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MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL UNION OF

WWW.NUJ.ORG.UK | MARCH-APRIL 2019

Breaking ! Fixing the problems of instant Contents

Main feature 16 Slow news is good news In depth reporting online News ver feel like you’re in a whirlwind of 03  national pay initiative news and opinion? With news now disseminated instantly in many ways Campaign across publisher’s titles and with journalists often having little 04 MPs berate BBC over equal pay chance to check the veracity of the Corporation fails to set targets Einformation storm it’s easy to feel bowled over and distrustful of instant news. 05 All party support for Cumbrian strike But more journalists are stopping this world and getting off Members take action over pay to opt for slow news – reporting which deliberately eschews 07 Dutch photographers strike speed to take a different and more insightful perspective. Freelances’ collective protest Rachel Broady looks at the growth of slow news. And for those journalists who want to slow down even more “and write at even greater length Lynne Wallis looks at how to Features move from to author. 10 Springing into action In our campaigning work Jenny Sims looks at how a long Recognition victory at publisher battle at the publisher Springer Nature yielded results with the recognition of the NUJ. 12 Time to get packing? Our Viewpoint opinion column is a powerful account by The plight of travel journalism Turkish journalist Ayse Duzkan of how her campaigning led to a 16 From fact to fiction jail sentence which she is now serving. Do you have a novel in you? Both Springer and Ayse show how strong journalists can be in the face of adversity. And so does Eugene Costello who having suffered a heart attack decided to embark on a massive road Regulars trip with someone he hadn’t met to raise funds for charity. He 09 Viewpoint completed the journey with a great deal of humour. Something to inspire us all. 18 Media anniversary 26 And finally...

Christine Buckley Editor @mschrisbuckley Arts with Attitude Pages 24-25 Editor NUJ [email protected] 72 Acton Street Design 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 23 Warners Cover picture www.warners.co.uk Dublin office [email protected] Gary Neill Letters Distribution and Steve Bell GB Mail ISSN: 0022-5541 ” www.gb-mail.co.uk Page 20-22

02 | theJournalist news Newsquest journalists in inbrief... HUMPHREYS SAYS FAREWELL TO TODAY national pay campaign John Humphreys is to leave 4’s Today programme by the end of NUJ members working for the year. Humphrys has been with Newsquest, Britain’s second-largest Today for more than 30 years. From regional and local company, have 1981 to 1987 he was the main launched a national pay campaign. presenter for BBC ’s Nine Many journalists working for Newsquest, Thousands of O’Clock News which is owned by the US company , have only had two cost of living pay rises in the UK employees in last 11 years. Newsquest cannot BETH RIGBY IS SKY’S Trainee journalists can start on £16,500 and some of the highest-paid reporters, with up to be ignored and Beth Rigby has been appointed Sky 30 years’ experience, earn £26,000. But the whichever is the greater. “ News political editor, replacing company has also started taking on editorial In the last 18 months Newsquest has spent condemned to exist on Faisal Islam who is becoming the apprentices who currently earn the minimum £13.5 million buying Isle of Wight County Press rubbish pay forever. BBC’s economics editor. She joined wage when starting. Group, NWN Media Ltd and CN Group in Sky News in 2016 as a senior Journalists are asking Newsquest for a Cumbria. political correspondent. Her decent pay rise this year that reflects big Chris Morley, Newsquest NUJ national Chris Morley previous roles include chief political productivity gains from cutting jobs and coordinator, said:“While Newsquest’s parent correspondent at the FT. loading new technological requirements on to Gannett is fending off the unwanted attentions the remaining journalists. They also point out of a $1.4 billion hostile takeover bid by vulture that the national living wage will be rising by capitalists, the thousands of UK employees in THIS WEEK TO END 4.8 per cent in April so their pay should not get Newsquest cannot be ignored and condemned WHEN NEIL QUITS

left behind. to exist on rubbish pay forever. ROBERT CHARLESWORTH The BBC will end its late-night NUJ chapels are submitting local pay “That is why NUJ chapels are working politics show This Week when demands which reflect local conditions but collectively to give the biggest possible Andrew Neil leaves the programme most are asking that the unpaid 3 per cent reminder today to bosses that they deserve a after hosting it for 16 years. The cost of living rise last year should be added to little more love from the corporate hierarchy in programme will end after its a further 5 per cent rise in 2019, making a the form of cold hard cash for their amazing current run in July. The BBC said it total of 8 per cent or a minimum of £2,000, productivity, skill and invention.” couldn’t imagine the programme without Andrew Neil.

Charitable status for papers? MANCHESTER GETS NEW SUNDAY EDITION Jeremy Wright, the Dame Frances Cairncross Mr Wright has asked the The has Secretary of State for Digital, had warned that the closure Competition and Markets launched its first Sunday edition. Culture, Media and Sport, has of local threatens Authority to conduct a study of The new edition is a digest of the asked the Charity Commission to democracy. the digital advertising market. week’s news and features but with determine if groups which But she noted that many local He has also written to former additional new content and a promote public interest and newspapers which are vital to Obama advisor Professor Jason lifestyle and leisure supplement. It could be ensuring local democracy have Furman who has been asked by also includes long reads which have given charitable status following cut investment and many the government to examine appeared online. a recommendation from the journalists’ jobs in an effort to digital competition in UK. Cairncross review into the future maintain profit margins because of the media. of high levels of corporate debt. Raymond Snoddy, page 23 WORLD MEDIA DEATH TOLL REACHES 84 The International Federation of Journalists’ annual list of media workers killed doing their job shows that 84 journalists, camera Digital media hit by cuts and closure operators, fixers and technicians died in targeted killings, bomb Digital media suffered big blows early leaving. Last year Buzzfeed UK laid off a third attacks and cross-fire incidents. this year with plans by Buzzfeed to cut 200 of its staff and in January Janine Gibson, the Afghanistan, Mexico, Yemen and jobs worldwide, 800 job losses at Verizon UK editor-in-chief, left the company. Syria topped the killing fields for Media Group, the owner of the HuffPost, The Pool went into administration owing media workers in 2018. The list Yahoo and AOL, and the closure of the UK money to staff and freelances. A crowdfunding includes Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi PICTOKRAFT / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO STOCK / ALAMY PICTOKRAFT website The Pool. Jonah Peretti, BuzzFeed’s initiative to help those affected was set up by journalist murdered in the Saudi founder, said 15 per cent of staff would be the literary agency boss Julia Kingsford. consulate in Istanbul.

theJournalist | 03 news inbrief... MPs berate BBC over failure to FT APPOINTS GLOBAL DIVERSITY HEAD The Financial Times has appointed acknowledge pay discrimination Priscilla Baffour, ITN’s former head of diversity and inclusion, to a new The BBC has come under fresh fire TOMMY LONDON / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO role of global diversity chief. She from MPs on the digital, cultural, media and has also worked as a Channel 4 sport select committee over a lack of progress industry talent specialist and as a in establishing equal pay. youth outreach and projects Their investigation into pay at the manager for Media Trust. corporation was triggered last year when presenter Carrie Gracie (pictured right), backed by the NUJ, accused the BBC of pay SITWELL JOINS discrimination. The NUJ has made a large THE TELEGRAPH number of equal pay claims on behalf of William Sitwell has joined The women at the BBC. Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary, Telegraph as a and Last October, the select committee said: “This hard-hitting report on the BBC’s commentator. This was shortly after published a highly critical report of pay response to the select committee must be the former Waitrose Food magazine inequality at the corporation. taken seriously by the corporation. editor stepped down over comments In January, the MPs published a fresh report “It has been told that it must comply with he made in an email to a freelance accusing the BBC of still failing to acknowledge the law on equal pay and the committee took Our evidence suggests in which he proposed a series on the ‘structural problem that exists regarding the BBC to task for failing to admit a pay ‘killing vegans’. equal pay’. They said it was “very disappointed discrimination problem, instead confining its that some women that the BBC has failed to acknowledge that a remarks to references to the ‘gender pay gap’ at the BBC who work pay discrimination problem exists”. and ‘fair pay’ as opposed to unequal pay. CONDÉ NAST INCURS The committee’s first report called for “There are still many outstanding equal pay in comparable jobs £13.5M PRE-TAX LOSS targets to be set by December 2018, but MPs claims that we are dealing with.” “ Vogue and GQ publisher Condé Nast said “the BBC has failed to set specific targets In response to the renewed criticisms, the to men are earning made a pre-tax loss of £13.5 million for tackling discrimination”. BBC said: “You only need to look at the far less in 2017, down from a pre-tax profit Damian Collins, the Conservative chair of significant reforms we’ve made to our pay and of £6.7 million a year earlier. In its the committee, said: “Our evidence suggests grading structures to see how much has most recent financial report, the that some women at the BBC who work in changed, and we’ve also dealt with many of Damian Collins magazine publisher, which also comparable jobs to men are earning far less.” the individual pay queries raised with us.” Chair, select committee owns Vanity Fair, Tatler and Wired, reported turnover of £113.5 million, down seven per cent year-on-year. and witnesses. Lawyers for No Stone Unturned pair the two NUJ members successfully opposed the JPI MEDIA INCREASES thwart silence move attempt. NEWSPAPER PRICES The NUJ has condemned last year in connection with Séamus Dooley, NUJ JPI Media has increased the price of an attempt by the Police their documentary No Stone assistant general secretary, the i newspaper and some regional Service of Unturned about the said: “International titles in response to falling and Durham Constabulary to Loughinisland massacre. In awareness, cross community advertising revenues and rising stop investigative journalists March their bail was support and growing media newsprint costs. The i’s weekday Trevor Birney and Barry extended until September. interests in this violation of price rose from 60p to 65p from the McCaffrey from commenting The police tried to amend human rights is clearly start of the year. The prices of the on their case while they are the existing bail conditions to proving embarrassing.” and Echo, on police bail. prevent the journalists from He said that the extension Post, Gazette, The two have been on bail talking publicly about the of bail until September was have also gone up. since their arrest in August ongoing police investigation a travesty.

