judge, are paid less The findings followed the the sofa, in the studio or concluded that there was “no NEWSQUEST SEEKS publication by the BBC of the newsroom were earning systemic discrimination than male ISLE OF WIGHT CUTS on-air “talent” who earned much more than them, in against women in the BBC’s Newsquest has called for voluntary more than £150,000. The list some cases with less pay arrangements”. The counterparts redundancies at the Isle of Wight showed that only a third were experience. report did not include on-air County Press four months after it women and of the 96 named Recent figures from the staff, which is subject to a bought the title. The publisher only 10 were from black or Office for National Statistics separate review. described the move as regrettable but part of its plan to ensure that the paper has a sustainable future. The NUJ has urged Newsquest to ” share its plan with its staff ahead of UNION LOSES PENSIONS LEGAL BATTLE their decisions on whether to seek he union has lost a legal case to opt out of a final salary pension and The NUJ went on to back John redundancy. over pensions against the BBC cap how much of pay rises could be Bradbury, a BBC symphony clarinet Tand is likely to face a bill of pensionable. Both the NUJ and Bectu player, in a legal challenge to the BBC BILL TACKLES BOGUS about £200,000 for the corporation’s took strike action. Acas, the over pensions. The case went to the SELF EMPLOYMENT legal costs. conciliation service, suggested a High Court, the pensions ombudsman, The NUJ has welcomed publication The case follows a long-running fight compromise on the pensions changes, back to the High Court and then to the of a Labour Party bill in Ireland to with the BBC over pensions after the which was accepted by Bectu but Court of Appeal at which Lady Gloster tackle bogus self-employment organisation tried to encourage staff rejected by the NUJ. ruled in the BBC’s favour. contracts. The Protection of Employment (Measures to Counter False Self Employment) Bill 2017 would put all workers on an equal footing where they carry out the Mirror NUJ members asked for proof same duties, but are not legally designated as ‘employees’. Mirror executives including managing editor Irish delegate conference, Page 7 Aidan McGurran faced questions over why NUJ members were still being denied a voice at the ARTS COUNCIL FUNDS titles during a recent Q&A meeting with staff. FOR NUJ MEMBERS One member wanted to know whether it was Northern Ireland’s Arts Council has time for the Mirror, as a Labour-supporting given awards to two NUJ members. paper, to allow Jeremy Corbyn’s own union – Former Cathaoirleach (Chair) of the VEEKAY / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO STOCK / ALAMY VEEKAY the NUJ – back inside the building. Irish Executive, Felicity McCall, Mr McGurran, a Labour councillor in received funding for an imaginary Basildon, Essex, insisted that the NUJ had memoir based on single motherhood UJ journalists trying to re-establish the “never left the building”, despite a long in her family. Former MoC in BBC union at the Daily and Sunday Mirror campaign by journalists for union recognition. Radio Foyle Freya McClements won Nand Sunday People have been told to He said that it was up to the NUJ to “prove” it funding for a collection of short “prove” they have a better case for recognition had more members than the British stories, provisionally entitled ‘On than the rival British Association of Journalists. Association of Journalists. The Threshold’.

theJournalist | 03 news in brief... Abbott makes diversity demands BUZZFEED UK LOST £3 MILLION IN 2016 iane Abbott, the shadow officer. She became white journalists from colleges with a diverse range Buzzfeed is cutting 20 jobs in the UK home secretary, said parliament’s first black privileged backgrounds.” of journalism students. as part of cuts across its operations. Dmuch more work female MP in 1987. She said the wide use of • Journalists needed to It is expected that up to 100 staff needed to be done to ensure Claudia Jones was a unpaid internships made it organise in unions to fight for will be affected in the US. Buzzfeed diversity in the media and journalist, activist and almost impossible for fair employment and use has about 1,700 employees that black and Asian people campaigner and a founder of working-class young people their networks and collective worldwide. were often misrepresented in the Notting Hill Carnival. to break into the media. action to effect change. media coverage. Abbott said: “There may be She made several • People of colour should NEW FOOD MAGAZINE She was giving the NUJ’s more black and brown faces recommendations to make complain to media GOES ON THE MENU Claudia Jones lecture in on the screen these days, but the media fairer and more organisations if unhappy National Geographic has launched a Westminster as part of Black those with power, the people representative. about their portrayal. monthly food magazine. Food, History Month in October. who make all the decisions on • Companies should recruit • People should use social which has 164 pages, had an initial Abbott is a former which stories are chosen and not only from Oxbridge but media to put forward views print run of 50,000. It is National television reporter and press how they are framed, are also from higher education not in the mainstream media. Geographic’s second spin-off, following Traveller in 2010. NUJ DRIVE AT THE SCOTTISH TUC ownership in the MOJO MAGAZINE media, the differences HIRES UNCUT EDITOR he NUJ took two to create and access The conference, Dominic Bascombe in reporting on issues John Mulvey, the editor of Uncut, motions to the public spaces for themed “Educate, presented a workshop affecting BME has been appointed editor of Bauer TScottish TUC marginalised Agitate, Organise”, on how communities communities in the US Media’s monthly music magazine black workers’ communities. brought together could use forms of and the UK and the Mojo. He takes over from Phil conference, one on Both were agreed delegates from a media such as zines, intersection of Alexander, who went to Wasted the need for diversity and will be addressed range of trade unions. podcasts and YouTube. alternative forms of Talent as global creative director of in the media, and by the STUC black The NUJ’s Scottish He also explored media with traditional Kerrang! and Rock Music Media. another on the right workers’ committee. assistant organiser monopolistic outlets.

4 | theJournalist news Oldham daily rises again in brief... HARDING TO STAND DOWN FROM THE BBC as Doncaster jobs move James Harding, BBC director of news and current affairs, is standing he NUJ has welcomed the return of the members from that collapse. down at the start of the new year Oldham Evening Chronicle after it was “Clearly, there was a wealth of journalistic to set up his own news media Tbought by a broadcaster following its experience and talent that had worked hard for venture. He joined the BBC in 2013, sudden closure in August with the loss of the community that was laid waste at the time.” having left the editor’s role at The 49 jobs. However, across the Pennines in Doncaster, Times the year before. The BBC has The buyer, local independent radio station South Yorkshire, there has been a fresh blow recently received criticism over its Revolution 96.2, also has acquired the rights to local journalism with the news that the coverage of the Scottish to a series of monthly sister titles including the Independence referendum, Brexit Oldham Extra, Saddleworth Extra, Tameside A wealth of and Jeremy Corbyn. Extra and Dale Times and quarterly magazines Oldham Business Edge, The Knowledge and “journalistic JAMES MURDOCH Primary Knowledge. CHAIR OF SKY AGAIN The union has been in discussions with Matt Doncaster Free Press will no longer be talent that James Murdoch has been re-elected Ramsbottom, Revolution 96.2’s managing produced in the town a presence there for as chair of Sky despite a director, and is hopeful for the future of the more than 90 years. had worked shareholder rebellion. Just 51.6 per 169-year-old title. Owner Johnston Press told journalists they cent backed him to stay in the top Chris Morley, northern and Midlands would have to move to an office in Sheffield or for the job. Dissenters were concerned organiser, said: “I welcome the news that the work from home. The paper moved to its community there was a potential conflict of highly respected Oldham Evening Chronicle current office in Printing Office Street only interest because of Murdoch’s role and associated titles have been bought with three years ago. was laid as chief executive of 21st Century the intention of relaunching them. It was previously based in offices at Sunny Fox, which is trying to buy Sky in “The suddenness of the collapse of the Bar, its home since it was founded by printer waste an £11.7 billion deal. Chronicle under previous ownership was Dickie Crowther in 1925. It was then called traumatic for staff and we as a union are the Doncaster Free Press and Courier of PA TAKES STAKE IN working hard to secure the best for our Coming Events. EQUITY NEWS GROUP The Press Association has taken a stake in a London-based financial news service that wants to expand ” across Europe. PA and Germany’s PAUL LEAVES NUJ Deutsche Presse-Agentur have AFTER 25 YEARS taken a combined eight per cent aul Holleran, the sat on the Scottish NUJ, Paul Holleran was a stake in Alliance News. The group, NUJ’s Scottish Government’s umbrella journalist. which was launched in 2013, Porganiser, has left the group for mental health and At the GMB, he will be provides real-time equities news union after more than 25 suicide. He led much work responsible for health for financial professionals years in the role. on combating stress in the and safety and training and investors. He has returned to his workplace. In addition, he for north-west England native Liverpool to work for was an active member of and Ireland. PRIMA EDITOR GETS the GMB. the cross-party group on He is being replaced by BROADER HEARST JOB Holleran specialised in media issues. John Toner, the union’s Hearst UK has appointed the health and safety work and Before working for the freelance organiser. executive editor of Prima, Gaby Huddart, to the role of acting group editorial director. She is responsible for lifestyle magazines Prima, Good Housekeeping and Red. Huddart has been executive editor of Prima for Poetry prize for former FoC Martin four years.

former FoC at BBC work of Hedd Wyn (Ellis held in Wales, England and EX BBC TRUSTEE GOES Cymru/Wales has won Humphrey Evans). Belgium to commemorate TO TRINITY MIRROR Aa bardic chair and £100 Hedd Wyn died after being Hedd Wyn. He died on the Former BBC Trustee Nick Prettejohn at a festival held to injured at the Battle of same day and in the same has been appointed as the new commemorate a First World Pilckem Ridge in Belgium six battle as Irish poet Francis chair of Trinity Mirror’s board of War poet. weeks before he was due to Ledwidge. directors. Prettejohn, who is chair of Martin Huws won the prize win a bardic chair at the Huws has worked at BBC insurance firm Scottish Widows, at the Black Chair Festival in National Eisteddfod in Cymru/Wales since 1994. He will join the board as non-executive Birkenhead for a series of Birkenhead in 1917. also worked at ITV Cymru and director in February before he is set poems about the life and Many events have been the Western Mail. to take over as chairman in May.

