Louise Tickle Looks at the Prevalence of Media Organisations and Other Groups Who “Expect Journalists to Work for Nothing
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MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS WWW.NUJ.ORG.UK | MAY-JUNE 2018 Full Stop. Ends... Young journalists flee newspapers for PR Contents Main feature 12 Are young dreams being dashed? Why new entrants leave journalism News id you dream of becoming a reporter 03 Al Jazeera strike over pay or an editor? Many of us did, attracted by an exciting career full of variety Protest over four-year wage freeze and the potential to hold power to 04 Bid to boost women’s media presence account. Campaign taken to Scottish TUC DBut, as Ruth Addicott finds in our cover feature, many young people are deserting these roles 05 More job cuts at Trinity Mirror not long after achieving them, finding that the reality of Digital drive rolls on clickbait driven, office-bound journalism today is not what 06 NUJ Delegate Meeting 2018 they dreamt of. Conference reports And then there’s the pay…or lack of it. Louise Tickle looks at the prevalence of media organisations and other groups who “expect journalists to work for nothing. Features Since the last edition of The Journalist the NUJ has held its 10 A day in the life of biennial delegate meeting – the policy setting framework for A union communications journalist the union. Low pay, worsening conditions at the BBC, Iran’s treatment of journalists on the BBC’s Persian service and many 12 Scoop other issues were on the busy agenda in Southport. International reporting then and now There was also a motion calling for The Journalist to remain a 16 Pay day mayday print publication published at least six times a year. It came as Growing demands for free work the union’s strategic communications review raised a question over the frequency of the magazine. I was delighted that the motion from Bristol branch was passed with no opposition. Regulars I’m glad that the delegates showed that they appreciate the 09 Viewpoint magazine. I know many non-activist members also value it. 19 NUJ & Me 25 Story behind the picture 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 Melanie Richards Manchester office Raymond Tel: 07494975239 [email protected] Snoddy [email protected] Glasgow office Print [email protected] Page 18 Warners Cover picture www.warners.co.uk Dublin office Letters & [email protected] Gary Neil Distribution ” Steve Bell GB Mail www.gb-mail.co.uk Page 22-23 02 | theJournalist news Al-Jazeera staff vote on inbrief... PRESS REVIEW CHAIR IS DAME FRANCES nine per cent pay offer The Government has appointed Dame Frances Cairncross as chair of As The Journalist went pay increase of 3 per cent for its review of press sustainability in to press, staff at 2019. Members of the NUJ the UK and has published its terms Al Jazeera’s English- and Bectu will now vote to of reference. She is a former language TV channel in accept or reject the offer. economic journalist, author and London were preparing to The management’s offer Solidarity and all academic administrator. vote on a pay offer brokered follows three years of by the conciliation service negotiations and four years good wishes to Acas. without a pay rise. The joint colleagues at Al UK STATIC IN PRESS The nine per cent offer over unions said they hoped the Jazeera English from FREEDOM INDEX two years came as staff had offer was proof that Al “ Britain has stayed at number 40 out been preparing to stage a Jazeera will now take the the NUJ’s BBC Radio of 180 countries on the 2018 World one-day strike followed by collective bargaining process, Press Freedom Index compiled by indefinite action short of a and its relationship with the and Future Media Reporters without Borders. It was strike. staff unions, seriously. Chapel. You deserve named as one of the worst The NUJ had said that the Messages of support for countries for press freedom in channel, which is funded by meal breaks in full; not the Al Jazeera staff have a pay rise! western Europe. When the index the Qatari government, has answering telephone calls, included other unions and began in 2002 the UK was 22nd. failed to honour an emails and message out of the NUJ’s BBC Radio and agreement to negotiate pay normal working hours and on Future Media Chapel, which NUJ’s BBC Radio on an annual basis. Both days off work; and the said: “Solidarity and all good TORRANCE HITS OUT members of the NUJ and withdrawal of goodwill. wishes to colleagues at Al AT ‘ONLINE BILE’ Bectu, which represents Al Jazeera English is based Jazeera English from the David Torrance, the Herald political technical staff, voted to take in Doha and has about 130 