BRITON TAKES TOP JOB AT AFP AGENCY Agence France-Presse has No penalty given in NUJ member dispute appointed a British journalist as its global – the first time ‘No penalty’ has been Cameron had tweeted that treat other members ‘with provided no evidence for his a foreign national has been given recorded against Neil Donegal-based blogger Phil consideration and respect allegation. the 184-year-old French news Cameron, although he was Mac Goilla Bháin ‘made up and not to take actions which ‘No penalty’ was applied agency’s top editorial job. Phil found to have contravened stories’. threaten their livelihood(s)’. because Cameron’s comment Chetwynd has been promoted from membership rules by the Mac Goilla Bháin cited the Cameron, a sports writer was made in the context of a editor-in-chief of the agency where National Executive Council. NUJ rule that members must on in Glasgow, ‘social media ferment’. he oversaw daily output.

04 | theJournalist news Cumbrian strike action inbrief... DOOLEY DANCES INTO ROLE AT GRAZIA UK gains political support Stacey Dooley has been appointed for NUJ members striking at Newsquest- clarify that by saying nor should they. investigations at Grazia UK. Dooley, owned titles in Cumbria just before “They disseminate information to the a journalist, documentary maker Christmas have won cross-party political public, organise campaigns and, in the finest and 2018 Strictly Come Dancing support for their one-day walkout over pay. examples of work, they hold organisations like champion, will publish a series of The newspapers affected by the strike were ours up to public scrutiny. To lose such a crucial We are lucky to have investigations in the magazine the Carlisle News & Star, the link is a major loss for us all.” throughout this year. Cumberland News, the Rory Stewart, Tory MP for so many excellent Workington Times and Star Penrith and the Border, said: journalists writing and the Whitehaven News. “Strong, vigorous local for fantastic papers ASAD HASHIM WINS Tim Farron (pictured right), newspapers are a vital part of “ KATE WEBB PRIZE former Liberal Democrat local democracy. Journalism is and they deserve to Asad Hashim won the 2018 AFP leader and MP for South extraordinarily important. We Kate Webb Prize for coverage of the Lakeland, said: “Our local will only keep it alive if we be fairly rewarded for plight of ethnic Pashtuns and reporters here in Cumbria reward journalists properly.” blasphemy issues in Pakistan. The aren’t just writing about our Helen Davison, Carlisle Green the work that they do prize honours journalists working communities, they are part of Party chair, also added her in perilous or difficult conditions in those communities – they are support to the strike. Asia, and is named after an AFP Tim Farron the glue that keeps our Jane Kennedy, NUJ Northern reporter who covered some of the MP for South Lakeland community together. and Midlands organiser, said: world’s trouble spots.

“That’s the key to a good “Newsquest are making severe AMER GHAZZAL / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO local newspaper. We are lucky cuts again and again; they are to have so many excellent journalists writing slashing frontline journalism jobs and paying ANDERSON WINS for fantastic papers and they deserve to be out thousands in perks to those at the top of BARRON TROPHY fairly rewarded for the work that they do.” company. Newsquest are systematically asset Craig Anderson, who until he Stewart Young, Labour leader of Cumbria stripping local journalism in this country and recently retired was the County Council, said: “Skilled and experienced they must be stopped.” long-serving reporter in the local journalists are a key part of our Newsquest said that the pay dispute dated Highlands and Islands for the BBC, democratic structures. Whilst I’ll be the first to back to before it acquired the newspapers in has been awarded this year’s say they don’t always make our lives easy, I’ll March last year. Barron Trophy. The award recognises lifetime achievement in journalism in the Scottish region.

DRUGSTORE CULTURE Strike sparks NUJ’s first IPSO complaint STAFF QUIT EN MASSE The NUJ has submitted The newspaper’s report of The IPSO code of conduct company’s reporting of The full five-strong editorial team its first ever complaint to the strike action, which was calls for a commitment to legal industrial action in this behind arts and culture magazine the regulator IPSO over the published before the strike fairness, stating that the way showed the Drugstore Culture – including editor coverage by The Cumberland on December 20, reported press must take care not to organisation’s lack of and Guardian Matthew News of the strike action at comments from the company publish inaccurate, distorted commitment to quality D’Ancona – resigned in January. In Newsquest’s Cumbrian News but not from the union or or misleading information. journalism, including fair an email to contributors, D’Ancona titles. those about to take action. The union said that the and balanced reporting. and deputy editor Peter Hoskin said the resignations followed ‘instructions from management’ to sack two journalists at the title.

Press Freedom campaign carries on up north MAIL ONLINE CHIEF’S EARLY DEPARTURE The Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom (CPBF) closed Mail Online editor-in-chief Noah down in November 2018 but CPBF (North) is to continue. Kotch, a US journalist who It will campaign for strong regional voices in broadcasting, highlight threats previously worked for Fox News, to local and regional newspapers, and support . has left website after just CPBF (North) coordinator Granville Williams said: “We will continue to hold six months in the job. Kotch started public meetings, publish books and pamphlets and maintain close links with the the role in July, saying at the time media unions and the wider trade union movement.” that he was ‘thrilled to join as The first issue of newsletter MediaNorth was published in December. For more brilliant an operation as the information, contact [email protected] dailymail.com’.

theJournalist | 05 We’re here when bad news hits...

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Contact the NUJ legal service first and keep 100% of your compensation – whatever the injury, however complex the claim.

Call the NUJ legal service on 0800 587 7528

www.thompsonstradeunion.law/nuj Standing up for you news Dutch photographers inbrief... LEWIS AND FACEBOOK SETTLE OVER SCAMS pull down the shutters NUJ member Martin Lewis, founder of Money Saving Expert, has About 500 freelance photojournalists “With current rates of pay, dropped a lawsuit in the Netherlands staged a one-day strike in will not survive – the rates must not be allowed against Facebook over scam adverts, January, with more than 250 travelling from to fall. We call upon the ANP and others to which he said used his name to con across the country to demonstrate in front of invest now in the future of photojournalism.” people out of money. Facebook said the ANP Dutch press agency’s headquarters in A series of actions targeting Dutch media With current rates of it would donate £3 million to The Hague. The action, by Dutch journalists’ organisations Persgroep, Sanoma and TMG is pay, photojournalism charity, create a reporting button union NVJ, was staged FNV under way. After the for scam ads in the UK and set up a to press for better action, talks are due to will not survive. We team to handle issues reported. pay rates for take place with the photographers. management of both “call upon the ANP In addition, a full ANP and Persgroep. and others to invest MYRIE HONOURED BY page advert carrying Freelance rates in the HIS OLD UNIVERSITY the photographers’ Netherlands have fallen now in the future of BBC Clive Myrie is signatures appeared from €80 a photo in to receive an honorary doctorate in two national daily 2014 to an average of photojournalism from his alma mater. Myrie studied newspapers. €42 today, with some law at the University of Sussex in NVJ freelance as low as €15 or €20. Rosa García López the 1980s and went on to work at photojournalist organiser Rosa García López The NVJ’s campaign has three demands: a NVJ the BBC shortly after graduating. told the demonstration that the action 14 per cent increase in rates; respect for showed that Dutch photojournalists could creators’ rights and the equalisation of online organise on a national level. and print tariffs. The NVJ has said that some HAYMARKET PROFITS She said: “You came from north and south, media companies offer €15-€20 for an online FALL BY NEARLY HALF from small villages and from large cities, alone photo as opposed to €42-€50 for print. Haymarket Group, a specialist and in groups. More would have liked to join Dutch photojournalists fear that, unless fees publisher, has posted a fall in us but they don’t dare to – they have told me are increased, their profession will become pre-tax profits to £8 million for the themselves. Still, today 500 photojournalists just a ‘glorified hobby’ within ten years. year to the end of June 2018, down will not be offering photographs to the media from £15.9 million in 2017. and picture libraries. News in focus, page 8 Turnover at the group fell to £163.5 million, down nearly £10 million year-on-year. Eurovision conscientious objectors backed ECONOMIST STARTS The NUJ’s Dublin At a meeting in January, and injured at least 20 contest on conscientious DEEP DAILY PODCAST Broadcasting Branch has branch members more with live rounds. grounds. The Economist has launched a daily pledged to support any condemned Israel’s The union branch The branch’s resolution podcast to deliver current affairs to member who chooses to continued attacks on expressed its support for the follows a pledge last April by both morning commuters in the US exercise a conscientious journalists and on freedom stance taken by Irish the NUJ as a whole to and late-morning listeners in the objection to being involved of expression. broadcaster RTE, which has support any journalist who UK. The Intelligence promises an in covering this year’s It noted that, since April, said it would not bring any refused on ethical grounds in-depth look at big news stories Eurovision Song Contest. The its forces have shot and ‘sanction’ against any to cover the Giro d’Italia that steers away from the ‘hamster event is due to take place in killed two journalists employee who declined to cycling competition, which wheel’ of daily news, according to May in Israel. reporting from Gaza’s border travel to Israel to cover the started in Israel. head of Economist Radio Anne McElvoy.