theJournalist | 5 news in brief... NUJ backs principles on WSJ ENDS EUROPE AND ASIAN EDITIONS The Wall Street Journal has stopped ethical practice in PR publishing its Asian and European editions. The decision came after its he NUJ has backed a owner News Corp reported a loss of declaration on ethical PR $643 million in its most recent fiscal Tby the International year, which ended on 30 June. It Communications Consultancy made a $235 million profit during Organisation. the previous year. The Wall Street Phil Morcom, chair of the Journal began publishing the Asian NUJ public relations and edition in 1976 and the European communications industrial edition in 1983. council, said: “The NUJ is absolutely committed to GLAMOUR CUTS DOWN All too ethical journalism in all its worldwide PR industry to stand PR professionals should be ITS PRINT PRESENCE often, PR forms, including public by 10 principles of ethical open about sponsors. The British issue of fashion title “ relations. behaviour announced at its The principles also warn Glamour has switched to a professionals “The recent Helsinki global summit in Helsinki. against creating or spreading digital-first strategy, under which it Declaration on ethical PR The Helsinki Declaration fake news or being involved in will print a magazine twice a year need strong practice is a valuable tool for stands for the importance of practices such as and merge its editorial and reminding practitioners of PR work that is ethical and in “astroturfing” whereby commercial operations. The trade union their responsibilities and the public interest; that is attempts are made to create magazine was founded in 1939 in echoes NUJ guidance. truthful and respectful of an impression of widespread the US and was originally called support to “It remains clear that all privacy; that does not cause support for a policy, individual Glamour of Hollywood. too often PR professionals offence; and that upholds the or product. resist the continue to need strong trade reputation of the industry. The declaration also states BBC SWITCHES pressure union support to resist the It has 10 principles. These that PR professionals should OFF CRIMEWATCH pressure to behave include working ethically and safeguard confidential Crimewatch, one of the BBC’s to behave unethically, and the NUJ within the law, observing high information about clients, longest-running shows, is being continues to provide professional standards and organisations and individuals. taken off screens after 33 years. unethically members with that support.” dealing honestly with Finally, it notes that PR The programme, which asks The International employees, colleagues, workers should remember viewers for help to track down Communications Consultancy clients, the media, they have a duty to uphold criminals, is hosted by Jeremy Vine Organisation called on the government and the public. their industry’s reputation. and Tina Daheley. IAN KATZ TAKES TOP UNION HONOURS FOR TONY AND LINDA JOB AT CHANNEL 4 ” Ian Katz, editor of BBC 2’s usband and wife Linda is best known as the over the implementation of Newsnight, is to become director of team Tony and Linda paper’s long-serving new technology at the Echo programmes at Channel 4. He HColling – stalwarts of women’s page writer, and and its sister papers owned replaces Jay Hunt, who has moved both the Sunderland Echo Tony is a photographer for by the then Portsmouth & to Apple, and will be responsible for newspaper and its NUJ the newspaper. Sunderland Newspapers commissioning programmes and chapel – were surrounded Their membership has group. managing Channel 4’s schedule. He by former colleagues as the encompassed the 1978-79 The event was hosted by edited Newsnight for four years union awarded them life Newspaper Society strike, and the Sunderland, Shields and after joining from The Guardian membership. the 1985 three-month strike Hartlepool NUJ branch. where he was deputy editor.

MOYLAN LEAVES BBC TO JOIN STONEHAVEN Meet the new Solent branch John Moylan, one of the BBC’s most senior journalists, has joined ortsmouth Branch has appropriate to name itself years in local hands. The Stonehaven, the marketing and officially become Solent after one city. chapel feared this could public affairs agency, as a director. PBranch – and crossed Ryde was picked as the mean a loss of jobs and Moylan has covered business and the Solent strait in the process. venue as island colleagues had independence. There is nearly economics at the BBC for more than It travelled to the Isle of felt excluded from meetings. 100 per cent NUJ membership. 20 years. In the past six years, he Wight for the launch meeting The timing couldn’t have A cake bearing the branch’s was industry correspondent, – the first NUJ meeting on the been better: in the summer, new logo (made by member covering areas such as energy, steel, island since the 1990s. Newsquest took over the Habibur Rahman) was cut by the automotive industry and the The branch’s reach had weekly Isle of Wight County Bill Bradshaw, Deputy FoC at gig economy. grown and it was no longer Press, after more than 130 the County Press.

6 | theJournalist news Journalism is devalued in brief... GARDA’S FRY PROBE A WASTE OF TIME when staff are exploited The Dublin Freelance Branch noted the farce earlier this year when it he concentration of MAXWELL emerged Garda time was wasted media ownership, bogus investigating whether Stephen Fry Tself-employment breached Irish blasphemy laws. The “contracts” and the gender meeting instructed the IEC to pay gap were the main issues participate in any campaign to of debate at the recent remove the blasphemy provision Biennial Irish Delegate from the Irish Constitution as it is Conference in Dublin under contrary to the principles of the banner of “Valuing freedom of expression and religion. Journalism”. Irish Secretary Séamus JAIL AND LASHES Dooley told delegates that FOR MILD CRITICISM journalism is devalued when ownership,” he said. on the value of news and the The meeting condemned the workers are exploited. “We have a new Taoiseach ability of journalists to do our increasing repression and “Journalism is exploited – and yes, Leo, we love your job. imprisonment of journalists when the national public new socks. But you know “It means that there are throughout the world, and sent service broadcaster seeks what? If the Taoiseach wants parts of this country where greetings to Raif Badawi, a blogger volunteers to work for to be different to his courts and local authority We call imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for mild nothing on digital radio. I am predecessor he can forget meetings are no longer criticism of the regime, who has delighted to say that we have about the socks – and sock it covered.” “on the received 50 lashes. The Derry & made significant progress in to the newspaper owners. Dooley also urged an end North West Branch called on the ending that unacceptable “He needs to confront the to the ban on Irish Times government Irish Government to protest to the practice at RTÉ. There will be powerful media interests and contributors on Communicorp Saudi government. no more unpaid volunteers bring in legislation.” programmes including to tackle on digital radio.” Dooley explained that the Newstalk and TodayFM. He the issue of NON-JOURNALISTS On media ownership, he dangers of the concentration said: “The action of JUMP THE QUEUE said: “Journalism is devalued of media ownership affected Communicorp in banning newspaper Freelance photographers expressed when ownership and control not just journalists, but it was journalists simply because their frustration and dismay at new is vested in the hands of the also a threat to democracy. they caused offence, ownership restrictions on accreditation for few, and yet again we call on “It impacts on terms of illustrates the danger of the covering GAA matches, and that the government to tackle the employment, it impacts on concentration of media non-journalists are getting in ahead issue of newspaper editorial resources, it impacts ownership.” of them. They called on the IEC to contact Croke Park officials.

FREELANCERS NEED UNION NEEDS TO ” NEW AGREEMENTS EMBRACE CHANGE Following the passing of the he NUJ in Ireland needs to look at structural change crisis. The decline in our membership is linked to that crisis. Competition (Amendment) Act so that it can work effectively in the changing media We need a commission that examines the future of national 2017, which removes the anomaly Tlandscape, Irish secretary Seamus Dooley told and local media, which examines ownership models, where freelance journalists were delegates. examines recruitment and training and the barriers that prohibited from engaging in “Our branches are not functioning as they should, and we exist in the promotion of women and minority groups.” collective bargaining, the union was need to get our act together, and we need to do so with a He added: “I hope that when we bring forward proposals instructed to engage in a campaign sense of urgency.” for reforming branches that there is not a running back to for new agreements, since those in But he added: “I fully accept the media in Ireland is in looking at the past.” place are at least two decades old.

NUJ AWARDS GIVEN

MAXWELL TO IRISH ‘LIFERS’ The fight against gender pay gaps Life membership was awarded to. Vincent Browne, Patsy McArdle, ction to tackle gender said women work, in effect, as women move up the Raymond Cullen, Michael Hilliard, pay gaps was debated 59 days a year for no pay, and ladder, while Siobhán Hugh Oram, Matthew Kavanagh, Aat the seminar, Mind returning from pregnancy is Holliman of the West of Liam O’Connor, Kenneth Kelly, the Gap: Inequality at Work, when their pay can be most Ireland Branch said Michael Glynn, Brian Trench, James chaired by Bláthnaid Ní affected. women are sometimes Rhatigan, Mary Leland, Cathal Mac Chofaigh (pictured) of the Norma Prendiville of the paid less than men who Coille, Finbarr Coughlan, Geraldine Dublin Broadcasting branch. Limerick Leader pointed out are in more junior Collins, Ann Cahill, Donal Buckley Esther Lynch of the ETUC that the pay gap really kicks in positions. and Gene Yore.

