FREE Press No 197 January-February 2014 £1 The Journal of the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom

MEDIA MANIPULATION European court DO IT YOURSELF? Regional publisher slams UK titles expects readers to write over accuracy ’Page 3 THE European Court of Human Rights has compensation and costs creates the taken the rare step of issuing a statement to impression that applicants were awarded try to correct “seriously misleading” stories significantly more compensation than they that appeared in UK papers. really were and that the sums indicated were The court says one such article appeared for the applicants’ sole benefit. in the Daily Mail on October 7, headlined SIMPLY THE PITS “Human right to make a killing: Damning dossier reveals taxpayers’ bill for European “... the way in Papers reveal miners’ court payouts to murderers, terrorists and which this has strike hit list traitors”. The report claimed that Strasbourg judges “handed the criminals taxpayer- been presented Pages 4-5 funded payouts of £4.4m – an average of is seriously £22,000 a head.” That, said the court, was simply wrong. misleading ...” ’ A statement from the Registrar of the Court said: “Several British newspapers ... published articles based on a table produced “A significant proportion of the amounts in Westminster in response to a written referred to were therefore paid to lawyers. parliamentary question. The particularly high level of legal fees in “The common theme of the articles is the UK compared with other Council of BROKEN HEARTED that judgments from the European Court Europe countries means that in British cases of Human Rights since 1998 have caused costs normally exceed compensation. One Corporate complacency the UK government to make substantial example would be the case of Financial lingers at the BBC payments to successful applicants, the clear Times and Others v the UK in which the suggestion being that this constitutes a Financial Times, the Independent, the Pages 6–7 massive payout to criminals. The figure cited Guardian, the Times and Reuters were is £4.4m. awarded a total of €160,000 in costs, but “However, the way in which this has been received no compensation. ’ presented is seriously misleading. First, the “The articles also imply that the sums in figure of £4.4m includes legal costs as well question were invariably paid to criminals. as compensation. The calculation of the total “According to one headline ‘Judges in MORE CAMPAIGN paid in respect of compensation by the UK Strasbourg paid out £4.4m to some of NEWS since 1998 (as opposed to compensation Britain’s worst criminals’. It is simply not true and costs taken together) is in fact in the to suggest that all the applicants in respect www.cpbf.org.uk region of £1.7m, less than half the figure of of whom the Court has found violations since £4.4m. 1998 were criminals. “The failure to distinguish between Continued: Page 7 NEWS IN BRIEF World publishers rally to protect UK press barons

PUBLISHERS’ representatives from around the world were due to “The delegation is expected to meet government and opposition arrive in London this month to try to strengthen the newspapers leaders,” the paper added, “press industry figures and civil society industry’s political resistance to press regulation in the UK. organisations.” A “mission” to the country has been organised by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WANIFRA) was expected to include senior figures from the industry in five OBITUARY continents. Geoffrey Goodman The visit – which was revealed by – was thought THE journalist whose name reached a generation as industrial by the paper to be the first of its kind. It was, The Guardian said, editor of the Mirror between the mid-1970s and mid-80s, Geoffrey “prompted by growing concerns about UK government interference Goodman has died, aged 91. in press regulation and the political pressure on The Guardian. The grandson of Jewish emigrés, he was born in Cheshire in July 1922. After a grammar school education, he became an RAF pilot in the war before studying at the London School of Economics. Union support boosts online After working for the Manchester Guardian, he joined the Mirror EU media ownership campaign but was sacked in 1948. He spent a brief time at the Daily Herald Mirror THE public service union has the backing of 100 before it evolved into . He was invited back to the by Unison has become the latest organisations in 11 EU member editor . major UK trade union to countries. In 1984, with colleagues and , he demanded Mirror support the European Initiative UK co-ordinator Granville assurances from then proprietor over editorial for Media Pluralism (EIMP). Williams said: “We’ve got a interference, a pledge that proved worthless. British Journalism EIMP is trying to get a million number of unions signed up to Geoffrey Goodman was a founding editor of the Review people across Europe to sign support the initiative. and a leading early supporter of the Campaign for Press and AC a petition – either online “However, we need to build Broadcasting Freedom. He died on September 5 last year. or on paper – caling on the broad public support to get as European Union to establish a many signatures as possible by John Beck clear democratic framework the cut-off date in August.” The CPBF records with sadness the death of John Beck late last year. for media ownership and John was treasurer of the CPBF in the 1980s and early 90s. He was a regulation. n www.mediainitiative.eu printworker, a member of the National Graphical Association (NGA) The move to try to tackle who with Alf Parrish represented the union on the CPBF national the abuse of media power by council in the turbulent years of the miners’ strike and Wapping. He the likes of was also London NGA regional secretary and NGA executive council and Silvio Berlusconi already member. GW Join the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom

