Secrecy Laws Would Treat Media As Spies
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NEWS FROM THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE Informedissue 36 July 2021 requiring official ID and strip the Electoral Commission of powers to initiate criminal prosecutions of election wrongdoing, made their way through the Houses of Parliament. Under the Police, Crime, Courts and Sentencing Bill protestors could face criminal charges if otherwise peaceful demonstrations are deemed to cause “nuisance” or are “noisy” or even have an “impact” on others in the area. This Bill also gives a range of authorities the ability to extract information from electronic devices to seek evidence in prosecuting certain crimes; it’s unclear if this will affect journalists. The NUJ’s Ethics Council has voiced deep concerns about the Nationality and Secrecy laws would Borders Bill which introduces a two-tier asylum system and the criminalisation treat media as spies of anyone who arrives in the UK without permission. The Law Society says it would A raft of legislation and government treat journalists as if they are spies.” be in contravention of the 1951 Refugee plans present an unparalleled The two Duncan Campbells – the Convention. Most commentators agree assault on journalism, democracy former Guardian correspondent; and it is a nasty piece of legislation which will and human rights which would the investigative journalist specialising endanger some of the most vulnerable give an increasingly authoritarian in civil liberties who was a defendant in people in the world fleeing war and government draconian powers. the 1978 ABC trial on charges of leaking persecution. The Bill also paves the way If they become law, it would mean government information – reprised their for potential offshore processing centres that – just by doing their job – journalists double act of the July meeting of the for refugees. could find themselves branded spies London Freelance Branch in an article The government is pressing ahead with and handed 14-year prison sentences. for The Guardian which said: “The Home plans to limit how organisations such Reporters and whistleblowers Office now wants harder and more as the NUJ can use judicial reviews to would lose the defence of revealing extensive secrecy laws that would have challenge official decisions before a High information which is in the public the effect of deterring sources, editors Court judge. interest and the reforms could water and reporters, making them potentially Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general down protections, allowing police to seize subject to uncontrolled official bans not secretary, said: “The sheer number of anti- journalistic material. approved by a court and punished much democratic, dangerous and simply nasty The government’s consultation more severely if they do not comply.” pieces of legislation from this government document outlining its plan to “counter Indeed Priti Patel, Home Secretary, presents a real threat to journalists and state threats” is truly chilling and has has argued that press disclosures could journalism. We need to remain vigilant united the NUJ and newspapers ranging be worse than spying because the work and use all our campaigning powers and from The Guardian and Independent to of a foreign spy “will often only be to the work with the cross-party Parliamentary The Sun – which told its readers: “New benefit of a single state or actor”. Group and other organisations to raise plans would threaten scoops such as our In a 48-hour period this month, awareness and defeat these laws. Let’s use exposure of Matt Hancock’s affair. If these Bills to prevent public protest, the summer to gather our strength so we proposals are implemented, Britain will criminalise vulnerable asylum seekers, can come out fighting for press freedom join the list of authoritarian states which disenfranchise thousands of voters by and democracy.” Also Michelle’s Channel 4 Digital in this Message Threat Recruitment issue: Page 02 Page 08 Page 10 02 Informed Michelle’s Message sphere, it has a real-life personal and outrageous mobbing of BBC journalist professional impact – not least for Nick Watt, it was sickening to read individuals caught up in the online countless accusations of him being fall-out, where aggressive and hostile a shrill, collaborator alongside praise voices are often amplified even if the for the individuals chasing and number of trolls leading the charge are haranguing him and regret that he comparatively few. wasn’t beaten or strung up. That this Abuse is hurled so frequently, and stuff is published with impunity is proof often so readily, that it is behaviour of the failure of the tech giants and the and commentary that has become need for effective regulation. It is also, normalised. Par for the course. however, a dangerous indicator of the Inhabiting space that should be taken levels of hostility facing reporters and up by reasoned debate. It is also clear photographers on a daily basis, who are such abuse is disproportionately levelled at the frontline documenting a polarised at women and those from black and society where elements – fanned by far- minority ethnic backgrounds. The right agitators and aided by conspiracy broader intent of such behaviour is theorists – are increasingly viewing I have lost count obvious – to close down these voices, to journalists as working hand in glove in the past year or make people think twice before engaging with the deep state, propagating lies and and speaking out. working to hoodwink, not to inform. more – or however This behaviour is having an impact long it has been on journalists and journalism on unprecedented levels. NUJ surveys of “Abusive behaviour since the world members demonstrate the increase is having an impact seemed to upend and impact of abuse levelled out online, whether in what are sometimes odious on journalists and itself – of the and staggeringly offensive below the journalism on occasions when it line comments on articles, or mob-like behaviour on twitter, when journalists unprecedented levels.” seemed a new low are rounded on. Adopting a “don’t feed has been struck in the trolls” stance often doesn’t cut it, and The NUJ and our members are dealing it certainly doesn’t erase the cumulative with the consequences of this threat on a what are parlous impact of being harangued, insulted and daily basis – whether on demonstrations, abused as you go about your daily work. in attacks on journalists and their homes, and depressing And since when did ignoring bullies and and in abuse and harassment carried out levels of public not calling them out actually have the online. It is driving our participation in desired effect. the action plan devised by the National discourse in the UK. The starting point of many of these Committee for the Safety of Journalists, exchanges – which too many companies it is motivating the pressure we bring to have tolerated up to this point as bear on the police to ensure journalists essential “reader engagement” – would can work safely, free from attack. Whether it is manufactured outrage, have taken place on the letters’ pages of But we need to do more, and part of coordinated social media pile-ons, publications. The clever-dick tone may the problem is the wider diminution the trumping of common sense by have been there, but the content would of standards we are seeing play out in determined political ideology or ill- have been more considered and thought the public sphere. Politicians need to thought-out kneejerk commentary through before being posted or the send lead from the front. They cannot on – or a combination of all of those button hit, and if they ended up in print the one hand launch the world’s first things – the cumulative impact is it would have been after passing through safety plan for journalists, and then of dysfunctional engagement and the hands of a seasoned editor. indulge in behaviour that imperils them. weakening standards in public life. Now you need to take a deep breath The dismissal of reports and news Whatever the motivations, and before delving into below the line they disagree with cannot any longer whether or not it happens in the online comments – on doing so after the be dismissed as “fake”. Government Informed 03 ministers should not be allowed to get away with trolling individual journalists, impugning them and undermining their credibility. A Prime Minister must be held accountable for distortions and lies. And we all have to keep calling out this REASONS behaviour and not accept or allow the further erosion of what was once basic TO JOIN norms. That also means us thinking twice before pressing send, before posting a message, before venting. It also means remembering that life is full of nuance; it’s not black and white. We should all have the ability to shut up and listen, and to acknowledge that our words and deeds can profoundly affect someone, whether we know them or not. We should value empathy and seek to practice it – being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, to see where they’re coming from has a value even if we would never share their view. And on a basic level, if we’re really trying to inform and influence people’s views, it’s never going to be achieved through shaming them, rounding on them or trading blows on ☞ twitter. Jackie Weaver made headlines and gave the world a few laughs when the Press Freedom Handforth parish council Zoom meeting The NUJ lobbies for journalists’ rights so you can went viral. It also exposed her to the protect your sources, have editorial independence and do your job safely and freely, without censorship highs and lows of public notoriety, not from the state. As a member of the International least at the misogynistic hands of online Federation of Journalists we are part of a trolls.