theJournalist | 7 payment Sitting on stories Ruth Addicott looks at challenging the culture of payment on publication

magine the scenario: company that is turning over millions.” national level, and through the EFJ at your boiler has broken, It doesn’t happen just in the UK. One European level,” says Toner. you call a plumber freelance writing for a newspaper in He urges members to contact their I to fix it, then say: the Middle East is owed £2,000 for MPs and get a commitment from them “Thanks – I’ll pay you articles “on hold”. to support or introduce new when I have a bath.” “There needs to be more awareness legislation. It wouldn’t happen, but for among editors about how this affects Responding to freelances who claim freelances chasing payment on journalists. If each editor behaves this it’s “up to the union” to do more, he publication, it is resoundingly familiar. way, you can be owed thousands,” says: “This is a false dichotomy – ‘the When freelances get a commission, says another. union’ and the members are not they often have to wait until the So why not take the story elsewhere? separate things. The NUJ is lobbying story is published before getting paid, Freelances say they cannot afford to hard for change, but members do have which can sometimes take months or turn work down, especially bylined to be involved.” even years. stories for nationals. Younger You risk In the absence of a law, one option is “I never understand how this is journalists are particularly vulnerable. for freelances to try to persuade a legal,” says one journalist. “There is no “The argument ‘if you don’t like it, “ruining your publisher to negotiate. other industry I can think of where this don’t take the commission’ assumes relationship “It is difficult to do this without would be allowed.” there is a mountain of work to choose being identified, but if enough It is routine on nationals and from,” says one. with your editor, freelances working for a particular magazines. For every one that pays Aside from being unable to sell publisher were prepared to act instantly, another will pay only on second and third rights, there is often even though collectively, then the publisher would publication. It can even vary between further work involved. Additional have to listen,” he says. sections. checks are routine and, a year down the all you want is The issue is that freelances are “Six months is common in the line, stories can change or interviewees reluctant to speak out. lifestyle sections of nationals,” says no longer want to be involved. to be paid “You risk ruining your relationship one contributor. Mike Cherry, national chairman of with your editor, even though all you Reasons for delays can stem from the Federation of Small Businesses, want is to be paid,” says one. pagination, with news-led pieces taking says the late payments culture is “a real If freelances did speak up and the precedence. As freelances are told concern” and the recent appointment NUJ did draft an agreement, the stories are “on the list”, a kill fee does of a small business commissioner question is: would publishers sign it? not apply and, with commissioning is a “golden opportunity” for ” editors’ hands often tied, chasing can the government to end be fruitless. “supply chain bullying”. One freelance waited two years for NUJ freelance organiser payment from a glossy. Another waited John Toner describes the two years for a high-profile weekly. practice as “outrageous”. They were both paid in full once the “There is no reason why articles appeared. Another freelance, publishers cannot pay owed £700 by a Sunday supplement, within 30 days of receipt of cut her losses and gave up chasing invoice,” he says. altogether. The NUJ helps freelances Some have struggled to pay childcare apply late payment charges but, bills; others have had to borrow from if payment upon publication has family and survive on credit. been agreed, these cannot be applied. “It has got worse in recent years. On a In addition, freelances fear being few occasions, I’ve not been able to buy blacklisted. food,” says one freelance. So what can be done? “It’s a serious problem because we “We have approached publishers have bills to pay. If we have no idea over the years and asked that they when the money will come in, how can reconsider this policy, but they either we budget? You feel you’re being ignore us or refuse. We need the exploited – you, a small sole trader and government to introduce legislation. them, a big international media We are lobbying through the TUC at

8 | theJournalist viewpoint

Young people are not as they are portrayed, says Mickey Carroll

how do you get permission, will they even know what you’re talking about? Why we can’t afford But there are people who will help. I work for The Economist Educational Foundation and I want you to talk to to ignore the young our young people. Ask if we can put you in touch with the right young person. Talk to Headliners, to Shoutout e’ve voted every year Ignoring them means we don’t get UK. Talk to London Youth or #IWill who for the past four years. their perspective or know which way all want the young to be better Every time a vote is they lean, but it also means we’re out represented. W announced, it is the of touch. We don’t understand what So next time you’re writing a story, same story. We young people are like today. A Demos think of the under-18s who could be scramble to think of interesting ways report said the most common affected. Our industry and their to cover the campaign and inevitably attributes secondary school teachers futures rely on it. end up at the local school. We shoot used when talking about young people vox pops of surprisingly engaged were ‘caring’, ‘enthusiastic’ and Mickey Carroll is content editor children holding mock elections. We ‘hard-working’. The words most for the Economist Educational ask 10-year-olds with toothy grins commonly associated in the media Foundation whether they prefer Labour or the were ‘binge-drinking’, ‘yobs’, and Conservatives. We write pithy lines ‘crime’. There is such a clear disparity about how we wish the rest of the between how young people are, and country was like these young people, how the media represents them. And, taking an interest in politics and the worst thing is, young people have getting involved. Then we don’t talk to noticed. 84 per cent of them feel another child again, or at least until the misrepresented by the media and that next vote comes along. leads to over half of them not engaging Young people are on the frontline of in their community. We have to take political decisions. They bear the brunt responsibility for the fact we’re of education cuts, anti-terror ignoring a section of society and it is initiatives, changes to online privacy harming them. laws. They are a big part of our political We’re also doing ourselves out of landscape but when was the last time a job by misrepresenting young you interviewed a young person? people. We all know the state of the Right now, there are 14 million industry; people are being laid off under-18s in the UK. In four years’ time, as circulation figures decline, 1.5 million of them will be able to vote. newsrooms are turning to That is 1.5 million people who are user-generated content to cut unknowns. We have no idea which Why would a costs and headlines are only as party they could support or even which good as the shares they get on side of the political spectrum they sit “teenager be a Twitter. It makes no sense to on. We can’t rely on them voting like loyal reader if the alienate the people your job will their parents anymore – young people soon rely on. Why would a student are developing their political personas only time you talk share or like a story if they don’t see online, away from the dinner table. how it is relevant to them? Why would They tend to support online about their age a teenager be a loyal reader if the only movements and single issues, rather time you talk about their age-group is than politicians and political parties. If group is to call to call them smart-phone zombies? we ignore young people’s opinions, The industry is in a rocky position and we’re not going to know what is them smart-phone we can’t afford to ignore the people coming at the next election… again. zombies? who will keep us going. The mainstream media has been Luckily, this is all easy to change. caught out at every vote recently. Don’t Talking to young people can seem be surprised again. daunting. Where do you find them,  8 For all the latest news ”from the NUJ go to www.nuj.org.uk

theJournalist | 9 student journalism

where she was responsible for the paper’s finance. Despite winning more awards than any other student newspaper in Tough times for the country, York Vision was still hit by budget problems. “When I was elected I inherited about £3,500 of debt,” Llewelyn says. “Our students’ union doesn’t give nearly enough money for the paper to survive. We kept being told we weren’t allowed to print because the paper would get into more debt.” Like many student papers, York Vision had to find advertising revenue. It also turned to a crowdfunding website, YuStart. It raised almost £2,000 and was able to continue publishing, college with the remainder of the debt erased through a combination of advertising and an annual block grant from the university. “This has been a problem since Vision’s inception. There’s never enough money and it’s so incredibly stressful trying to put together a newspaper and also have to worry about whether we even have the money to print,” says Llewelyn. “It’s like we’re always doomed to be on the brink of closure.” York Vision is far from the only student publication to turn papers to crowdfunding. When students at Falmouth University set up a paper last year, the Anchor, they also had to crowdfund. However, they did not raise enough, so were forced to axe Student media faces pressure over budgets their monthly print edition. University student newspapers are fortunate in having a and content, says Susannah Keogh captive audience and, if they are distributed on campus, that’s a huge footfall. In large university towns, companies such as Dominos and local nightclubs are keen to place advertisements. or many young people, student newspapers are Reliant on advertising and money from their union or their introduction to the world of journalism. university, student newspapers can struggle. If their pick-up When I arrived at the University of Exeter three F years ago, joining its independent student newspaper not only gave me a community full of like-minded people and kickstarted my coffee addiction but also provided me with valuable skills and experience. Joshua Hackett was the Student newspapers have evolved into a training ground, student media coordinator offering a chance to chase stories and create a newspaper at Westminster University alongside studies. To edit a paper when you’re at university is a life-changing experience that sparks a love of journalism. But this once-in-a-lifetime experience is becoming far from guaranteed. Student newspapers across the country are facing increasing pressure to cut their budgets and, in some cases, pressure from the university or union over their content. Members of the editorial body of student newspapers are unpaid, except a few where the position of editor is held by a paid sabbatical officer. Essentially, editors are volunteers, juggling making a fortnightly or monthly print issue and managing online output alongside their degree studies. It’s a challenging yet fun experience, full of the highs and lows you’d experience in a “real” newspaper. As editor, I carried out investigations on everything from anti-Semitism at the university, to the experiences of sexual harassment and assault victims and the scandal of the student union shop forgetting to remove the tampon tax – I admit “scandal” might just be over-egging that one a bit. In my last year, my tenure was marred by meetings over the budget and how we could cut costs. We were lucky, though, in that we were independent from our university and that, when it really mattered, our students’ union would always fight our corner. Others are not so lucky. Abbie Llewelyn was managing director of York Vision in 2016, one of the University of York’s two student newspapers,

10 | theJournalist student journalism

Rebecca Pinnington former editor of UCL student newspaper Pi

wanes, it’s easy for those holding the purse strings to justify cutting circulation – or axing the print editions. For those having to implement these cuts, there are some benefits. Joshua Hackett was the student media coordinator at the University of Westminster’s students’ union from May 2016 until recently, where he supervised cost cutting. “I feel like student media needs to be true to the real world if it’s going to help people get jobs,” Hackett says. “I tried to run Westminster like a start-up, building interest in the digital side of things – websites, data and apps. Those are the skills in demand these days, and it has the benefit of being cheaper than sticking to newsprint.” Worryingly, for some student newspapers, budget cuts aren’t the only threat they have to contend with. Rebecca Pinnington, a former editor of UCL student newspaper Pi, hit the national headlines last year after the university threatened to revoke her degree if she published any more details about their finances. Now a national journalist, Pinnington told The Journalist that her experience showed her “how easy it is for universities to intimidate student journalists”. “I knew instinctively that UCL shouldn’t be able to throw anyone out of university for disclosing important information. But, when even the students’ union was encouraging me to comply or risk expulsion, it was difficult to believe anything else.” “One of the many difficulties faced by student journalists is we’d have to prep the edition and then send it to the students’ knowing their rights and knowing that actually, they do have union for approval at least a week before, so some stories the power to stand up to direct intimidation when it surfaces.” risked becoming outdated. It’s given us a lot more flexibility Ongoing financial threats have forced some student over our content and it’s a good to make use of multimedia.” newspapers to take a wholly new direction – and found, to If student newspapers are to survive, it is vital that they their surprise, that they are not just surviving but thriving. embrace print alongside online, and seek various sources of Matt Soloman, editor of the Anchor, said of its ending its print revenue. The publications that thrive will be those who fight presence: “Printing monthly was kind of restricting because for their print edition while maximising their online output.