NUJ’s BBC Radio and Future columnist and Scottish freelance action. staff in London. Media Chapel. You deserve has left journalism, partly because Following the strike the The deal for 2018 is an a pay rise! Unless journalists of the rise of ‘online bile’ and chapel had planned indefinite across-the board pay increase are paid properly, there’ll ‘puerile’ political discourse. action involving taking of six per cent backdated to 1 be no such thing as press Torrance, who has been a journalist statutory and contractual January and a consolidated freedom.” for 18 years, said political discourse had ‘narrowed’ following the 2011 Holyrood election, leading him to become a ‘hate figure’. Journalists killed by Islamic State VANITY FAIR PUTS Ten journalists were central Kabul on 30 April. attack the suicide bomber Shah from the BBC’s Afghan UP A PAYWALL killed on one day in The first bomb was exploded disguised himself as a service was shot dead in Vanity Fair online has moved Afghanistan after the and the second was journalist. Nine journalists Khost province. behind a paywall.Readers need a so-called Islamic State detonated 20 minutes later were killed in Kabul out More than 1000 subscription to access all articles on deliberately targeted among those who had come of 25 people who lost journalists have been killed the website, but can access four journalists. to rescue and report on the their lives. worldwide over the past free articles per month. US editor Two suicide attacks hit atrocity. In the subsequent On the same day Ahmad 15 years. Radhika Jones promised to deliver ‘agenda setting journalism’, and ‘in-depth reporting’’. Chris, Charlie and Joyce are honoured WESTMORLAND NUJ activists Chris Frost, Charlie Harkness and Joyce GAZETTE HITS 200 McMillan were made members of honour at last The Westmorland Gazette is month’s delegate meeting in Southport. celebrating its 200th anniversary Chris is an emeritus professor at Liverpool John Moores with a museum exhibition. The University and chair of the union’s ethics council. weekly newspaper covers the Lake Charlie is a former deputy general secretary of the NUJ as District and Cumbria area since May well as having had a long career in journalism and 1818, and has a circulation of communications. around 15,000 with more than Theatre critic and political commentator Joyce has been an 100,000 readers across print and NUJ member since 1981. She has been chair and treasurer of online. Edinburgh freelance branch NUJ delegate meeting, pages 6-8 PAUL HERRMANN theJournalist | 03 news inbrief... NUJ tackles women’s PULITZER PRIZE FOR WEINSTEIN WORK The New York Times and the New media representation Yorker’s investigative reporting, which exposed allegations against Scottish NUJ delegates to the Scottish oppressed groups are represented.” film producer Harvey Weinstein, has Trades Union Congress in Aviemore led Diljeet Bhachu, a musician and delegate of won a Pulitzer prize. Allegations by the charge for increased representation of the Musicians’ Union, highlighted the issue of actors who had worked with the women. visibility. She said: “Visibility has the power to producer led to the worldwide The delegation comprised Liz Ely, Simon raise aspiration, and encourage real inclusivity #MeToo movement of women Barrow, Jim Symonds and Scotland’s NUJ and equality. speaking up about sexual assault. organiser Dominic Bascombe. “But to have some visibility is not enough. The NUJ’s motion challenging the Tokenism is also damaging. Under- representation of women in the media won represented people are diverse, and NME GOES ONLINE AS support from all unions representation needs to PRINT MAKES LOSS attending. reflect this plurality too. Music magazine NME has moved to The motion recognised People are more than online publication only following the power of the media to their labels.” I have lost count of continuing losses while it was a free affect how under- The NUJ delegation also print publication. The NME, which represented groups saw put forward a motion how many times I was launched in 1952, went on free themselves and how consumers of media challenging the strategy of media companies distribution for two and a half years viewed them. It called for a joint, cohesive to increase the use of user-generated content have heard groups before it ended print altogether. approach to tackle negative portrayals and to the detriment of professional journalists. of men on the radio New editor Charlotte Gunn has messages. A third motion from the union called on “ pledged to make the NME the music Liz Ely said: “I have lost count of how many the STUC to explore different models of discussing the gender industry’s bible once again.