THE Campaign for Press and MEMBERSHIP RATES PER YEAR AFFILIATION BY ORGANISATION Broadcasting Freedom depends on its a) Individual membership £15 f) Fewer than 500 members £25 membership for day-to-day operating b) Unwaged £6 g) 500 to 1,000 £30 funds – including the production and c) Supporting membership £25 h) 1,000 to 10,000 £50 (includes CPBF publications) i) 10,000 to 50,000 £115 distribution of Free Press. d) Institutions (eg libraries) £25 j) 50,000 to 100,000 £225 Taking out – and maintaining – (includes 10 copies of FREE Press) k) More than 100,000 £450 membership will allow the Campaign I/We want to join the CPBF and enclose a cheque/PO for £______to maintain its work, strengthen its

voice and enhance its profile at a time Name ______when the media industry is facing more repressive political and commercial Address ______constraints than for generations. If you are interested in a media and Postcode ______Tel ______journalism that contribute to an informed Organisation (if applicable) ______electorate, then please join the Campaign Please return to: CPBF, Second Floor, Vi and Garner Smith House, 23 Orford Road, Walthamstow, London E17 9NL or renew your membership now. Tel: 0 772 984 6146 E-mail: [email protected]

2 • FREE Press • January-February 2014 NEWS

Regional publisher expects readers to write papers too JOHNSTON Press is now expecting people to write for “What we hope this project will allow us to do is its papers– and then pay for what they have produced. cast our net wider and include more community news The regional publisher’s “experiment” has begun at written by our readers – and in some cases written Bourne in Lincolnshire where JP say The Local is “being directly onto the pages of the week’s newspaper.” repositioned” as “the people’s Mr Edwards was quoted as saying the paper”. Journalists ... ‘will project will be overseen by journalists “who The company is also letting curate submitted will curate submitted content”. contributors use special content’ The JP intranet quoted him as adding: software to “add items to the “The usual legal and ethical constraints will pages of the paper from the apply and so will those of public interest and comfort of their own homes”. The aim, according to relevance.” the JP intranet, is “to generate up to 75 per cent of Qualified journalists working for JP titles elsewhere editorial content from local contributors” and has also who spent considerable time, energy and cash “doing been introduced at the Harrogate Advertiser in North the legals” to gain National Council for the Training of Yorkshire. Journalists’ (NCTJ) accreditation were reported to be Bourne Local editor Mark Edwards said: “We still wondering why they had bothered. Potential concerns have journalists on the group and they will still be regarding readers’ appreciation of the PCC code of covering the important stories in the area. practice also appear to have been overlooked.

FREE PRESS UPDATE Journalists maintain Magpies’ stand-off

THE stand-off between journalists working for Trinity were sports select committee member and former Mirror newspapers in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and the sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe from Bradford and chairman of Newcastle United football club Mike Gateshead MP Ian Mearns. Ashley has continued, despite calls in parliament for Some Trinity Mirror reporters did get to cover an end to the debacle. one of Newcastle United’s major away games last Campaigning led by the National Union of Journalists autumn after the ban was introduced. led to an early day motion (EDM) being tabled in the Tottenham Hotspur went out of their way to House of Commons late last year. welcome reporters from the Newcastle Chronicle, The EDM broadened the issue – following Journal and Sunday Sun to their White Hart Lane revelations that similar attempts to restrict media ground in London a few days after they were coverage had been made by Nottingham Forest, Port banned from the Magpies’ home stadium, St Vale, Crawley Town and Rotherham United. James’s Park. WHAT The motion condemned the approach, specifically The reassuring welcome came after NUJ northern DO YOU naming Newcastle United chairman Mike Ashley. and midlands organiser Chris Morley wrote to Spurs’ The wording added that MPs were calling on head of press Simon Felstein. THINK? their colleagues to “support the National Union of “The NUJ,” he wrote, “is concerned, first and Journalists in believing that journalists working for foremost, that the freedom of the media is a free press in a democratic society must be able upheld .... We believe the attitude of the owner at Comment to express themselves as they see fit within the Newcastle is unreasonable but whatever his quarrel on the law, without fear of petty and vindictive corporate over the coverage of those newspapers, this should sanctions; welcomes the broad support that be taken up in the appropriate way with the papers CPBF supporters of the club have given to reporters trying concerned. website to do their professional best in reporting the affairs “It should not be directed in embarrassing and of football clubs; and therefore calls on the Premier hostile actions against journalists who are workers League and Football Association to implement a code simply trying to carry out their jobs.” www.cpbf. of conduct in respect of the treatment of working However, despite the positive move from Spurs journalists.” and the MPs’ intervention the stand-off continued org.uk Among those adding their names to the motion into the new year.