Journalists who started out Varsity shortly before Files, juggled editing Rajan. Cherwell with his English on university papers • Heidi Blake, editor degree at University of Nouse, University College. Many of today’s top Vine juggled editing • Amol Rajan, editor of York • George Osborne, hacks got their start on Palatinate along with of Varsity, University Blake, now UK editor of Isis, student newspapers hosting a weekly radio of Cambridge investigations editor for University of Oxford across the country. show and an English The former editor of the Buzzfeed, was awarded Osborne edited Isis Here are just a few … degree. Independent and now student reporter of the magazine while at Oxford • Jeremy Paxman – • Hadley Freeman, media correspondent for year and best feature – producing a controversial editor of Varsity, editor of Cherwell, the BBC, edited Varsity. Oly writer in the Guardian’s issue about hemp, which University of University of Oxford Duff, editor of the i, headed student media awards for was partially printed on Cambridge Freeman edited Cherwell her work on Nouse. She cannabis paper. The broadcaster edited in her final year at the then joined the Telegraph • Jay Rayner, editor of Cambridge’s independent university, before going as a graduate reporter. Leeds Student student newspaper on to spend eight years • Luke Harding, editor Rayner edited the alongside his English on the Guardian’s of Cherwell, University University of Leeds’ degree. fashion desk. She is of Oxford student newspaper, now • Jeremy Vine – editor now an award- Harding, the Guardian’s called The Gryphon. Its of Palatinate, Durham winning columnist foreign correspondent and alumni also include Daily University for the paper. author of The Snowden Mail editor Paul Dacre. MARK THOMAS / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO STOCK / ALAMY MARK THOMAS

theJournalist | 11 work lives

a day in the life of an agricultural journalist hey say it takes all sorts to make Don’t put your feet up It wasn’t too far from where I live so I took my a world – and they’re right. The camera and went down for a night’s thought of watching a box set on – put your wellies on, entertainment. The whole village must have T the telly with a glass of wine turned out; the night was a great success and it bores the pants off me. says journalist and dairy raised thousands of pounds for charity. I’d much rather be feeding the calves, driving The story was picked up both in Northern about on the skid-steer mobile loader, checking farmer Rachel Martin Ireland and Great Britain. Best of all, it the heifers or milking our lovely cows. highlighted some of the human side of what I’ve lived on a farm all my life. Some of my high. It was an incredible way to learn and gave goes on down on the farm – something that can earliest memories are of helping dad and granny me a lot of confidence for developing my career. be hard to get across in the mainstream media. – as soon as I could walk, I was pottering around When I tell my friends where I’m working now It can be hard finding time between jobs, the yard in kid-sized wellies and not a lot has they invariably smile and tell me that it’s the which is why it helps that my job is also my changed since then. perfect job for me – and they’re right. favourite hobby. However, don’t get me wrong Farming is the type of job you wouldn’t do if I am thankful every day that I am able to – if it wasn’t for my wonderful family, there you didn’t love it. You’re there for all of the best incorporate the two things I love – reporting and would either be a very angry editor or a herd moments but also all of the hardest moments farming – into my role as an agricultural of very hungry cows. you face as animal lovers and business owners. journalist and that the two work so well together. In the last few weeks alone, I have When there’s an awkward calving or a cow Journalism satisfies my nosy itch – if travelled to Kildare, Strabane, Banbridge, hurts herself, you feel as emotionally invested in someone’s doing something different or better, I Mullingar, Donegal and Finland so my helping her as a nurse does with a patient. I want to know about what they’re doing and why. mum, dad and sister Heather are well think farmers need almost a maternal instinct With my personal experience, I’m able to ask the towards their herd or flock to know how to help. questions farmers want the answers to. The modern farmer is a book-keeper, vet, For me, it’s an excuse to be nosy and to find salesman and buyer – and that’s before you’ve out about the latest agricultural innovations and even fed the calves, cleaned out the sheds or report back to our readers. If I notice something milked the cows. that impresses or surprises me, I can be sure my My day job as a journalist couldn’t be more readers will want to know about it too. different. Sometimes it’s a business meeting in I love the close-knit community in the the city centre, or sitting in an office rushing to countryside. I’m used to the farmhouse where write copy and meet deadlines – and, of course, people are always coming and going – even now, readers can be a little more vocal than the cows. one of my favourite parts of the job is getting Before I started my job as northern out to events and talking to farmers. correspondent for farming news site AgriLand, When you sit down and chat with a group of I was working for a daily newspaper in Belfast country folk, you’ll not be long realising they are city centre. great story-tellers with a wicked sense of humour I enjoyed the buzz of the job and it opened up – not all of which can be repeated in print. the world of writing about artisan food businesses One of my favourite tales is about a farmer to me. My role also involved general news from Co Down who allowed his so-called friends reporting and chasing whatever the big story of and neighbours to pay up to £100 to rip strips of the day was, so it brought a lot of variety too. hot wax off his chest after a dare in a pub got out The pace was very fast, and the standard was of hand.

12 | theJournalist work lives

used to picking up the slack. Farmers aren’t slow to tell you if you’re wrong the “ploughing” has been viewed more than We all chip in when something so you can never squeeze anything past them. 325,000 times so far. comes up, but between press trips I’m conscious I’m writing about “a day in the On one of the days, we opened the live show abroad and meetings down in Dublin, life” but in truth I don’t have a daily routine. with “tractor karaoke” at the young farmers’ stand. it’s me who’s away more than the rest I try to get out of the office as much as I was singing my heart out in the tractor with of the family put together. possible. Typical outings could be anything rural youth organisation Macra na Feirme Ultimately, I put the day job first, but from a cattle sale to an economics briefing, a president James Healy and my colleague Sarah the flexibility in what I do and the farm walk, a tour of a food processing factory or Delaney – but we didn’t realise until after that unsociable hours I work as a journalist an agricultural show. the mics hadn’t picked up the backing music! support my lifestyle. Last month, I found myself out in the busiest I’ve still a lot to learn, but I’m sure having fun I love working for a news outlet right on the field in Ireland for four days co-presenting our doing it. Would I ever do anything else? I don’t frontier of a new era of reporting. All our live coverage of the National Ploughing think I could. an agricultural journalists are given extensive training in social Championships, Europe’s largest agricultural media, SEO and style, even if they have show. I love that in the crazy world of journalism Rachel Martin is northern correspondent for experience in these areas. you could end up literally anywhere – and it’s no farming news site AgriLand We don’t see the web as an excuse to lower different in agricultural news. quality and take our standards very seriously. I I love farming, particularly with livestock, but think that’s what will make the difference in have little experience inside a tractor cab. I getting ahead in this new age of news. spent the two weeks leading up to the show Our readers are a mixture of the young and mulling over when to tell my boss I didn’t know journalist old. The young naturally will flock to anything a thing about ploughing. The show is the News harvest digital so, when my dad started reading flagship for farming in Ireland and is attended AgriLand every day, I knew it was a news outlet by around 300,000 people so I knew it would AgriLand was founded just over four worth taking seriously. be important. years ago but has quickly become the Luckily, despite its name, ploughing is just largest farming news publisher on one of hundreds of things to see and the week the island of Ireland. was a complete success. Our live content from More than 300,000 people read the site every month and its news app is the most downloaded faming app in Ireland – there have been 80,000 downloads to date. AgriLand employs 16 staff, including 12 journalists at its Dublin headquarters. The firm’s founder and managing director, Cormac Farrelly, explains how he came up with the idea to take farming news online. He says: “Having grown up on a farm and

with a background in media, I saw that the agricultural industry had been left behind by the digital revolution. “AgriLand is run by a team of people who are themselves farmers – it’s farmers providing a service for farmers. “Our aim is to inform farmers, but we don’t tell them how to farm – we just keep them informed with the things they should be aware of to help them run their businesses. “We are conscious that farmers should be as interested in what’s happening outside their farm gate as inside the farm gate. “Arguably, what happens outside their farming enterprises has the biggest impact on their bottom line.”

theJournalist | 13 legal

freelancer who therefore remains in the firing line of the writ,” says one media law expert. Publishers are not obliged to offer legal or indeed libel insurance support to freelances and a lot of smaller publishing houses don’t take out libel insurance cover for See you their own staff as it can be costly. They might baulk at covering a publication’s own legal expenses – and any resulting financial settlement to the claimant – in addition to those of a freelance. Of course the best form of defence to any libel action is to do your job properly in the first place. As a media lawyer in court? for one of the UK’s leading law firms says: “If you act responsibly – ie you check your facts and get your comments Do freelances need to take out libel from trusted sources – you can protect yourself to a very large extent.” cover? wonders Simon Creasey Many freelance journalists report on subjects where the chances of someone pursuing them for libel is extremely low so in all likelihood they would never require insurance cover. usiness may be booming for messrs Sue, As David Banks, a journalist and media law trainer who has Grabbit & Runne at the moment and some of co-written editions of McNae’s Essential Law for Journalists, the richest pickings for the fictitious law firm points out: “I think people only need it if they are publishing B regularly name-checked by Private Eye is risky stories on a platform that does not take on the libel risk being provided by journalists. itself and indemnify them. It really does depend on the There have been a number of high-profile libel cases in the nature of their story whether they think they need it.” US. Sabrina Rubin Erdely, the freelance writer behind Rolling However, sometimes seemingly innocuous statements or Stone’s rape on campus scandal, is being sued for millions of articles in obscure publications can come back to haunt dollars by a several parties who were mentioned in her story. people – and you can still be sued for libel even if your story Fox News host Eric Boiling is suing freelance journalist Yashar is 100 per cent watertight. Ali for $50 million over allegations that he sent lewd This is why Mark Hanna, a senior tutor at the University of messages to female colleagues. Sheffield’s Department of Journalism Studies who has also This is not happening just in America. In the UK over the co-written editions of McNae’s, thinks “freelances should past couple of years, libel actions have been lodged against insure themselves against all potential liabilities, and should freelance journalists and bloggers, by a wide range of check out what the NUJ offers its members in this respect”. different claimants, including MPs. It begs the question: given how high the stakes are, should freelance writers consider taking out their own libel insurance cover? next year, in terms of data It’s difficult to be sure how many freelance journalists have Do you need an breaches and notification. libel cover. However, anecdotal evidence from media law If you decide that you do experts suggests numbers are fairly low. I conducted a very insurance policy? need cover, in addition to quick and crude straw poll of a group of experienced freelance taking out a bespoke libel journalists. One writer, who does a lot of work for national Firstly consider your investigative reporter, or insurance policy for newspapers, said: “I have all sorts of cover – professional potential exposure. you work for national journalists, the best form indemnity and public liability – and I think libel is included If the bulk of your work newspapers or popular of protection against the too.” The others said they had no libel insurance cover and is copywriting or websites, it might be threat of libel action is had never considered taking it out. “I don’t have it – mainly as straightforward feature worth buying cover. abiding by the NUJ’s code I assume (almost certainly wrongly) the responsibility lies writing for reputable Another issue to of conduct and producing with the publication,” responded one freelance. contract publishing or consider is contracts. Some work of a high Sadly his assumption – as he correctly guessed – is wrong. business to business may stipulate you need professional standard. Although the majority of reputable publishers would back a magazines, it’s highly professional indemnity, As a media lawyer for a freelance who has undertaken a solid piece of reporting, unlikely that you will public liability and libel large UK firm points out: unless you have a specific agreement in place with a need libel insurance cover insurance cover in place “If you write something publisher that relieves you of your legal liabilities, you are – although there are and, if you don’t, you could that you know is untrue, legally liable for the work you produce. So, if you make a exceptions. The libel risk be in breach of contract. then your insurers will mistake, you could be sued. would be relatively low Journalists should also walk away. However, if “Usually in the UK, a libel action will be against the and most publishers consider what obligations you write something in publisher and, if the freelance is named by the claimant in would step in to defend – if any – they might have good faith that’s been well the writ, I guess the publisher will usually take the freelance reporters where there is a under the general data reported, then your under its wing as regards fighting the action or paying up to defensible case. protection regulations, insurers will step up and completely settle the action. Unless the freelance has so However, if you’re an which come into force defend the allegation.” annoyed the publisher that he or she is left ‘swinging in the wind’ – for example, if the settlement deal excludes the