Pay rise agreed at ITV but talks continue BUCKS FREE PRESS REACHES OUT NUJ members at ITV have accepted a pay offer of 2.5 per cent and an Newsquest has started a new increase in the redundancy payment cap from £45,000 to £50,000. The offer was edition of the Bucks Free Press for accepted by a large majority of members in a consultative ballot. Members of towns and Bectu and Unite also agreed to accept it. villages abandoned by Reach after However, negotiations are still to conclude on unpopular changes to working it closed a title covering the area. arrangements for bank holidays. The broadcaster wants to move to full news The new edition will cover programmes on bank holidays rather than shortened bulletins. , and Little At ITN, changes planned to the annual leave system, which involved moving Chalfont. Reach closed the from a calculation of days to one of hours, were withdrawn by the company after Buckinghamshire Examiner & objections from the unions. Advertiser in January.

theJournalist | 07 news in focus

FNV have targeted the Persgroep, the largest Dutch media group, and the Amsterdam offices of the Telegraaf Media Group. Nominees at the Silver Camera awards for photography wore a small button with a symbol of a camera to show their support. The NVJ believes action is already paying dividends. Freelances no longer feel powerless against large media companies. Talks have reopened with ANP and Persgroep. The union hopes other companies will join the discussions. Brinkhorst says: “They cannot ignore us any more and pick off individuals – we are united. We have opened conversations that were closed.” Like their Dutch counterparts, UK photojournalists are dealing with falling rates, relentless copyright breaches and increasing expectations to do more for less. Those struggling to make a living as professional photographers (who are overwhelmingly freelance) can feel addressing these issues is impossible. Staff photographer cuts in the past 10 years have been compounded by large publishers seeking out user-generated content, using images without payment and undermining the ability of professional photographers to Photoshock secure work. The NUJ Photographers’ Council led the #UseItPayForIt Dutch freelances have united to fight plummeting pay campaign to promote the value of professional photography and rates. Natasha Hirst and Tony Sheldon report encourage amateurs to seek payment for their work instead of giving it away. n the bitter cold in The With anger growing, the NVJ decided British Photographic Council Hague amid snow last autumn to launch a campaign – research in 2009 showed that fewer flurries, 250 freelance Photojournalism Has a Price. It than two out of three professional I photographers included independent data showing photographers were able to earn a gathered to protest rates for photographs in 2017 were 67 living from the industry full time and about plummeting pay rates. It was a per cent of those in 2014. Members of this was expected to get worse. The good turnout and, for each person the NVF, the NVJ’s photography State of News Photography 2018 report, present, another freelance division, were then shocked further by by the World Press Photo Foundation photographer elsewhere was forgoing plans, announced following the merger and the University of Stirling, bears work to go on strike. of ANP with photo agency Hollandse that prediction out, highlighting a Although numbers were strong Hoogte, for day rates to be halved in huge drop in full-time photographers. – half the Dutch photojournalist return for retaining rights to photos. For the future, it is crucial to protect profession – the age range was limited. The NVF called four regional the integrity of our industry and the Rotterdam photographer Peter meetings to assess the mood and They cannot ability of members to earn a living. Will gesticulated in front of Dutch press received a strong response. Soon, 200 ignore us and pick the Dutch campaign galvanise UK agency ANP where the demonstration members were backing action. Next, “ photographers into action here? was held: “Look around here – do you officials phoned members to urge off individuals Brinkhorst is proud of attracting see anybody aged under 30? This them to register for the national attention from the UK as well as from profession is dying.” demonstration in The Hague, offering – we are united. Norway, Denmark, Belgium and The NVJ Dutch journalists’ union is them €95 in strike pay. Germany. “We still need all the attention seeking to protect photojournalism by NVF chair, photographer Eric We have opened we can get. We haven’t achieved achieving, through collective Brinkhorst, told The Journalist: “It was a anything yet, but we can.” bargaining, pay rates that can sustain hell of a job. We called all 708 conversations that the profession. Anecdotal evidence members. Some just needed a minute were closed Natasha Hirst is chair of the NUJ’s suggests that average rates per photo – others you really had to convince. But Photographers’ Council and Tony have virtually halved from €80 in 2014 I only had one person who refused.” Sheldon is chair of the union’s to €42 today. Since the demonstration, actions Netherlands’ branch 8 | theJournalist ” viewpoint

WHY I’M GOING TO PRISON Ayşe Düzkan says she was given a jail sentence for defending honest journalism

am writing this in the But, if most people don’t know we last few hours before are at war, how can they call for peace? I submit myself to That is why a free press is essential. I Turkey’s penal I was a member of the executive of authorities. They will the journalists’ union Disk Basin-Is. In admit me to prison and start the 2016, some of my union colleagues and process of sending me to wherever it is I took a modest stand. At the time, that I am to be incarcerated for a year press freedom was under threat. and a half. My crime? Defending Newspapers had been banned, honest journalism. reporters sent to prison and television The series of court hearings that stations forced out of business. have delivered me to this point started The Özgür Gündem newspaper (it in 2016, but my story really begins in translates as Free Agenda), although the 1980s. I was in my early 20s and published in Turkish, has always been a friend went off to do his military pro Kurdish rights. It offers a glimpse service – then and now, a legal of Kurdish reality, not only the conflict requirement of all men in Turkey. but also the culture, music, literature, He was a musician. When he came and everyday life. Most importantly, it back, he seemed like a different person worked to report news of the conflict in – troubled, angry, frightened and southeast Turkey accurately and quickly. haunted by terrible dreams whose It and many of its successors have and my sentence has now been details he refused to share. now been banned. The paper has long whittled down to a year and a half. What I did not realise was that, instead been a target. Its journalists have been I will be one of the first few from our of simply undertaking military training, assassinated, its editor arrested and its group to start their sentence; Hüseyin as our circle of pals had imagined, my presses bombed. Bektaş and Mehmet Ali Çelebi are friend had been away to war. Few knew So savage had the government assault already in prison. As well as showing it at the time, but my country was on press freedom been by 2016 that we that journalists in Turkey stick together, engaged in a military conflict with knew Özgür Gündem would soon be in we also wanted to bring the treatment Kurdish groups in southeast Turkey. the line of fire. Its staff asked for our of the media in my country to wider I had a vague idea about what was support and we agreed that journalists attention – for which reason I am going on but this was the first time I would stand together to resist attacks grateful to the NUJ for ‘adopting’ me. had come face to face with the reality on free speech. Free journalism Free journalism provides the best of war. At the time of my friend’s Fifty-six of us were, each for a single chance we have that people can access service, post traumatic stress disorder day, named on the newspaper’s provides“ the best truth and reality about the societies we and Vietnam syndrome were little masthead as ‘honorary executive inhabit. Everyone deserves that. known, but something like this had editors’. I actually went in and did a chance that people Strange as it may seem, my spirits clearly affected him. That experience shift. It was the Saturday before can access truth are high and my mood is good. We was one of the many things that Mothering Sunday, so I pulled together have a saying in Turkish that might be sparked a life time of activism. a page about that. and reality about translated as, “This will come and pass, I have worked for more than 20 years Within a fortnight, there were cases too”. I am not brave, I am not a heroine, as a journalist, writing about culture, against 50 of us. It was the start of a the societies we I try to do what seems right and doing music and fashion for a series of grinding process to prosecute us for that feels like happiness. newspapers and magazines. I have ‘propagandising for a terrorist inhabit. Everyone been a feminist since 1984 and have a organisation’. deserves that Ayşe Düzkan has started serving lifetime’s involvement in both the At first, the prosecutors asked that I her sentence in Bakırköy prison in women’s peace movement and the be sentenced to 14 years. There have Instanbul. The NUJ has ‘adopted’ Kurdish issue. been many court appearances since, her as a mark of solidarity. ” theJournalist | 9 recognition

Activists fought a David and Goliath battle for union recognition at Springer Nature publishers. Jenny Sims speaks to them