January-February 2014 • FREE Press • 3 DECADES OF CONTROVERSY Simply the

pits ... BATTLE LINES: Photographs by Sheffield-based photographer Martin Jenkinson were among the most powerful images to come out of the pit communities during the year-long strike. Martin’s personal commitment won him trust and access that was rare at the time. Picture: Martin Jenkinson.

THE claim from National Union of Mineworkers Midlands and Nottinghamshire. Striking miners from president throughout the year-long Kent were being turned back at the Dartford Tunnel. miners’ strike that the National Coal Board (NCB) In another move behind the scenes, she put chairman Ian MacGregor had a secret plan to close 70 pressure on the government’s top law officers, the Lord pits with the loss of up to 70,000 jobs has been proved Chancellor Lord Hailsham and the Attorney General correct. Sir Michael Havers, after being told that magistrates in Cabinet records for 1984 have revealed that six Rotherham and Mansfield were “dragging their feet” months before the start of the strike, within weeks of in dealing with cases involving pickets arrested for pit him taking up the job, MacGregor was advising the head violence. government that he intended to close as many as 75 n Former BBC political correspondent Nicholas Jones pits with the loss of 64,000 jobs. presents the CPBF podcasts – available online at www. The Prime Minister ordered cpbf.org.uk – and blogs at www.nicholasjones.org.uk. THE release there should be total secrecy about the existence of MacGregor’s personal target for closures. of cabinet So effective was the subsequent cover-up within Regional TV documentary papers from Whitehall that MacGregor’s 75-pit closure list was 1984 provided never mentioned again in the cabinet papers nor was highlights lingering confirmation of it ever referred to during the year-long dispute. When the strike began on March 6 1984 – and legacy of police actions a cover-up by then for its duration – the NCB insisted that it wanted Inside Out the Thatcher AN edition of the BBC’s regional current to close only 20 pits with the loss of 20,000 jobs, a affairs programme produced and broadcast in government and closure rate that the National Union of Mineworkers Yorkshire last year has received plaudits for revealing that National (NUM) always argued was far fewer than the how concerns about the strike, its coverage and the chairman’s true plans. role of the police remain living controversies in former Coal Board After only a week of picketing, Mrs Thatcher chairman, Sir Ian pit communities. intervened personally to “stiffen the resolve” of chief The programme revealed similarities between the MacGregor, did constables whom she believed were failing to provide police investigations of the strike and the Hillsborough have a secret hit police protection for those miners who wanted to tragedy in nearby Sheffield in 1989. report for work. The chief constable of West Yorkshire, Sir Norman list for pit closures. Her cabinet papers reveal that she demanded action Nicholas Jones Bettison – who had already announced his retirement after becoming “deeply disturbed” at the way the NUM – stood down within 36 hours of the broadcast. He had went to the had resorted so quickly to unlawful mass picketing to been with South Yorkshire Polce at the time of both the National Archives intimidate those men who had volunteered to work strike and the football stadium deaths. normally. The programme included comments from those in Kew to examine Within four days of her intervention, police were the documents. arrested during a stand-off between police and miners turning back flying pickets from Yorkshire who were at the Orgreave coking works about the accuracy of heading south on the motorway to coalfields in the their statements.