14 | theJournalist legal

There are a number of insurance brokers in the market who or retainers they have with publications. offer libel cover to journalists. Imaging Insurance has been “The move towards requiring indemnities from freelancers the appointed broker for the NUJ for more than a decade and and subcontractors is something we are seeing across the it offers members a discounted policy. whole media industry and not just for writers as companies “Premiums start at just under £37 a month, including the People only need look to pass their liabilities,” adds Swann. insurance premium tax levied by the government, and can “We would suggest that there are a number of freelance be paid as an interest-free direct debit over 12 months,” says cover if they are members who may not be aware of their need to carry cover divisional director Martin Swann. “This entry level cost “ to satisfy their contractual obligations. These contractual publishing risky includes professional indemnity (PI) cover for up to indemnities could include areas like breach of Intellectual £100,000, public liability cover of up to £1 million and stories on a property rights, data protection, breach of confidentiality and extends to include a whole host of exposures, including but cyber risks.” not limited to breach of contract, privacy, intellectual platform that Thankfully, for the vast majority of freelance journalists, property and data protection obligations.” being pursued for damages under libel laws is never going to He adds that the policy is written on a “cost in addition does not take be an issue. And, even for those who occasionally walk the basis” so the costs incurred when defending an allegation are on the libel risk tightrope and report on issues where that risk is high, the insured separately and don’t eat into the cover you have to chances of a claimant pursuing an individual reporter is pay for losses and awards in the event of a successful claim. itself. It really remote. According to Swann, one of the main benefits of having PI “Most journalists are not worth suing as the ability of the cover is the protection it provides for defending an allegation does depend on claimant to obtain substantial damages is limited,” says Banks. of libel. “That is not to say freelances don’t get sued – sometimes they “We deal with a number of PI claims each year for clients the nature of do. But large publishers are easier and more lucrative to sue.” within the media industry and have seen a number of The libel risk to most UK freelance writers is low but, given examples in recent years where the initial allegation against the story the substantial legal costs associated with defending an our client has been unfounded or spurious,” he says. action in court in addition to the hefty financial settlements The reasons NUJ members buy this cover vary. Swann says successful claimants can be awarded, journalists have to ask one noticeable trend he has recently detected is a growing themselves whether not having libel insurance cover is a risk number of members are taking cover as a result of contracts ” worth taking. BRAIN LIGHT / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO STOCK LIGHT / ALAMY BRAIN

theJournalist | 15 blogging Taking the long view

Short is not necessarily sweet for blogs, judgment, there will be people who want to read about your subject at length,” he says. “In blogs, journalists can explain with longer pieces especially popular and give a level of analysis you don’t get from newspapers.” Meanwhile, more time is being spent on writing a post. The for complex issues, says Susan Fenton average blog post takes three hours 16 minutes to write, according to the Orbit report – a 26 per cent increase since onventional wisdom has it that journalistic the previous year. More bloggers now publish weekly or writing should be concise because readers monthly and fewer post daily or several times a week. have short attention spans. Does this apply to The use of images and video is also increasing, says the report. C blogs as well as conventional reporting? “There are high expectations of quality and of content,” says It seems not. The trend is very much towards Chamberlain. “Readers expect to see pictures, video feeds, longer articles, according to Phil Chamberlain, head of the podcasts or maybe links to interviews on SoundCloud. The school of film and journalism at the University of the West of multimedia approach helps journalists to set their blogs England. He says: “People fell out of love with long-form apart from others that are just standard diary entries.” reporting for a while but it’s coming back into vogue. They The sheer number of blogs makes it impossible to estimate have always relished in-depth storytelling – look at how many how many there are, says Chamberlain. He thinks most people binge watch TV series. Particularly in political blogging, journalists will try blogging at some point as it’s a natural there’s a desire for rich, well-informed long-form content.” activity for writers. It also gives them the chance to raise their Chamberlain points to research carried out last year by web professional profile, to tell a story or to express opinions. design company Orbit Media Studios. This found the average But he adds: “The difficult thing for journalists is getting blog post length was 1,054 words in 2016, a 19 per cent rise on away from the idea that everyone will be interested in what the previous year. Far fewer posts were 500 words or shorter, you have to say. Your opinions alone are not enough to sustain and far more were 2,000 words or more. The longer the post, interest. You need to think about what people will be interested the more likely bloggers were to get “strong results”. in, and try to create a reputation as an authority in a subject.” Andrew Sparrow, political correspondent and live blogger at Former national newspaper journalist and BBC presenter The Guardian, is one aficionado of long-form posts. “An Robin Lustig, who started his politics and current affairs blog, important discovery for me – which went against conventional Lustig’s Letter, when he was at the BBC, agrees there is a need thinking – was that as long as you write well and show good to impart knowledge but adds he is now “far more

can help both parties to • Use keywords and Top tips for creating a good blog increase their readership. tags so people looking for • Some bloggers make information on a subject • Develop a subject • Try to be interesting to the subject you’re money through selling can find you more easily. specialism so that your and entertaining, and have writing about. e-books or by using affiliate • Analyse your readers see you as an an original outlook, so • Publish when you links (such as Amazon’s) analytics to find out authority. Give them extra people enjoy reading what post a blog on social and tools like AdSense to which kind of posts are value by linking to other you write. media. This drives traffic benefit from clicks and most popular. sources and statistics on • Always be fair and and encourages people to purchases made by the subject. accurate. Make the effort to comment who might not readers. • Pick topics that see both sides of a story; bother registering to • Include a link to people will be interested your opinion alone is comment on a blog. your blog on your CV so in reading about and probably not enough to • Posts that feature employers can check out debating. If you’re stuck for sustain readers’ interest. pictures and videos tend your writing style. a topical subject when • Encourage readers to be the most popular. writing a post, try using an to comment then engage • Guest blogging (find editorial calendar to find with them. Their comments another blogger who ideas. can add a new dimension covers a related subject)

16 | theJournalist blogging

not least injunctions and libel actions. He says: “I didn’t come to Westminster to make friends – you just have to go on your instinct and not worry about what people think.” But Staines thinks that, in general, bloggers shouldn’t write about their opinions. “It gives them a bit of therapy and an opportunity to vent but no one cares what they think.” Taking the long view Former Radio Times writer and Doctor Who scriptwriter William Gallagher, who has led blogging workshops for NUJ members, agrees: “A blog should reflect the writer’s personality, opinionated” than when he was bound by impartiality but it will become egotistical if it is only about you. Blogging guidelines. For example, he has referred to the “hypocrisy, Blog links: about ‘my life as a wonderful creative soul and what I ate this dishonesty and cowardice” of some British politicians and the Guido Fawkes: morning’ is just digital narcissism and can become tedious.” “unadulterated gibberish” talked by Donald Trump. www.order-order.com TV critic Jaci Stephen, who blogs about her “nomadic, Lustig, who was named independent blogger of the year by Andrew Sparrow: transatlantic existence” in the UK and in the US, begs to differ. Comment Awards in 2014, says the biggest response he ever www.theguardian. “It’s all about me, me, me,” she admits, laughing. “I think received was to a blog attacking Russell Brand. “To have any com/politics/series/ everyone should be as fascinated about me as I am about myself.” value, a blog has to have a point of view,” he says. “The more politics-live-with- Her long-running blog, LA Not So Confidential, humorously extreme the views, the more feedback you get and the more andrew-sparrow explores cultural differences, such as the Americans’ reputed impact you make.” Robin Lustig: difficulty in understanding irony. She notes: “They are very Andrew Sparrow agrees the best blogs are those that have a www.lustigletter. literal minded and you have to spell things out. But I’m never “voice”. He says: “Part of the attraction for many journalists is blogspot.co.uk rude. My style is self-deprecatory: I’m a Welsh woman abroad that, in a blog, your own commentary becomes acceptable in Jaci Stephen: – look at how I screw my life and relationships up.” a way that it would not be in conventional journalism.” www. Successful bloggers say reader engagement on social media That, he points out, raises issues of impartiality. “My lanotsoconfidential. is valuable, especially through Twitter. “Twitter is the role involves more editorialising than conventional blogspot.co.uk dominant forum in politics, the main echo chamber,” says news journalism will allow. I make judgments to William Gallagher: Staines, gets thousands of comments a day. help the reader understand what’s going on and www.william Sparrow, who get about 5,000 comments a day, agrees. “I feel why, what significance it has and whether it gallagher.com much more connected to what readers are thinking than I used matters. My benchmark is: is it accurate and to on newspapers because the blog structure makes you feel fair? I say: ‘Here’s what I think and here’s what part of a conversation. On newspapers, apart from the odd other people think – sift through the facts and letter, you had no idea what readers thought.” opinions and make your own mind up’.” Sparrow says live blogging is a useful skill. “It suits people who are confident about writing and making news judgments fairly quickly, and who are comfortable with the increasing amount of noise and the volume of material to monitor. It would not suit someone who likes to spend a lot of time thinking before they write.” Another high-profile political blogger is Paul Staines, who started the Guido Fawkes blog in 2004 and was once described by The Telegraph as “the journalistic equivalent of an arsonist”. Staines sees the site as a platform for his political views, which he once likened to “Thatcher on drugs”. Staines, who initially tried to conceal his identity, has had “a few controversial moments”,