NUJ to get the numbers up so they could fight for union recognition. The job was tough, as Grayson points out: “NUJ subs are fairly high if you Springing earn above a certain amount. Nature is a prestigious journal and pays fairly well. Many of our editors are in the highest pay band, and found the subs off-putting.” But in came the cavalry – NUJ HQ. into action The magazines division helped fund off-site lunchtime recruitment t took six years but NUJ This stealthy derecognition crept in meetings in pubs (free food was a members can without any warning, just before definite attraction) and national justifiably celebrate a several internal company-wide organiser Fiona Swarbrick negotiated I hard-won victory. At reorganisations. agreements to offer attractive one-off last the union is “It took a while to get the wheels deals for new members to help recognised at publishers Springer back on the bus and focus ourselves on overcome the recruitment barriers. Nature, but recruitment and retention getting recognition,” Grayson admits. One of the most successful will continue to be a top priority for the No longer were editorial and production inducements was a 24-hour flash sale chapel. teams working together in one office offering 50 per cent off fees for a year. Michelle Grayson, a senior editor at – staff were spread through different Their bargaining unit now has an Nature, mother of chapel and a key business divisions of the company. NUJ membership level of just over 51 figure in the fight, says: “It’s been Sullivan adds: “The NUJ has always per cent of the 375 editorial staff tough, but we’re really pleased we been strong within the Nature family working on Nature titles. They are ‘safe’. made it, and I’m looking forward to the of titles and the company has However, Grayson admits: “I don’t next .” consistently underestimated how think we could have done it if Fiona Compared to the amount of grafting, widely supported the union is. hadn’t fought for us to get discounts.” persuasion and negotiation needed to “Our task in the new, bigger world of Their next battle is to get recognition approach the central arbitration Springer Nature was to be able to for staff on other (non-Nature) titles at committee and go through the process rationalise our support in terms of the the company. of getting recognition, retention and new corporate structure to give us a further recruitment has got to be easier. clear and consistent bargaining unit The story is a long and complicated for recognition. one and, frankly, Grayson probably had “That meant a lot of work poring no idea of the task she was taking on over organisation charts and clarifying when she agreed to help managing disparate job titles in order to show editor Colin Sullivan, a long-time NUJ how the proposed bargaining unit member and father of the chapel from would work.” the days when Nature was owned solely Grayson did a lot of the legwork, and by Macmillan Publishers – and before Sullivan pays tribute to her. “It was a it merged with Springer. truly Herculean effort by Shell. I think The merger helped turn Springer she now knows more about the Nature into one of the world’s biggest corporate structure in the UK than global research, academic, educational the HR department.” and professional publishers. She adds: “It helped that we What used to be a tight, small, had a historical core of self-contained set of employees at chapel members, and that Nature Publishing Group became part we had a big, stable of a big, sprawling organisation with workforce.” around 1,200 employees based in There was a King’s Cross in London now employed bureaucratic barrier: within an extremely complicated because they did not business structure. have union recognition, Grayson recalls: “I came from the staff could not use Nature side of the company. We used to company email or hold have a chapel when I joined nine years meetings on the ago, then we got stealthily premises to recruit

OLDTIME / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO STOCK / ALAMY OLDTIME derecognised.” more colleagues to the

10 | theJournalist fundraising The Timbuk Two It was a heart attack that inspired Eugene Costello to undertake a long road trip for charity, travelling with a less than compatible companion night to Le Mans and were virtually at ith the cooling waters of frightening delusions caused by our ‘hotel’ when Nick said ‘next right’ of the Bafing River postoperative delirium. and I turned immediately right. It enveloping me, a fiery On my release a month later, I turned out he meant after this right. It W African sun overhead resolved to undertake a trip from took me onto another motorway and and a glorious view of London to Bamako, Mali, by 4x4 to Nick said: “You’ll have to continue the Manantali Dam a few hundred donate to a local medical charity there down here for 27km, then turn back the yards upriver, I was transported by a – a journey of around four weeks. My same way.” The last 54km, plus 2km, swoon of relief, pleasure and partner would be travel writer Nick were done in utter silence. It was going contentment. I had survived a massive Redmayne, who I’d never met before… to be a long 30 nights … heart attack, driven more than 5,000 Nick stayed at my house the night That first night, we were in a Formule miles and passed through five dusty before departure and we set off early One. For those unfamiliar with the desert border crossings to reach this on the morning of December 28. We concept, it’s like a cross between a nirvana – a bougainvillea-clad paradise went via my GP’s for an 8am Swedish prison and the set of Blake’s 7, called Cool Camp Mali. appointment with the practice nurse with all fixtures and furnishings being There was only one cloud on the to get my vaccinations. I’m a byword plastic as though there is a button to horizon. On the river’s bank I spotted for preparedness. press to hose the place down rather Nick, my driving companion for the By the time we reached Newhaven than waste money on cleaners. Little past month. We had taken turns at the and boarded the ferry to Dieppe, I Funding did we know that our accommodation wheel, slept most nights within inches thought to myself, ‘Houston – we have options would deteriorate significantly of each other and fretted collectively a problem.’ I’d realised Nick and I were drive from then on. over fuel shortages, broken axles and utterly incompatible, yet had 30 – All funds raised are But, doughty spirits with a mutual navigational cock-ups. The count ’em – days and nights ahead of being split between dislike of each other, we hardily ambivalence I felt for him when first us where we would be inseparable for British Heart survived days of driving wordlessly we met had now matured into 24 hours a day – including sharing Foundation and NUJ through the Atlas Mountains, the unbearable intolerance. small, cramped rooms a l’Hotel la Fosse Extra. To donate, go to Sahara and Sahel deserts, through In August, following a week of chest des Pouces. gofundme.com and Morocco, Western Sahara and pains on holiday in the Pyrenees, I So I found a tucked-away lounge search for ‘UK to Mauritania until we finally made it to Bamako’. went straight from Stansted Airport to hidden on the upper deck and snuck in the fecundity of Mali, where we once Eugene is speaking Bart’s Hospital in central London. It there for a snooze, and to ponder how I again heard birdsong, and marvelled at about his trip at the turned out I was having a heart attack. would survive. Nick won’t mind me NUJ’s London office on mountains, rivers and lakes. It was like Some time the next morning I had a being honest; he brilliantly and wittily March 26. being reborn … massive coronary. The surgeons carried told stories about me several times a Tickets are £7 and We arrived back to a cold Gatwick on out an emergency triple bypass but my day, on everything from running low can be reserved at January 25. Nick rushed off to board a body shut down and I ended up on life on diesel to smashing a track rod on a http://tinyurl.com/ National Express coach to Leicester, support. After 10 days, thankfully, I tree stump in the bush in Mali. y246v9zr where his mate was giving him a car. I recovered, but then had a week or more From Dieppe, we drove into the haven’t heard from him since …

theJournalist | 11 travel journalism Time to get packing?

Ruth Addicott on the dramatic changes So what impact are travel bloggers and influencers having? Like many journalists, Hide believes this is a completely that have hit one of journalism’s dream jobs different market and sees no overlap, but feelings are mixed. Walsh believes many influencers are not only taking work ravel journalism has always been seen by from journalists but also having an impact on press trips. She many to be a dream job, and to do it well recalls one trip to a Michelin-starred restaurant in the Italian requires research, good storytelling skills and lakes: “The bloggers and influencers didn’t speak a word. They T the ability to see beyond the hype. But travel just sat there taking photos on their smartphones, then stuck journalism is changing. Over 80 per cent of them on Instagram saying ‘Wow! Amazing steak!’ They didn’t travel planning is now done online and the has given ask any questions about the food or where it was from. Walsh rise to professional travel bloggers, influencers and also knows of national newspaper journalists applying for millennials carving out careers as ‘digital nomads’. Press trips 80% press trips and losing out to influencers, but notes that travel have turned into photo shoots with poolside selfies and PRs still want print coverage. journalists are finding they are the only ones taking notes. While journalists are struggling, many bloggers and All you need is an internet connection and a passion for Over 80 per cent influencers are earning a comfortable income off the back of travel – anyone can live the dream. their social media following. So how is this affecting travel journalists? of travel A survey by the Professional Travel Bloggers Association last The main concern is pay. Rates have fallen, fees are low and planning is year found that bloggers earned $5,000 -$10,000 ‘(£3,800- the issue of payment on publication means freelances can £7,600) a year as brand ambassadors and 26 per cent charged wait months to get paid. Freelances having to fund or blag done online to go on press trips. They charged $200 (£152) for Instagram flights, hotels and other expenses is also having an impact on the stories they can cover. As freelance journalist Will Hide says: “Why would you Broaden your expertise go away for £350 and end up spending £250 on expenses? If How to survive as a Like other freelances, Tina I go off for five days to Miami, I get paid the same as a day trip Walsh tops up her income to .” travel journalist writing about other subjects such as health and business, Hide, who has been a travel journalist for 20 years, including Boost your skills Spanish and being able to alongside copywriting and 12 at , says fees have not increased since he started Travel journalist Will Hide talk to people in a natural running travel writing and rates on most titles, including The Times and on advises to hone their way.” She stresses the workshops (www.tina- Sunday, have fallen. videography skills, even if importance of good walsh.com). Susan this is making short writing and copy that is The Daily Express said last April it would no longer pay for Grossman, who also teaches movies on grammatically correct and travel features as it can get content for free. travel writing, adds: “There an iPhone engages and inspires Annie Bennett, an experienced travel journalist, says it is no is money to be made by and readers. longer feasible to spend a week away on a trip. “I am writing a writing content for travel them with piece for The Independent today at a lower rate than when I industry members without Adobe Be flexible first wrote for them in 1995,” she says. compromising integrity. In Premiere. David Whitley (www. “I look for things I can research in a day or two, which is fact, the industry welcomes “I think video grumpytraveller.com) independent reporting as it usually enough as most articles are shorter now.” is going to be as says journalists need enhances their sites.” (www. Like other freelances, Hide has been affected by payment on important as the to adapt to editors’ susangrossman.co.uk) publication and, at one point, was waiting two years for two written word,” he says. changing requirements. “Big pieces commissioned by The Times. “One of them has just 2,500-word features on Peru Give a sense of place run, but I’ve heard the same from freelances on other papers,” Find a niche have been dying for a long Grossman says: “A good he says. Annie Bennett specialises in time; they’re enjoyable, but I travel writer will look at the With so much competition, journalists are reluctant to Spain and has a strong social think too many travel bigger picture, put the media presence. “I’ll always journalists think speak out for fear of losing commissions. place into context, walk another block in the that’s the only Travel journalist Tina Walsh recalls: “One editor put a call compare and contrast, hope of coming across form of out on Twitter for paid commissions and said she had a load add a topical hook and something surprising,” she journalism of people offering to do it for nothing. There are quite a few evoke a sense of says. “The most important that’s justifiable publications – and a lot of websites – that don’t pay for travel place.” thing for me is speaking and it’s not.” articles, but still have ‘travel writers’ offering their services for free. What happens is the quality starts to suffer.”