4 • FREE Press • January-February 2014 WOMEN’S DETERMINATION

THE miners’ strike may have been 30 years ago – but the determination of the women who campaigned so furiously against the closure of the coal mines lives on. Since the 25th anniversary, the Women against Pit Closures (WAPC) group has commissioned a new banner – from 75-year- old West Yorkshire artist Andrew Turner (whose work was also featured on the cover of the CPBF book Shafted, published in 2009). His latest colourful tribute confirms that the work of WAPC goes on, linking pit communities in countries as far apart as the UK, Australia, Cuba and the US. When it was unveiled at the 2012 Durham Miners’ Gala, WAPC stalwarts Anne Scargill and Betty Cook met a delegation from Spain, where, just days earlier, miners had been attacked by Madrid police during a protest against stringent austerity cuts. FETED: Anne Scargill, centre, leads the new Women Against Pit Closures banner through Durham when it made its first appearance at the Miners’ Gala in 2012. Picture: Joan Heath

SETTLING SCORES: The Media, the Police and the Miners’ Strike

Edited by Granville Williams

£6.99

ISBN 978-1- media, the miners’ strike and the aftermath. Now, 898240-06-8 PRESS coverage of the 1984 itself became editor Granville Williams is producing an update the topic of serious debate. Accounts of – Settling Scores; the media, the police and the how different titles and different journalists miners’ strike, to be published by the CPBF in March. approached events were first documented The contributors will include Nicholas Jones, Paul by the CPBF in the 2009 book Shafted: The Routledge, Michael Bailey and Pete Lazenby.

January-February 2014 • FREE Press • 5 BBC BATTLELINES Corporate complacency may break BBC’s heart

EVEN the start was embarrassing for BBC director toughest it has ever faced; nor offered any kind of lead general Lord Tony Hall when the projector broke or strategy. Instead he said: “The BBC will be making down and his opening remarks, “as you can see, the argument about its future through the actions it next year is going to be very special”, fell flat as the takes. We are going to make great dramas, great arts, video promoting the BBC’s blanket coverage of the great programmes. We are going to provide the best anniversary of the First World war failed to ignite. news service in the world.” Just as well in a way, for when the trailer finally got its airing at the end of Lord Hall’s address to the autumn conference of the Voice of the Listener and This popular ‘belonging’ ... Viewer (VLV) it was almost as embarrassing. It runs means consuming BBC products for six minutes (surely they’re not going to subject when you want to rather than by viewers to the whole thing, night after night?), enough schedules to put anyone off, with its images of families being torn apart and traipsing through cemeteries. It’s the Corporation doing its duty but the First World War isn’t Starting with Doctor Who, then celebrating its 50th THE fight for the the battle that the BBC’s supporters want to see. anniversary – “creative, intelligent, fun … that crackles future of the BBC Lord Hall was supposed to be presenting a newly- with wit and intelligence” (does it?) -- he ran through a resolved Corporation, rallying from its recent disasters has already begun, list of the wonders of the BBC … “high-quality content and ready for the fight not just to retain its charter … best in the world … Top of The Lake, Luther and as Tim Gopsill of independence and licence fee but to win back the Sherlock. Peaky Blinders, The Fall and The Village. reports from losses over the last four years. Ambassadors and Atlantis. Line Of Duty, Last Tango In the VLV autumn He made no reference to charter renewal, no Halifax, EastEnders and Call the Midwife. And I haven’t acknowledgement that the political battle over the conference. even begun to mention all the brilliant drama I listen to next two years to retain the public service will be the every week on Radio 3 and Radio 4”.