theJournalist | 17 first person

StartingOut As a new freelance in Delhi, Will Brown found himself investigating sex trafficking

he tracks hummed and a blag and chance my way into the city’s I kept going into red-light districts whirlwind of colour piled highest cultural circles. and talking to women and activists. I T into the train. A thousand I’d read that to get established, a new kept pitching, writing and networking. bodies pushed, shoved freelancer should throw themselves at After two months, I’d built up a strong and sweated their way onto the absolutely everything. So, I arranged a base of contacts and The Guardian and carriage. Over the hubbub, the tour around the “Eton of India”. I tried the BBC wanted to see what I could get intercom announced that this was the to sneak into a park infected with bird them in Kolkata. 18-hour express service from New flu. I tried and failed to write travel Then I moved on to Mumbai and Delhi to the capital of Bengal, Kolkata. pieces about the Punjab. I even Southern India to do more research. I A few hours into the journey, the climbed into a dump truck to get to worked on the issue for the Guardian, Guardian’s correspondent called me on the top of one of Delhi’s mountainous, VICE News, News Deeply, the Spectator a shaky line. I had to go to one of the burning waste dumps. and Marie Claire, and even researched largest red-light districts in Asia and Freelancing, I quickly learned, is a prospective project to film the rescue investigate how sex trafficking probably 90 per cent boredom and of underage girls for the BBC. networks were being affected by the failure. Of course, determination is key. But, after several months Indian government’s sudden decision For every article I had published, I researching sex trafficking across the to take 86 per cent of the country’s must have had five ideas and sent 25 country, I was completely burnt out. currency out of circulation. pitches. For my efforts I’d get twenty- Only a fraction of the stories I I looked up from the call and saw a four rejections. researched were published and I felt small sign on the carriage door telling One day I met a social worker in that I’d failed many of the people I’d me to look out for trafficked children Delhi’s main red-light district, GB Road. After months spoken to. on the train. I felt a sharp knot in my I got lost looking for her and a pimp I flew home. But, after a month stomach – this was real. standing outside one of the brothels of“ researching trying to eke out an existence in Several months before, I’d gone offered me a session with a young girl. London, I decided I couldn’t leave it AWOL in New Delhi. I left my British There are around 3,500 women and sex trafficking, there. I needed to go back but this time Council graduate teaching job in one of girls on GB Road and NGOs say 97 per with the proper skills and training. the capital’s manic sub-cities and, with cent are victims of trafficking. They’re I was burnt out. Freelancing in India is the hardest no real journalism experience, I’d a small but centrally located slice of thing I’ve ever done. But it’s also made headed into town to be a freelancer. the horror that is India’s 18 million Only a fraction me more determined than ever to By sheer coincidence, I’d met two modern slavery crisis. Hundreds of of the stories report on the world’s untold stories. picnicking French journalists in a park. children go missing every day. Many They’d inspired me to leave my job are sold into forced labour, but young were published and, several weeks later, I moved in skin sells well in a sexually repressed with them. I had the bottom end of a country and many are sold into forced and I felt I’d @_will_brown graduate’s overdraft and no contacts. sex work. Delhi may be one of the largest cities I began to cover sex trafficking in failed many of in the world, but fortunately expat depth. But the Indian girls were neither the people I’d Delhi is no bigger than a small village. “British” enough for UK editors nor Once you meet one minor alcoholic “Trump” enough for American ones. spoken to diplomat, it’s only a matter of time But the horrific stories of families until you meet them all. And selling their daughters and continuous somehow, armed with a few student rape stuck in my mind like a burning bylines from The Times, I managed to rock.

18 | theJournalist ” Q&A

What made you become a journalist? What advice would you give someone A sense of outrage. Council and government starting in journalism? “speak”, the exponential rise of the press office The same as I used to give those starting in acting – have and “news management”. another occupation to fall back on. That said, create a wide network of contacts and hold on to them. Get away from the internet (which like wine is a good servant but a poor What other job might master) and get into the real world. If there is more to a you have done/have story, never take no for an answer – keep digging. you done? Manual jobs as a lad from the markets to a railway freight porter. I became an actor after studying at RADA. [Nigel played Who is your biggest hero? Terry Duckworth in Coronation No heroes really but I hugely Street] After falling out of love respect Salmaan Taseer, a Pakistani with acting, I did a master’s state governor who tried to defend a degree in international relations. Christian facing blasphemy charges and was murdered for his efforts.

When did you join the NUJ And villain? and why? Mao Zedong, Pol Pot, Stalin, Hitler – the In 2006 to gain legitimacy in the usual suspects who have caused great eyes of the law as a newsgatherer. suffering on a grand scale with intent.

Are many of your friends in the union? I hope the time comes when I will Which six people would you have a lot of friends in the union … invite to a dinner party? Too many young journalists are Woody Allen, John Cooper Clarke, not members, which is of concern. Lee Harvey Oswald, Helen of Troy, Henry Kissinger and Eva Peron. What’s been your best moment in your career? Being nominated for a Royal NUJ & Me What was your earliest Television Society award for political thought? The Regeneration Game – a BBC Why did they have to shoot President documentary I wrote and Nigel Pivaro is a freelance Kennedy? (I was three and three quarters) presented on housing market renewal. journalist and a former actor

What is the worst place you’ve ever worked in? What are your hopes for I’ve not worked anywhere that journalism? completely sucked. But, as a That people are convinced of the necessity freelance, maintaining good of in-depth news, with analysis and at relations with media least a binary approach. That the internet organisations is always and social media will be put back in their challenging. The trickiest places as subservient to personal contact. locations have been in Donbass in Ukraine, and And fears? the Turkish/Syrian border. That journalists will be subsumed by convenience news, worthless beyond the headline and intro and that true And the best? journalism may be limited to specialist The BBC 5 Live Investigates and File on 4 teams titles at which only the connected or rich are well organised and have a great attitude will find a gig. towards work flow and news gathering. How would you like to be remembered?

JOSEPH GAUL / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO, GL ARCHIVE / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO STOCK / ALAMY GL ARCHIVE PHOTO, STOCK / ALAMY GAUL JOSEPH Accurately!

theJournalist | 19

arts

Some of the best things to with see and do with a bit of political bite For listings email: artsattitude [email protected]

Book by Tim Lezard A call to take heed of the past probably best known for Mirror In Film the Bathroom, are touring with document want I had experienced. Manchester Keeps On Dancing Pauline Black’s The Selecter, of On When I younger I knew I could The Doom Doc My Radio fame. Mixing punk, ska and never become a writer because my A couple of musical films for you this reggae, their music addressed the education was spotty as I’d been month: both based in northern cities, social and political issues in the early put to work as a child labourer at but featuring very different genres. Thatcher years, giving a voice to the age of seven and left school to Manchester Keeps On Dancing looks disaffected youth across the racial work full time as a grocer’s assistant at how house music arrived in divide. Pauline is as political as at 14. Manchester from Chicago in the ever, as her band’s new album, “I hope my books act as a political 1980s, through to the Acid House Daylight, testifies. reminder to people that the past is explosion of 1988. Doom http://theselecter.net always going to repeat itself unless Doc, created on a we correct its mistakes.” shoestring budget of Wolf Alice He’s working on a new project, £2,500, focuses on Touring Europe in ‘I never expected to be a travelling from Turkey into Greece, Sheffield’s links to heavy January writer’: Tim Lezard talks to up through the Balkans and into metal, exploring drug If you like combining nonagenarian publishing Italy, Spain, Germany and France to use, mental health and overseas city breaks sensation Harry Leslie Smith document the refugee crisis which, gentrification with the help of former with gigs, why not pop across the he says, is more serious than the Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward and Channel to see Jeremy Corbyn’s new Harry Leslie Smith, 94-year-old one at the end of the Second World members of Conan, Crowbar and favourite band, Wolf Alice? Not author, Guardian contributor and War. Primitive Man. “favourite” in a “Gordon Brown/Arctic Twitter troll-basher, has just “That I’m willing to spend the last www.mcrkeepson.com Monkeys” way, but in a “You backed published his fifth book. years of my life breaking bread with http://thedoomdoc.com me in the general election/I’ll back Don’t Let My Past Be Your Future refugees to help end this you in the charts” way. Who is a moving account of his life preventable suffering – this will be Happy End mentioned anything about Brexit? growing up in Yorkshire during the my greatest undertaking,” he says. And a treat from Michael Haneke. The http://wolfalice.co.uk Great Depression. “If we don’t tackle the refugee crisis award-winning director of Amour, The “Plunging into what was a deeply and soon, war will soon follow that White Ribbon and Hidden returns Comedy unpleasant period of my life was will be as catastrophic as the one I with a drama about a well-off French Sophie Hagen painful for me because – as any experienced against Hitler.” family living in a bourgeois bubble in Touring the UK in January writer will tell you – your mind, He finds it bewildering he’s northern France, oblivious to the The London-based Dane has emotions, whole personality become a media celebrity – “I’m too human misery unfolding in appeared on BBC television, become enmeshed in what you old to let it get to my head” – but migrant camps around Channel 4 and Comedy write,” he tells Arts with Attitude. enjoys sparring on Twitter, saying: Calais, a few miles from Central. Now she embarks on a “It dogs you as you write it and then “It’s me, and only me, who tweets their home. Perhaps I UK tour to talk about her follows you afterwards, lingering in from my account, and I can only should send Harry Leslie psychopathic grandfather’s your imagination.” assume some trolls try to claim it’s Smith round to have funeral, even though he’s not Smith was late to the writing not because they don’t like my a word. dead yet. I wonder if he’ll turn game, although he read a lot as a message of socialism and a fair deal @HappyEndFilm up at any of the shows? child in his local library and tried his for all.” www.sofiehagen.com hand at poetry during the Second Music World War. Smith tweets at The Selecter and The Beat Jonathan Pie: Back to the Studio “I started writing as a means of @Harryslaststand. You can Touring UK in December Touring the UK from February self preservation. I was in my 80s, donate to his new book at A Christmas present from the past as Political satirist and frustrated knew my days were getting shorter www.gofundme.com/harrys- two 2-tone legends tour together at news reporter Jonathan Pie’s and decided that I needed to last-stand-tour the end of the month, with a bonus unguarded off-camera rants were Belfast gig in March. The Beat, one of the internet sensations of