12 | theJournalist travel journalism

and not all ‘likes’ result in transactions. A report from the 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer favoured credibility and journalism over popularity. So will that prompt professional travel bloggers and influencers to turn to print media to gain more standing? Hide feels travel sections will become increasingly tied into sponsorship, with articles such as Ten Places to Stay in The Highlands and a picture of a Volvo. Time to get packing? “I feel travel journalists like me are living on borrowed time,” he says. “I wouldn’t quite say travel journalism is in crisis, but it’s one step below. I talk to a lot of my travel posts if they had up to 20,000 followers, and $500 (£380) if freelance colleagues and we are all on the verge of giving up.” they had 70,000 followers. One blogger was paid $250 (£190) On the plus side, the internet has brought more paid-for to post five tweets a month and had only 1,000 followers. commissions from abroad. He’s written for the New Zealand They also charged for photography, Twitter parties, Herald and magazines in Indonesia and China. “There are modelling, freelance articles and sponsored videos. Overall, opportunities out there – you just need to keep on pushing,” nearly 50 per cent those surveyed made less than $15,000 he says. (£11,400) and 7 per cent made more than $100,000 (£76,000). David Whitley, who writes for National Geographic Traveller Travel blogger Erin Holmes, (www.explorewitherin.com) and The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, has concerns when says she earned a six-figure income from her previous print sections cease, adding: “I don’t think anyone has and earned $2,000 (£1,520) from a two-week press trip on top $500 properly made travel online work yet, especially as paid-for, of expenses. She has also written for magazines both for free good-quality content.” and paid. Grossman believes there will always be a need for travel Amount charged writers with journalism skills to see behind the hype. nother successful blogger with no journalism for an Instagram “There will always be a thirst for well-researched background is Paul Johnson, who set up www. information and good storytelling that evokes a sense of aluxurytravelblog.com in 2005 after a career post with 70,000 place,” she says. “Bloggers offer bite-sized chunks of A in web design and marketing. Johnson’s prime information, here today, gone tomorrow. A good writer income comes from hotels, tourist boards and followers creates a narrative that keeps the reader searching.” tour operators looking for exposure. “If we’re talking dollars, it’s possible to earn five figures from just one trip if you have a strong following,” he says. “I think the top-level influencers are considered to be more important now than print journalists because of their reach. However, there’s a huge number of people who proclaim themselves ‘influencers’ when the reality is they probably hold a limited level of influence.” Johnson thinks the quality of travel journalism has been ‘greatly eroded’, adding: “I think bloggers and influencers have merged with journalists. Some journalists now run – some bloggers call themselves journalists. There’s no clear distinction between the two nowadays.” Susan Grossman, lecturer in travel writing on the MA in journalism at the University of Westminster, also believes boundaries are becoming blurred. “I am deeply concerned that advertorial is MAKSYM YEMELYANOV / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO often disguised as travel writing and some publications fail to highlight it as such,” she says. Grossman refers to the British Guild of Travel Writers’ code of conduct, which states members will accept press trips only on the understanding they are ‘in no way obliged to publicise any or all of the operation concerned and that the provision of such facilities will not influence their judgment’. There are indications the tide is turning

theJournalist | 13 writing From fact to fiction

Lynne Wallis on the ways to make check facts, work to deadline and deliver a good-quality product to specification. Ireland adds: “They have to dreams of writing a bestseller a reality understand prevailing trends and the needs of the marketplace, which are also vital qualities for the fiction writer.” ny journalist who harbours a desire to write Ireland, who runs the Chasing Time creative writing fiction knows how the old gag goes. Two workshops with two other writers in Angus in , journalists in a bar. One says to the other: points out that delivering a gigantic beast of 100,000 words A ‘Have you started your novel yet? “Yes, is the over months or even years requires a huge change of attitude reply. “Neither have I,” comes the response. for journalists who are more used to hitting ‘send’ after 1,500 Getting a novel published is the stuff of dreams, and the words. Word count alone can be a major barrier to journalists, path is well trodden. Journalists from Charles Dickens and believes Ireland. “To sustain a narrative for a novel requires a Ernest Hemingway to Val McDermid and former Guardian/ certain type of mindset. It’s necessary to slow the pace, to drip Observer columnist Michael Frayn have turned to fiction. feed information to the reader. The journalist has to learn to Those working in journalism can create their own worlds pull back, to omit and conceal in order to ramp up the instead of (or perhaps as well as) covering real life events. suspense, which is the very antithesis of journalism”. Novelist Sandra Ireland, a former reporter on local papers The watchword of good fiction writing – ‘show, don’t tell’ – in Scotland, whose third novel Bone Deep has just been can be a challenge for those who have been trained to place published, believes journalists are well placed to write fiction. hard-hitting facts in front of the reader. “The narrative in a “For a start, they have unrivalled access to news stories, novel must play out over a sustained period of time. contacts and real life material that the novelist can only Emotions must be explored and characters fully fleshed out,” dream of,” she says. “All fiction starts with the truth, so explains Ireland. “I enjoyed reporting, but I had to fight the journalists really do have a head start. And they already know urge to elaborate unnecessarily on my stories. I was how to write for dramatic effect.” Ireland regularly uses news fascinated by the people I interviewed and would often add stories from papers as a of inspiration for her novels. quirky background to my copy – I was building a story, Journalists must be succinct and engaging, know how to writing ‘creative non fiction’, which is a way of delivering the

George Orwell was a polemic journalist, famous for saying ‘Journalism is printing AN Wilson what someone else does not is a newspaper columnist and want printed: everything else is writer of both novels and non .’ His most fiction. He has published 20 celebrated works are Nineteen novels, most famously Scandal Eighty Four and Animal Farm, in 1987, which was inspired by written in the 1940s. the Profumo affair.

EVERETT COLLECTION HISTORICAL WENN RIGHTS LTD / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO STOCK ALAMY / LTD RIGHTS WENN Graham Greene Joan Didion is best known for his novels The is a memoirist, journalist and Third Man, Brighton Rock and The novelist, best known for literary end of The Affair. He wrote from journalism. Her novels, written the 1930s through to the 1980s. from the 1960s to the present He was previously a reporter on day, explore moral and cultural The Nottingham Journal and a chaos, the eradication of the subeditor at The Times. individual and the fragmentation of society in the US.