May falls foul of publishers’ political ineptitude

BEWARE the briefers, for they “may make you look totally inept”. has not been subjected to appropriate political – if not editorial – What used to be a commonsense adage for politicians seems totally scrutiny? to have slipped the mind of Home Secretary Theresa May when she The Home Secretary later claimed she had been briefed by a sashayed into the dogmatic minefield of the battle between the BBC local paper editor in the Home Counties. and corporate newspaper interests. The regional news pages of the BBC website may headline six The BBC’s internet presence, she claimed publicly, was threatening or seven stories associated with each “section” – about as many the commercial existence of regional papers. as are on one single page of newsprint. Cuts to staffing levels Really? Let’s take one region – Yorkshire and the Humber. In Leeds, under round after round of BBC budget trimming mean that some the BBC’s regional online news team includes a staff of about six – stories on the main page may be several days old. Even weekly managing sites that reflect the coverage areas of local radio stations newspapers can do better than that. If papers are losing out, then for South, West and North Yorkshire, Humberside and Lincolnshire. it’s not because of “competition”, it’s because the companies That’s an area with daily newspapers in York, Hull, Scunthorpe, have done nothing to market their products, invest in their quality Grimsby, Lincoln, Sheffield, Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield, or promote them as they should have been doing. accompanied by weekly titles for major towns and cities such as Asking Mrs May to try to add ammunition to this battle has not Wakefield, Halifax, Castleford, Pontefract, Scarborough, Keighley, only revealed their own ineptitude but brought a leading politician Skipton, Dewsbury, Doncaster, Barnsley, Rotherham, Chesterfield, into disrepute too. If the Tories think they’re the friends of the Malton, Hebden Bridge, Ripon, Harrogate and Wetherby. newspaper industry, then their mates are doing a grand job in Mrs May’s remarks cannot surely be taken as anything other than making them look more like the stupid party than the nasty party. highly offensive by, for example, the 33 remaining staff of the Yorkshire With friends like these .... Weekly Newspaper Group with the implication that six other journalists Regulation and balance requirements mean that the BBC – and at the BBC can cover an entire region more effectively than they can licensed commercial broadcasters – should be nasty to everyone. cover a few towns. Unregulated news outlets can – as many a celebrity can attest – Are regional newspaper managers really so incompetent that they be subject to the most violent of mood swings. think that six desk-bound sub-editors based in Leeds can do more than Without muzzles that should be cosmetic for most of the time, their larger teams and their professional local promotions units? apparently benign old media dogs can suddenly become killers – That Mrs May accepted such information from the newspaper as witnesses at the Old Bailey have generously been confirming industry raises serious questions about her own wisdom. How much recently. Mrs Brooks and Mr Coulson deny all the charges. The else is she saying that has come from vested lobbying interests that case continues. AC

6 • FREE Press • January-February 2014 as control is confused with accountability