20 | theJournalist arts

the general election, viewed by Book review millions worldwide. Now the old- style leftie, bought to life by actor Tom Walker, hits the comedy circuit Fleet Street stories in a tale of two killers with a new show. Occasionally mistaken for a genuine journalist, Pie Two years ago Austin, Texas The two met in London, and pokes fun at our profession. lecturer Kate Dawson appealed Oberman showed Dawson around Sometimes, he’s a little bit too close in The Journalist for former hacks her old haunts, including the for comfort. who worked around Fleet Street in journalists’ church St Bride’s, the Wig arts www.jonathanpie.com the early 1950s. and Pen Club, the Cheshire Cheese, She was researching a book, El Vino’s, the Kardomah cafe and the Lucy Porter Death in the Air, the intersecting Daily Express building, which was Touring the UK in February stories of two killers – the Great known as the Black Lubyanka. Comedian, occasional actor and City Smog of 1952 that was responsible Oberman also advised on AM columnist (she also writes for for the deaths of some 12,000 journalist terms and practices, Cook Vegetarian Monthly and Mother people in London and the receiving a credit in the book. & Baby) Lucy Porter hits the road in notorious serial killer John Reginald She told Arts with Attitude: February with her latest Edinburgh Christie who used the fog to “I had fun trawling through my Fringe show, Choose Your Battles. cloak his crimes. memories but I wonder how well At a time when it’s easy to be Phyllis Oberman, who was an I did my job as an informant. irritated, Lucy uses her experiences 18-year-old reporter working on the Maybe other old Fleet Street hacks http://tinyurl.com/ya9x8e9t to help you decide which battles are fringes of Fleet Street during that will find errors in the book that worth fighting. period, replied. I did not pick up.” www.lucyporter.co.uk

Theatre Hamilton Glengarry Glen Ross festival returns to more opening of Amgueddfa Victoria Palace Theatre, London, Playhouse Theatre, London, until than a dozen venues Cymru’s first gallery until June February across Dublin. With film dedicated to the art, he They say no publicity is bad publicity, Christian Slater takes the lead in and documentary displays some of the 700 so, when Donald Trump attacked the David Mamet’s tale of lies, corruption screenings, debates and images from the 20th and cast of Hamilton on Twitter, it did and greed. Set in Chicago with discussions, literary, fine art and 21st centuries from his private no harm to the hip-hop musical cut-throat salesmen – “close the deal fashion events, quizzes, a BowieOke collection including work by Henri about the West Indies immigrant who and you’ve earned yourself a and, of course, music, fans can Cartier-Bresson, Eve Arnold, Sergio became George Washington’s Cadillac; lose the deal and you’re pay their own tribute to the Thin Larrain and Bill Brandt. right-hand man. Trump’s vice- f****ed” – it returns to White Duke. https://museum.wales/cardiff/ president the West End for the first time in dublinbowiefestival.ie Mike Pence was 10 years with a cast Safer Steps: The Work of the HALO booed when he including Kris Marshall, Robert Exhibition Trust took his seat on Glenister and Don Warrington. Swaps: Photographs from the David National War Museum, Edinburgh, Broadway and, when www.playhousetheatrelondon. Hurn Collection until March 4 the curtain fell, the com National Museum Cardiff until Celebrating the work of the world’s cast returned to the stage to tell him: 11 March largest humanitarian mine clearance “We are the diverse Americans Festival Throughout his career as a organisation, this exhibition explores anxious you will not protect us.” Dublin Bowie Festival documentary photographer and the lifesaving work of this major Catch the show while Venues across Dublin, January 5-10 member of Magnum Photos, David Scottish charity through personal you can. Two years after the death of David Hurn has been an avid collector of testimony, photography and objects. www.hamiltonthemusical.co.uk Bowie, the dancing, singing, partying photography. Now, to mark the www.nms.ac.uk/ national-war-museum/

Spotlight: film Books The Way It Was to spike the stories. The Times joined Long-standing NUJ member David Press fights gag over Vietnam forces with the Washington Post to Lewis has published The Way It Was: As the Vietnam War dragged Kennedy and Lyndon B Johnson had fight for the right to publish. A Pictorial History of Britain in the on, a team of US Defense misled the public about the US’s What happens next is revealed in ‘Sixties. It contains more than 200 of Department analysts in 1967 involvement in the war. this new Steven Spielberg-directed his photographs taken during the prepared a highly classified study of The report was leaked to the New film The Post starring Meryl Streep early part of his career in Fleet Street the country’s political and military York Times, which in 1971 published a as the country’s first female and Paris. David says that the involvement in the conflict. Among series of scathing stories that further newspaper publisher and Tom Hanks images, which appeared in some of its most damning findings were undermined public support for the as its hard-driving editor. the world’s most prestigious suggestions that Harry S Truman, war. The government did not take this The Post is released in the UK in publications, will transport you back Dwight D Eisenhower, John F lying down, and obtained an injunction January. to the era of flower power and the birth of the computer age.

theJournalist | 21 Moved house or changed your email address?

Please let us know. You can update your membership record on the website nuj.org.uk or email [email protected]

STEVE BELL THE OWNERS

22 | theJournalist inbox

Email to: [email protected] ç Post to: Please keep The Journalist YourSay... 72 Acton Street, comments to London WC1X 9NB 200 words Tweet to: inviting letters, comments, tweets maximum @mschrisbuckley

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 media’s treatment of council tenants, was particularly interesting. My only quibble: isn’t media a plural noun? Tenants misunderstand Other features – Alan Jones on life as TIM ELLIS an industrial correspondent, Robin how the media works Whitlock on the Bristol scene, Barrie Clement’s NUJ Q&A and other regular Some points on negative coverage of council estate tenants, though columns, as well as your obituaries not specifically about Grenfell. page – are also compelling reading. Social landlords themselves have done much to worsen the image On a personal note, I was delighted of their tenants since I was a 1950s kid on Hereford council estates. at the possibility of the biennial Stats from back then show 10 per cent of social tenants were delegate meeting and other union unemployed, which fits my recollection of hard-working families, conferences returning to Blackpool, as but half a century later only 10 per cent were employed, probably that was where, back in the 1960s, I first due to social landlords’ preference for guaranteed rent via council appeared on the platform. I followed benefits. Paul Foot on the subject of It’s also a question of tenants’ perceptions. I once went on a victimisation and floated down the suicide “death knock” of a young woman who went out of a steps after my two minutes, convinced 10th-storey window. The husband, a local postie, seemed a decent of my future as an inspirational speaker. guy bewildered by events, but he startled me by saying my paper These hopes were dashed when a fellow didn’t like postmen. The only thing we’d done on posties was a delegate who had been making notes court case involving a lad who had left much mail undelivered over informed me: “You said ‘umm’ 200 three months. No way could we not have covered that case. But it times.” So are the mighty fallen. led to decent, hard-working local posties believing we Jane Hammond, were prejudiced against them. Life member Our duty has to be to report fully and fairly, but that’s not always understood by people who are £30 not used to being in the headlines. prize twitter feed letter Terry Wardle Tweet us your feedback: Worcester @mschrisbuckley 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 DSamir Jeraj Why the choice of cover? hold public bodies to account, there is examine the media coverage of (@sajeraj) “It’s hard to find positive and non- also an overwhelming requirement not Operation Conifer and consider adding 10/10/2017, 14:45 stereotypical portrayals of people who to prejudice an ongoing police to the code of ethics: “13. Do nothing Powerful front cover from live in social housing.” investigation or a trial. that will prejudice an ongoing police the @NUJofficial magazine That being the case, can The Wiltshire Police were leading a investigation, or a trial.” Journalist (October-November) explain national investigation across multiple Tim Hicks KathMiddleditch the reasoning behind its choice of force areas in the normal way. This Citizen Journalist, (@KathMiddleditch) front-page picture? unleashed a barrage of criticism from North Yorks Enquirer 10/10/2017, 16:19 Daisy Fox vested interests including Heath’s @louisetickle @NUJofficial Merseyside friends, family and political associates Much compelling reading @seethrujustice Very The purpose of the photo was to that was published in the media before in the last Journalist thought provoking. I can’t illustrate the theme of the feature and to the investigation had even reported. The Congratulations on a sparkling see how more transparency show little has changed over the years. police responded with unprecedented Journalist for October/November 2017. is a bad thing, just v tricky Christine Buckley, Editor criticism of the media, stressing that they Your nibs on what’s happening in must be able to “carry out investigations journalism worldwide are informative Simon Sapper Heath investigation raises with complete independence without and succinct. The bylined articles on (@simonsapper) ethical questions for NUJ commentary which threatens to how Gordon Rayner, Ryan Parry and 12/10/2017, 18:32 The furore over the investigation into undermine the process”. Simon Smith wrote their way to success Must-read by @kath_grant allegations of child sexual abuse by Sir Often publicity is helpful to an should encourage young readers – on the demonisation of Edward Heath raises an important investigation, but sometimes it can be including perhaps student members. #SocialHousing ethical issue. While journalists must damaging. I think the NUJ should The hard-hitting cover story, on the