PAKO MERA / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

14 | theJournalist writing

add-on to a day job is serious. She advises: “Don’t expect others to understand how important your creative writing is to you. When you’re writing, whatever it is, you’re working so, if a neighbour comes round demanding coffee, you have to lay it on the line. If you let people interrupt you, they will always do it. You don’t owe it to anyone to justify this time – it’s yours – but you have to protect it.” Geddes says time management is everything for those From fact to fiction trying to write creatively in their spare time: “You have to ask yourself painful questions, such as: are you watching Mad facts using all the techniques of novel writing. I realised after Men for too long? If you are writing news or features all day, a while that the path I firmly wished to take was fiction. I make the distinction between that and your creative writing enjoy the freedom of expression that comes with novel by using a laptop for the novel and a PC for the day job. This writing – I would now find it hard to return to reporting.” kind of things really helps.” She also recommends using apps Journalists such as Andrew Marr, Stieg Larsson and Robert such as Forest to minimise time spent on mobile phones; the Harris have, according to bookseller and author James Cold Turkey app blocks all social media sightings and noises. Whitworth, produced “some of the most engaging, deliciously Kimberley Young, publisher of commercial women’s’ dark and just downright readable thrillers of the past years”, fiction at HarperCollins, has former documentary maker not least because they seem to “excel at strongly plotted Dawn O’Porter on her books, as well as Lauren Weisberger thrillers with the immediacy of a page one ”. Journalists can who wrote The Devil Wears Prada. “Journalists and novelists Journalists who have switched to fiction commonly talk of are always looking for a story, but they are also reflecting on the huge emotional commitment that writing a novel find the idea what is going on in the world – novels are just a longer form commands, especially a first novel. Some acknowledge the “ of story telling. Journalists, however, bring something unique ‘creative hump’ they have to get over to get a first attempt at that they have because they already write to deadline and with discipline. fiction into shape – journalists can find the idea that they The struggle for many is with plot – they just write and write have a licence to ‘literally make stuff up’ alien to them. a licence to about their characters, but find they can’t link it all together. Others, says Whitworth, find they are short of the huge Then they bring it off, but they have to realise that they can’t reserves of intellectual stamina needed to avoid ‘plot holes’ ‘literally make just do it once as if it were a feature – they have to do it all 10 and make characters convincing. Some find harnessing the stuff up’ times over for each chapter. They also have to learn that they imagination to summon up ideas on demand can be difficult. need to divulge information through dialogue, not narrative. There are practical considerations too. For those reliant on alien to them “The most important skill they can bring is that they are journalism to pay the bills, a big barrier is finding the time. better placed than anyone how to tell an awful lot in very few Journalist and soon to be published novelist Dawn Geddes, words. Then it’s the old-fashioned stuff they know about – how who writes fiction aimed at young adults, says it is difficult to to write a good opening, maintain through the middle and convince partners and relatives that novel-writing as an deliver a good pay-off at the end.” Charles Dickens ” Val McDermid was an established reporter is a former Manchester Evening covering law and politics and News crime reviewer and an other topics before setting up award-winning crime writer. She his own weekly magazine. The wrote The Mermaids Singing and most celebrated writer of the a host of other hits. Her work Victorian era, he was most was made into TV series Wire In prolific between about 1830 The Blood. She has been writing

and 1850. novels for about 30 years. MEDIAPUNCH INC / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO STOCK ALAMY / INC MEDIAPUNCH

ANNEMARIE SMITH

Sandra Ireland Martin Amis is a former newspaper journalist is a novelist, essayist, memoirist and one of Scotland’s emerging and . His best- thriller writers. Her second known novels are Money (1984) novel, Bone Deep, published last and London Fields (1989). He is year, is about the unearthing of also a prolific newspaper and secrets. Her third novel is magazine literary critic. coming out later this year. HI-STORY / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO STOCK / ALAMY HI-STORY

PAKO MERA / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

theJournalist | 15 slow journalism

that reflects the way we really are and shapes the world we want to live in”. Delayed Gratification, the world’s first slow journalism publication, which was launched in the UK in January 2011, says it “revisits the news after the dust has settled to give the final analysis on the stories that matter”. Aeon, a not-for-profit publication, promises “no ads, no paywall, no clickbait – just thought-provoking ideas from the world’s leading thinkers, free to all”. In Europe, the Dutch SLOW Correspondent boasts “ad-free journalism that helps you understand the world better” and the Finnish Long Play says it wants to “publish the best possible journalism” to “increase the readers’ understanding of the world”. Inspiration for the approach comes in part from the Slow Food Movement, which educated consumers about where their food came from and how it was produced. Ultimately, by investing in journalism, demanding quality and accuracy above speed, and focusing on stories rather than chasing NEWS advertising or a desire to shape the news agenda, advocates of slow journalism believe it can create business models and tackle some problems faced by journalism, journalists and news consumers. In a book on slow journalism, Dr Megan Le Masurier. A former journalist and now a senior lecturer at the University of Sydney, argues that news consumers need to know how the work is produced, if staff are paid fairly and whether the GROWS media organisation is environmentally responsible. She says: “The pressures on journalists to produce more and more quickly has accelerated in the digital 21st century. We have always had inaccuracy and a lack of fact checking but this is getting worse, especially with social media driving and competing with stories. – stories driven by PR and spin and wire services – is rife. As is plagiarism. And now we have ; more than wrong information, fake news is FAST deliberately inaccurate, designed to a particular ideological end. Detail and research are the hallmarks of “I don’t believe journalism will slow down or stop being ‘slow journalism’, says Rachel Broady driven by profit and thus competition. There is a possibility that, with education that people need to pay for their journalism – which they did until some dumb organisations nline news can be overwhelming. You calmly started providing news for free online – forms of slow log on to look for a story about the US journalism could be supported financially and become more shutdown and find yourself reading pervasive and popular.” accusations of fake news, then you encounter Rob Orchard and Marcus Webb are the cofounders and O listicles (articles in the form of lists) of joint editors of Delayed Gratification, which is proving to be celebrities who spoke out against Trump or successful in terms of popularity and income. The company, slideshows of Trump’s rallies. Then you realise you’re reading based in London, was dreamt up after the pair had worked as about the top 10 most popular presidents or an advertorial travel writers for Time Out in Dubai. On returning to the UK for trips to Washington, and you keep stumbling across the in 2017, having had limited access to social media, they were same stories in different publications … Trying to find news amazed at its impact on the UK news cycle. can feel like a high-speed chase. Orchard says: “When we left for Dubai, you could read a ‘Slow journalism’ is a global trend and involves more than paper in the morning, watch the news in the evening and writing longer pieces – it is about challenging problems created consider yourself all caught up but, when we returned, it felt by free online news. The internet is accelerating journalism, like news was breaking every hour or so and nobody was putting increasing demands on journalists to find content that following in the wake, piecing together what it all meant.” is fast to produce and attention-grabbing, amid concerns Meanwhile, Tortoise shares the same concerns. Built on the about clickbait, churnalism and uncorroborated, repeated ideas of ‘open journalism’ first discussed by Alan Rusbridger stories. Slow journalism emerged as a response to this. It does during his time as editor of The Guardian, its website argues: not mean getting to stories late but instead taking time to “We are overwhelmed by information. The problem isn’t just research and resisting the urge to be the first to break the fake news or junk news, because there’s a lot that’s good – it’s news. just that there’s so much of it, and so much of it is the same.” Publishers define and defend it in various ways. Tortoise, Slow journalism, in wanting consumers to know where cofounded by former head of BBC News James Harding and news comes from and how it is produced, also aims to due to be launched fully soon. It is intended to provide “news consider the working approaches and conditions of

16 | theJournalist slow journalism

ILLUSTRATION: GARY NEILL journalists. A new venture in the US called The migration of our global Correspondent intends to push this further. Le Masurier says: Fast forward ancestors for National “They are trying to put into practice one of the slow In less than a decade, which it asserts is “framed by Geographic. The endeavour, principles – of the journalist laying bare their processes for slow journalism has grown strong economic and financial described as a decade-long readers to see. They don’t believe in objectivity, so the from a single publication in interests on the one hand, experiment in slow journalist is open to any biases. They also want readers to be London to others across and the ‘do-it-yourself’ journalism, requests part of the research process and the initiation of story ideas, Europe, the US, Australia approach that leads to the donations to fund the saying that 100 people know more than one journalist.” and Canada. proliferation of so called fake storytelling. Open journalism is nothing new – journalists have long Delayed Gratification news on the other”. In Australia, ABC is sought varied voices and challenged inaccuracies with varying kicked off the genre, which is The Sprawl in Calgary, reaching remote communities rates of success. As Orchard explains: “Slow journalism is simply now finding new journalistic Canada, is crowdfunded in by spending time building quality journalism produced at a slower pace. There’s absolutely approaches, developing part, ad free and pop-up - it is contacts to gain trust, rather nothing wrong with fast journalism, with reporters on the different business models, working with the Calgary than sweeping in on the back of . The ground getting news stories. We couldn’t do slow journalism challenging news delivery Public Library on a pop-up channel says its stories without journalists breaking news. On the whole, journalists do and seeking to tell stories . It carries out that go untold in the blur of in-depth research into local “would not have been told an exceptional job in tough circumstances for little money and modern media. stories rather than break without this slow journalism it’s rare that we follow up a story and find wild inaccuracies. It Europe is home to a news. approach, because reporters tends to be more a case of telling what happens next.” number of publications, Another online effort, are usually time constrained Many slow journalism publishers proudly point out that including L’Ora del Pellice and which engages social media, and tied to the news cycle”. advertising takes a back seat to high-quality journalism, so Il Salto in Italy. The latter, is seeing Pulitzer Prize- Without doubt, the funding has to be found elsewhere. Delayed Gratification, a established with winning journalist Paul popularity of slow journalism quarterly print magazine, is reader-funded with no advertising crowdfunding, was set up to Salopek on a 21,000-mile is picking up speed across or advertorials; it costs £12 per issue or £32 for an annual challenge modern journalism, journey to trace the the globe. subscription and boasts a readership of 36,000. Tortoise, meanwhile, with cofounders former Dow Jones president Katie Vanneck-Smith and former US ambassador to the UK Matthew challenges churnalism simply by being original, well-researched Barzun, is part financed by Bernie Mensah, the president of and fact-checked work. It’s not necessarily the case that people Bank of America’s Europe, Middle East and Africa business, who are lured by clickbait wouldn’t buy a slow journalism alongside Local Globe tech investor Saul Klein and a further magazine, but certainly our readers appreciate an alternative to two anonymous supporters. Tortoise also raised over the online news landscape, where the battle for readers’ eyeballs £500,000 in a Kickstarter campaign and pledges from 2,530 can leave readers feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.” backers. La Masurier explains that the producers of Long Play Slow journalism perhaps sets itself a large challenge in in Finland were unpaid until winning awards attracted more wanting to test new business models, reporting approaches financial support, Correspondent in the Netherlands started and ways to share news with consumers, in an increasingly out with crowdfunding and Delayed Gratification has always volatile and competitive industry. The slow journalism paid its contributors and also generates income from training. revolution has started and you’ll never guess what happens Orchard says: “Slow journalism – and all good journalism – next … you’ll have to wait and see. ILLUSTRATION: NED JOLLIFFE ILLUSTRATION:

theJournalist | 17

Not once in a blue moon Neil Armstrong’s moonwalk was faked so the US Jonathan Sale spots man-bats on the moon in could claim to have won the space race. one of the biggest hoaxes in newspaper history In other words, a hoax in 1835 about man-bats on the moon was accepted as the truth, while an actual event about real men on the moon was he biggest story of the day – not dismissed as a hoax. to mention week, month, year, Given the outpouring of fake news today, it is decade, century or indeed ever hard for an April 1 jest to stand out in the same T – was the discovery of unicorns. way now as in 1835. Nearly every year, I On the moon. confidently identify as a made-up yarn what Also revealed by the seven-ton telescope of the turns out to be a genuine news item, while world’s leading astronomer, Sir John Herschel, accepting as fact some fantasy made up by a were lunar beavers that strolled about on two joker on a newsdesk. legs and, unlike their earthly cousins, had It was therefore intriguing to come across The mastered the art of using fire. Best of all were the New York Sun’s glorious sci-fi fib. Being an winged humans, males and voluptuously unclad anniversary obsessive, I contacted the paper to females, flapping about over the forests, rivers ask how it was going to commemorate the 175th and ravines of the earth’s nearest neighbour. birthday of its hilarious hoax. The Sunny staffers These ‘man-bats’ were so scientifically authentic admitted that the anniversary had slipped their that they even had a Latin name – Vespertilio- minds but instantly made up for this by banging homo. All this must have been true because the director was being blackmailed by the CIA out an editorial (the only one I have ever inspired). there were pictures – at least woodcuts – to over his Communist brother Raul. (This story This was no apology. It was, as the paper put it prove it. Furthermore, it was in the Sun. first surfaced in a ‘humor.alt’ newsgroup, which in the heading, ‘Correction?’: “It is suggested by a The New York Sun, that is. Unbeknownst to the the flat-earthers should have spotted as a clue. reader” – this meant me, presumably – “that the more credulous citizens of North America, April Plus Kubrick didn’t have a brother named Raul.) 175th anniversary of what is called by competing Fool’s Day came late in 1835; that is, the A serious (and seriously derided) Fox TV newspapers The Sun’s great moon ‘hoax’ would sensational issue did not hit the newsstands programme, ‘Did we land on the moon?’, answered be an apt moment to issue a long overdue until August 25. Probably the creation of editor its question with a short ‘no’ on the grounds that correction. Our correspondent” – that’s me again Richard Adams Locke, the lunar, not to say lunatic, hoax was widely believed; after all, the source it quoted for these highly detailed reports was the learned Edinburgh Journal of Science. A hoaxer’s guide to the moon Even the doubters were among the fascinated readers who besieged the Sun’s office for copies In its two years of existence, August 1835 editions of the had seen these god-fearing containing this most bogus of stories and The New York Sun had never New York Sun were full of what moonies. continued to do so on subsequent days when the published anything like it. Nor were claimed to be exclusive Then the British astronomer paper wrote follow-ups. Missionaries pondered had any other newspaper paper extracts from a scientific Sir John Herschel invested in a in the world – or indeed magazine with convincing new telescope with, according to over the logistics of distributing bibles to the elsewhere in this solar system or state-of-the-art woodcuts of The New York Sun, a 42,000x (presumably literate) flying humanoids. The in fact any other where alien lunar life. magnification. What he saw in circulation of the recently launched, life-forms gather to pour over Some 19th-century thinkers, the eyepiece was literally out of downmarket paper soared to well above 19,000 the first editions of the daily such as Rev Thomas Dick, held this world: talking ‘man-bats’ and copies, at the time the highest not only in New papers. On newsdesks all over that the universe contained beavers that had discovered fire. York but also the world. the Crab Nebula, they still talk trillions of inhabitants, 14 billion Or was the newspaper just The earth’s lunar neighbour does seem to reverently of what became (give or take) of them on the taking the mick out of Thomas attract the lunatic fringe. Conspiracy theorists known in this and other galaxies moon, all owing their existence, Dick? And where was Sir John denounced the moon landing of 1969 as a fake as the Great Moon Hoax on of course, to the Christian God. when he was needed to verify perpetrated by Stanley Kubrick, who was given Mother Earth. The trouble was that no one his quotes?

SCIENCE & SOCIETY PICTURE LIBRARY & SOCIETY SCIENCE the credit of forging the entire event; apparently,

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Looking back to:

– “writes in respect of a series 1835 of stories … often attributed to a plot hatched in our circulation department.” Not once in a Being as fallible as the next journalist, I am in no position to demand a reverse ferret from any other hacks. And no ferret was reversed. As the quotation marks round TIME & LIFE PICTURES ‘hoax’ confirmed, the editorial clearly meant, again, it was no such thing. The Sun was playing hardball: “Well, we say, let them laugh … One of the things a long newspaper life has taught us about corrections is that, obligatory as they may be when the blue moon truth is out, one doesn’t want to rush into them. For the moment, let us just say that we’re aware of the claim that there are no lunar man-bats, neither on the moon nor here. Rest assured that we’re looking into it.” The editorial concluded that a further quarter-century of research should sort things out. The moon mania provided much entertainment. It was much sunnier than Orson Welles’s convincing radio broadcast about a Martian invasion in 1938. Based on The War of the Worlds by HG Wells, this work of fiction caused so much terror among American listeners they had to be reassured it was not real. Or did it? To add to the confusion, the alleged mass panic has itself been declared a myth. However, the Sun’s hoax was a matter of fascination not fear. The stunt contained its own autodestructive clues clearly intended to blow it up sooner or later. The Edinburgh Journal of Science, quoted as the source of Herschel’s lunar bombshells, no longer came out. Sir John’s absence on his researches in South Africa prevented him from instantly denying the whole farrago; he was amused by the affair but became rather tired of being quizzed. Suspicions were raised by the fact that The New York Sun’s series was uncannily similar to a short story by Edgar Allan Poe about a balloonist who soars to the moon and back. A subtler objection was that the whole work could be read not as literal truth but as merely a satire on the work of one Rev Thomas Dick, a writer and scientist who had somehow worked out that the moon was home to four billion inhabitants, all created by the Christian God. The penny – or cent – finally dropped: the readers’ legs had been pulled and they had been blinded by pseudoscience. The Morning Herald denounced The Sun’s discovery as an astronomical fraud and it was followed by other papers, which, after initially recycling the tale, declared that they did not believe a word of it either. But what of the great telescope that would provide the evidence one way or the other? The Sun admitted that this 42,000x-magnification marvel was no more. So powerful were its lenses that the sun’s rays pouring through them had set fire to Herschel’s observatory. These things happen – or, as in this case, didn’t happen.