The BBC is brilliant at making when you want to rather than by programmes; no doubt about that. schedules. But it’s no good at anything else, and Despite the dutiful rhetoric, the heartbreakingly prone to complacency. It public have no say in BBC governance. is hopeless at organising to defend itself They were never asked about the last and its remit. licence fee settlement, when the BBC This is not an endearing shortcoming: gave away 10 per cent of its revenue the corporation has a duty to protect – “getting its capitulation in first” as public broadcasting as well as to practise Free Press put it in 2010 – nor about it. Reputation and popularity are not slashing news budgets and sacking enough. 6,000 staff, nor paying millions in Lord Hall rehearsed the litany of public severance payments to supernumerary service. The BBC, he said, “belongs to functionaries. its viewers and listeners … I want a BBC These actions weakened the that feels different, where our audiences Corporation terribly by opening it up to are on the inside, helping us to be the savage criticism from its enemies in the best we can be. In future individuals commercial sector and in government. will have the ability to control the BBC These people are now rubbing their themselves.” hands at the prospect of wielding the This was promising until he made knife as charter renewal comes up in himself clearer: “Digital technology now 2016. OUTPOST: The BBC appears to continue to means that we are able to hand to our Lord Hall concluded: “In the debate undervalue its strength outside London, where listeners and viewers a huge amount about what the BBC should or shouldn’t dedicated journalists strive to provide local radio and of control that 30 years ago we kept to regional television programmes that are in touch with do, the voice… of all our viewers, listeners and viewers. ourselves. listeners and users will be pre-eminent “Services like the iPlayer bring you the … But I hope and believe that you will From Page 1 programmes you want to watch and listen speak for it too. After all – it’s your BBC.” to whenever you want them.” Yes it is, and no doubt the VLV, the European court hits back This popular “belonging” does not CPBF, the unions and other will speak mean participation, nor exploiting the up. However BBC bosses themselves at UK newspapers BBC’s tremendous public appreciation for must summon the courage to hold out “Finally, some of the articles cited a familiar refrain political support. for the principles they are charged with that ‘because they are political appointees many of the This means consuming BBC products upholding. Court’s judges are not even legal experts’. “A list of three candidates is put forward by the Government, but before the Assembly proceeds to the election the list is vetted by an independent international panel of senior judicial figures to ensure FREE Press that the candidates satisfy the Convention criteria that they must “either possess the qualifications Free Press is published by the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting required for appointment to high judicial office or be Freedom, jurisconsults of recognised competence”. In other 2nd Floor, Vi and Garner Smith House, 23 Orford Road, Walthamstow, words they must be shown to be ‘legal experts.’ London E17 9NL “The Court naturally understands that some of E-mail: [email protected] its decisions in sensitive areas give rise to criticism. Editor: Adam Christie: [email protected] The operation of the rule of law will not always tally Editorial address: PO Box HP346, Leeds LS6 1UL with public opinion and it would be surprising if all its judgments were popular with governments. Views expressed in Free Press are those of the contributors and should not “However, it is concerned about the frequent be regarded as formal CPBF policy. misrepresentation of its activities in the British Ideas, comments, letters, articles are all welcomed. Please contact the media, the confusion between the costs (awarded editor. in all properly functioning judicial systems) and © 2014 Copyright in the words and images in Free Press remains with the compensation being one example of how a distorted originators. All rights reserved. picture of the Court’s decisions and work has been put Printed by Swallowmax Ltd, 43 Aden Road, Enfield EN3 7SY forward.” This edition went to press on January 8, 2014. CPBF chair Julian Petley said: “Of course, if the Court had complained to the PCC all this could have been The deadline for the next edition is Friday February 21, 2014. put right in a jiffy.” January-February 2014 • FREE Press • 7 WAPPING LEGACY Their own words THE voices and memories of those involved in the infamous “Battle of Wapping” are being recorded and made available in perpetuity. The exhibition created to mark the 25th anniversary of Rupert Murdoch’s attempts to break the unions is being replicated online – and in two books. Unlike the static version, the website that was due to “go live” on January 24 includes film and audio clips as well as images and documents. The date chosen for the official unveiling of the site is the anniversary of the beginning of the dispute in 1986. Police attacks started on those locked out almost immediately and mounted riot police were used for the first time three weeks later, on February 15,. Buiilding the site has been the STORYBOARD: Each section of the travelling version of the exhibition covers a particular aspect of the dispute, its origins and its legacy. Picture: Adam Christie. continuation of work that started three years ago, involving the unions and union interviewing some of those sacked from giving talks, especially as the website has a members who had been involved in the News International including former facility that lets dispute participants contact dispute – the GPM sector of Unite and the printworkers, journalists and others directly one another. National Union of Journalists –as well as the affected. The recordings cover the unions’ Key legal documents, together with notes, CPBF and the Marx Memorial Library on role, the impact on the 5,500 who lost their will also be available for downloading from a London’s Clerkenwell Green. jobs and their families, the demonstrations, dedicated educational section of the site. The exhibition, created by volunteers picketing, the role of women, the effects n For the url, visit www.cbpf.org.uk including journalists and an historian, has on the local neighbourhood and the legacy already toured the UK. for the print and newspaper industries. Now, an oral history is being added to Artefacts are still being collected and more the existing print, video and photographic are welcome for the archive, much of which collection. will be online. Full originals, recordings and “It is,” said working party member and transcripts will be achieved at the Library. former Unite national official Ann Field, Retired GPM/Unite members hope they “intended to be a significant research can encourage more contributions online by resource containing a wide range of primary material as well as being of great interest to people who were involved in the dispute and WHAT ARE YOUR their families. MEMORIES OF THE “The large collection of photographs and personal papers donated by individuals and WAPPING DISPUTE? the voice recordings and reminiscences is expected to increase when the website goes online. It will enable those who lost their jobs, Can you add to the their livelihoods and their trade union and archive? industry community to tell their side of the story for the first time. “It was an episode that changed Comment on the irrevocably and entire industry and the CPBF website IN PRINT: Bad News by Times newspaper process ruined thousands of lives,” she librarians John Lang and Graham Dodkins added. was published in 2011. Wapping; the great A team of volunteers trained by the printing dispute by John Trow, a former Bishopsgate Institute Library has been www.cpbf.org.uk linotype operator for the News of the World, is due out shortly.

8 • FREE Press • January-February 2014