theJournalist | 23 obituaries

Tim Jones John Holland Seamus Kelters

Born just after the end of the Second A photographer who worked for the Seamus Kelters, assistant editor of World War, Tim Jones was an early Manchester Evening News (MEN) BBC Newsline in Northern Ireland, pioneer of public sector press and PR from 1963 to 1996 has died in hospital has died aged 54 from cancer. and led the NUJ’s Public Relations & in Harwich, Essex. John Holland had Seamus was an influential journalist, Communications Industrial Council as developed bone marrow myeloma, a storyteller and NUJ chapel activist who enjoyed chair and vice-chair for many years. type of cancer, in later life and shortly cross-community respect as a public service He was a staunch trade unionist and before he died on 4 September, he broadcaster par excellence. community activist who could always be relied was diagnosed with lung cancer. He With David McKittrick, he was the co-author of upon to roll up his sleeves and eagerly get to was 84. Lost Lives, the critically acclaimed reference work on behalf of members. John started in a traditional way as a book documenting every death directly caused Tim blazed what is now a familiar trail from messenger at Kemsley Newspapers in 1948. After by the Troubles. The book, which covered more local newspaper journalism – in Worcester and doing his national service in the Royal Engineers, than 3,000 people killed in the conflict, took Oxford – to become the first information officer he went into Kemsley Studio darkrooms as a more than 10 years to produce. Few people could at Nottingham’s Trent Polytechnic before junior and was apprenticed as a photo printer. match Seamus for his knowledge of Northern developing and managing Nottingham City He freelanced as a photographer while doing Ireland politics. Council’s successful press and PR team from this before going on the road as a staff Seamus started working at the BBC in the early 1989 to 2002. photographer with the Evening Chronicle in 1990s as a broadcast journalist and worked on In later years, he settled with his wife, Rachel, March 1958. He became deputy picture editor in many programmes, including Spotlight, and in Northumberland and became a stalwart of the January 1961. Hearts and Minds. NUJ’s Newcastle branch while freelancing. The Evening Chronicle folded in July 1963 and He had begun his journalistic career with the Although diagnosed with heart failure seven John was transferred to the MEN, where he Irish News. He was a skilled investigative years ago, he rarely missed a branch meeting. remained until taking a redundancy package journalist and is remembered for his dogged Tim represented disabled members on the with three colleagues in April 1996. coverage of the wrongful convictions of the union’s Public Relations & Communications He was awarded the MBE that same year for Birmingham Six. Industrial Council. Its current chair Phil Morcom his work in road safety. Among the mourners at Seamus’ funeral in said: “It was a consistent pleasure to be in his John and his wife Marie lived for many years Belfast were Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams and company.” in Romiley and later Marple in Cheshire before BBC journalist-turned-nun Martina Purdy. As well as his wife, Rachel, and daughters Lucy moving to Harwich where his wife’s family lived. He is survived by his wife Camilla and two and Tamsin, Tim had three grandchildren and John leaves Marie and their children Douglas sons Brendan and Michael. one granddog. and Susan as well as grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Nic Mitchell Bill Batchelor

24 | theJournalist on media

Raymond Snoddy warns against well-intentioned campaigns

maintained. It should also apply to companies’ right to advertise in chosen Beware, the freedom papers irrespective of editorial content. Luckily the newspaper and advertising industries have of the press is at stake united against this plausible but pernicious attack. As John Lewis, one of the targeted companies put e live in a world of for departure from the EU, helped it: “Withdrawing advertising on the instant pop-up persuade their readers to vote against basis of editorial coverage would be campaigns and daily their own financial interests. inconsistent with our democratic W petitions floating to It would therefore be tempting to principles which include freedom of prominence on the support the aims of Stop Funding Hate speech and remaining apolitical.” rising tide of social media. – tempting but profoundly mistaken. Stop Funding Hate should re- Some are useful, others deeply If important principles are at stake direct its efforts to improve editorial damaging – from the best of – and they clearly are – then those standards rather than trying to intentions. principles include the rule of law, the undermine press viability, which Stop Funding Hate, which targets survival of representative democracy already faces challenges aplenty. newspapers it does not like such as and the freedom of the press, a the Daily Mail, The Sun and the Daily freedom that allows for a raucous and Express, was launched less than 18 tasteless press within that law. There months ago. Online crowd-funding should also be an associated freedom produced a war chest of more than that advertisers should be able to £100,000 and a launch video was advertise, or not, in publications of viewed no less than 6 million times. their choice without being hectored. As a result a powerful campaign to The Stop Funding Hate founder persuade major companies to pull Richard Wilson let the cat out of the their advertising from the “offending” bag on Newsnight when he declared: “I newspapers was born. think the end point for us is a media The campaign has drawn initial that does the job we want it to.” blood. Paperchase has issued a Wilson did continue that the grovelling apology for running a “job” was to work in the public promotion with the Daily Mail and interest and treat people fairly. Stop Funding Hate has apparently Stop Funding The problem is that Wilson influenced the advertising policies of is not only self-appointed companies such as Specsavers, Lego, “Hate has but it is not clear why his Plusnet and The Body Shop. definitions of the public The initial temptation is to give Stop apparently interest or fairness should Funding Hate two cheers for their be accepted as universal. attempts to hit the soft advertising influenced the Wilson has started his underbelly of such resolutely right- advertising attack with three papers. Is wing papers. that the end of it or should After all the Daily Mail called senior policies of the Daily Telegraph be added judges Enemies of the People and to the list for describing the more recently 15 Conservative MPs companies such as 15 Tory MPs as “mutineers”, an who oppose writing an EU departure approach that former minister date into law were denounced as Specsavers, Lego, Anna Soubry believed provoked “collaborators.” And all three titles 13 death threats. have been guilty of running dozens, Plusnet and The Historically, with few and in some cases hundreds, of anti- Body Shop exceptions, advertisers have immigrant stories over the years. accepted the difference between Increasingly it looks as if the three editorial and advertising and that targeted titles, all of them cheerleaders it is a distinction that should be

For the latest updates from Raymond Snoddy on Twitter 8 follow @raymondsnoddy”

theJournalist | 25 and finally

The sensitive art of writing an obituary

Every one was a potted social history. I came to Chris Proctor no know more about these people than I did my work colleagues. I was acquainted with their place and date longer wants the gig of birth, their old schools and who they had worked for. I knew their interests and outlook on life, the was 22 when I decided I wanted to names of their spouses and offspring. I knew write obits for a living. It was a major intimate details of their physical condition before change of heart because up to that they featured on the obit page. point I had scorned them, believing I was determined to become an obituary writer on I they were irrelevant to me as they a national. It is a measure of my relentless ambition were about people who had died. and single-minded drive that I didn’t. But I once met My opinion changed the day I was stuck in an a bloke at a party who did obits for the Independent. airport in South America. I had nothing to read and This was a fortuitous encounter as I happened to the shops surrounding the waiting area were devoid be engaged in a slurred discussion about whether of anything in English. Nothing. Nada. Greta Garbo was dead. Now we had an expert to For me, a combination of no reading matter and a hand. Was the great actress still with us? long wait in an airport is a definition of utter hell. I’d He had no idea. He confessed that he had have read anything. written, edited and updated the obituaries of so I proved this by perusing pages of El Mercurio, a many people that he now thought everyone was paper not only loathsome but also written in a dead. I mean, he’d read their obits. He’d language I didn’t understand. But at least it was updated Her Majesty’s so frequently he reading. Even physical page turning and print couldn’t believe she was still examination, even when the words are on postage stamps. incomprehensible, is better than nothing. Eventually I lost my After a few hours my eyes alighted upon a human fervour for obit writing, a with an English language newspaper on the other state that coincided with side of the disinfected acreage. It wasn’t a real paper my realisation no one was going to give – it was a US effort – but at least it was written in (a me a job. But then last month I achieved my form of) English. I scurried over and parked up next ambition, which demonstrated the truth of the to the fellow, an archetypal businessman, and I maxim that you should be careful what you begged. Could I have some of his paper? Any bit wish for. I got to write an obit in a national would do. Had he finished any pages? Could I watch because one of my oldest friends died. him read? The experience was a revelation. Three of us He was of taciturn demeanour, relenting only pulled in different ways as 400 words were when it was obvious I was unbalanced. Wordless, he bartered, edited and reviewed. pulled two pages from his periodical and, looking the I realised that I’d written a tribute to a man, other way, passed them to me. It seems surprising not an obit for an academic. My friend’s wife, now but, in that moment, I loved him. an artist, wanted a portrait of a photographer, One page was obituaries. I knew none of the not a list of appointments and exhibitions. deceased but, in my condition, it mattered not. I And the obits editor wanted 400 words devoured each entry with a gentleman’s relish. conforming to a predetermined formula. Add to Yes, my assessments may have been coloured by this the fact that two of us were feeling deeply my reading-deprived state. But I felt these words emotional, and there you have it: chaos that were the ultimate pinnacle of both literature and ground its way towards order – the journalist’s reportage. skill in a nutshell. They were condensed short stories that could be I don’t want to write obits any more. I don’t savoured then expanded upon: each provided the even want to read them, in case I spy familiar bare bones of a gripping tale I could invent for names. It’s a comfort that at least I’ll be spared myself. Their form was classically perfect, containing my own. a beginning, a middle and an end.

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