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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 Singing for your supper in the modern music press I read the Dave Simpson feature about Do we need to change the music press that Dr Stephen Dorril TIM ELLIS recommended on last issue’s letters’ reporters’ names? pages, and very entertaining it was. But – and this is a giant but – how many of In January, The Times carried a story headlined: ‘Brutality of the publications actually pay Mugabe era returns to Zimbabwe after fuel protests.’ contributors, pay them fairly, on time, It said “the crackdown has echoes of the darkest days of and without a worldwide rights grab as Robert Mugabe” and that President Mnangagwa was “forced part of the deal? Not many, I’ll wager. to abandon an appearance at the World Economic Forum in I paid my way through university in Switzerland”. It told a story about people being beaten with the late 1970s/early 1980s by reviewing sjamboks. gigs and albums for NME, with the odd At the end of the story was a note: “The correspondent’s interview in between, for which I’m still name has been changed to ensure his safety.” hugely grateful to editor Neil Spencer I bow to the opinion of journalists better qualified in law and Graham and the way of the African world in 2019 than myself but I Lock. By the time NME closed, I believe wonder if this isn’t a sad and worrying development. its rates were about the same as I was If correspondents for The Times do not use their correct earning in 1981, when £50 for a review names because of concern about what might happen to plus two free tickets to a gig or a free them, how on earth are we to expect ordinary men and album seemed like a small fortune. women or political leaders or NGO heads in Zimbabwe to Rates at many of the titles Simpson speak out using their names? lauds are pretty much the same now, And, if real names are not used, the Zimbabwean while others do not pay at all. government has every right to question the validity of what I love the rise in independent, niche is said and claimed. They can and will say: “Made-up names magazines, and applaud the steps for made-up stories.” many of them are taking to be more Almost all correspondents for British newspapers have inclusive. But let’s not celebrate too some form of protection because they have close ties with hard. Many journalists of my the British embassy or high commission in the generation learned their craft in the countries where they operate. music press. It enabled me to stay in Local reporters have no such protection. London after university, pay my rent Name changing might be common £30 and move into the nationals. I very practice (is it?) but it is the first time I prize much doubt that would be true now. have seen a newspaper with the prestige letter Sheryl Garratt of The Times do this. London Freelance branch Trevor Grundy Whitstable The TUC helped to shape the German trade unions 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 Denis McShane in his letter ‘German model would have been better for our NUJ should check the springs to mind was the independently profitable local press. The end is unions’ links Paul Routledge to ”a statistics on closures owned Oldham Chronicle in 2017. approaching but the pace of change is self-serving myth that Britain and the Raymond Snoddy repeats the claim that I assume the 300 figure includes slower than most people would realise. TUC somehow shaped the postwar 300 local papers have closed in the past frees. Most frees lost their editorial staff Perhaps the NUJ could do some German trade unions” (December/ decade (Only tough action will keep 10-20 years ago and have since been analysis. My guess is that at most only January). No he didn’t because there is local press afloat, December/January). filled mainly with editorial from the five per cent of the closures have been no myth. This stat has being doing the rounds paid-fors. I know this because for 30 paid-fors. The British TUC not only helped to since the BBC started reporting the issue years I have been a reporter for the Andrew Napier shape the German trade union a few years back on one of its excursions and Hampshire Southampton movement after the war but did so into the real world. But is it accurate? Chronicle and the company’s frees. through recognising the problems with How many paid-for weekly or daily The repeating of 300 closures distorts Ray Snoddy says the total came from its own structure and the circumstances. papers have closed? The only one that the true picture of the still largely the Cairncross inquiry. It includes frees. In ‘The history of the TUC. 1868 to

20 | theJournalist inbox

1968’, it says: “In 1945, even before the Telegraph and the Daily Mail routinely Nazis fell, the [UK] TUC was helping to use ‘rugby’ as shorthand for rugby re-establish effective union union, The Journalist should insist on organisation in war-devastated Europe. accuracy. The BBC always distinguishes twitter feed The German union movement had between the two these days. Tweet us your feedback: @mschrisbuckley been suppressed by Hitler and most It’s important politically too. Rugby leaders were annihilated. The general league people do not like being linked council was quick to respond to the call to rugby union, the major sport of both kieran dodds @kierandodds for advice in establishing the new the apartheid regime in South Africa Most insightful column I have read about journalism in ages. Outside German movement.” and the collaborationist Vichy regime the cosmopolitan media bubble “small-town journalists have a Not only that but “the Germans, in wartime France ( was contact with people that bigger-time journalists rarely do” from The freed from the hindrance of history and banned under both these Journalist magazine. @NUJofficial @EvanstheAirwave the problems of compromising governments). Rugby league, on the @mschrisbuckley between long-established unions, were other hand, gave Britain its first black able to build a model trade union captain of any national sports team Charlie Lait (@charlielait) 1/12/2018, 10:13 movement reflecting the idea of one (Clive Sullivan) and its first black coach Glad I actually sat down and read @louisetickle’s story in union for each major industry”. (Ellery Hanley). @NUJofficial on #MeToo in media industry+what @the2ndsource is Roy Jones Michael O’Hare doing to support victims. North Coast branch Middlesex Grateful to those who spoke for the piece @jennymco @EleanorMills +especially Noelle Jarvis for bravely talking about her Play ball on referring to Where are the quality assault pic.twitter.com/8xrvkPUFGd rugby union or league images in The Journalist? In Jonathan Sale’s excellent I can’t be the only one disappointed about the BBC’s inaugural sports with the content of The Journalist quality images. Using Alamy photos is The NUJ should be producing commentary you refer throughout to magazine? a way of filling the pages, but big something better. ‘rugby’. There is no such sport as rugby, As a former full-time press headshots make for a dull design. Paul Jacobs but two sports that use the name photographer for over 20 years and Alamy had announced a few weeks Gosport rugby in their titles: rugby union and former newspaper picture editor, I find before I received the magazine that rugby league (in this case, you meant myself constantly shaking my head they were cutting commissions and the The content budget of The Journalist rugby union). whilst flicking through the magazine as NUJ had called for them to reconsider. was last year cut by 15.6 per cent – Rugby union was the game of the the pictures are so poor. Last month’s There was no mention of that in the equivalent to the total cost of one establishment played in public schools edition only had one page with two magazine although it would have seen edition – because of renewed financial and universities from which the mainly ‘news’ style images, one badly photographers’ Alamy income reduced difficulties at the NUJ. Therefore, we working class game of rugby league pixelated photo of Michelle Stanistreet by 20 per cent. cannot afford very much photography. broke away in 1895. They have and the other was badly exposed with Nor was there much about Johnston The news photos you refer to are ©NUJ different rules and different numbers of half a head chopped off. Press which went into administration. photos which were used on the website. players. Tennis would not be mistaken It seems the content budget has gone That was the perfect opportunity to get You may not like big headshots but for badminton and, although the way of local papers, all the money someone to write a comment piece on when a story is about an individual I’d newspapers such as the Daily going on the copy and nothing on the state of the industry. argue they are entirely apposite.

STEVE BELL

theJournalist | 21 inbox

A word on timings for two of your brought a little ray of sunshine to one for a copy. After all, it is the most regular There should have been comments: the NUJ’s response to the poor old soul sitting patiently waiting to privilege from paying my subs and I more space for Bob Norris Alamy reduction in fees came after the find out what the gods are going to do don’t particularly want a four-month It’s a pity you didn’t have space for a magazine went to press; with his Johnston Press pension. wait to read the insight it provides. decent obit of Bob Norris (last issue). went into administration and was then Lawrence F Collins Since doing my NCTJ qualifications The general secretary called him a bought by investors in mid November. Alnwick five and a half years ago, I’ve worked in ‘union legend’, which might have With the immediate threat of closures four and The Journalist has justified a fuller account of his career, and job losses having receded, attention Huge fan of The Journalist always popped up in a conversation. for he was the most significant NUJ turned to pension provision which was Thank you so much for The Journalist. I Some say that as a bi-monthly its figure in the second half of the union’s reported in the magazine which reached am a huge fan of the magazine, which is news is out of date and it should only first century. Short of becoming people mid December. brilliant, and of you. The Journalist is focus on features and be more glossy. A general secretary himself, he held You suggest a comment piece on the beautifully written and reminds people couple would not mind it being even pretty much every job, covered all the ‘state of the industry’. This is somewhat how crucially important journalism is, less regular. Others, such as myself, ground, was known to everyone and vague – comment pieces generally need particularly local newspapers which are think it should be more regular, as that never let anyone down. Hundreds of more focus. We have many comment the guardians of democracy. We must way it could do an even better job and members will remember him kindly. pieces about aspects of our industry. The fight to save them. provide up to date information and Perhaps you could steer people to the last edition had one on the importance Jilly Cooper (author) greater insight. lengthy page of stories and tributes at of regional papers, which was well Stroud Good journalism has never been www.nuj.org.uk/news/nuj-bob-norris/ received. Please see tweets on the under greater threat. More people are Tim Gopsill opposite page. We should have a monthly becoming freelances and some work London Christine Buckley magazine – I’d pay for that from home in remote locations. The Editor When I relocated for work from Kent/ Journalist, the only publication of its The same edition of The Journalist London suburbia to Cumbria, one thing kind, is a constant reminder they are carried a full page about how Bob A ray of winter sunshine that slipped through the net was my not alone. If it meant a slight rise in the inspired the NUJ’s work on dementia. It I really enjoyed the December/January edition of The Journalist. subs to make it monthly, I would referred to the tributes to him and issue of the NUJ magazine and can As mid-December approached, I realised happily accept. included his family’s fundraising honestly say it’s the first time in a long that it wouldn’t be coming and hurriedly Luke Jarmyn initiative: www.justgiving.com/ time that I’ve read every article. You got in contact with the editor and the NUJ Penrith fundraising/bobnorris obituaries More obituaries at www.nuj.org.uk

competition and came second. One Ian was fortunate to find a second of the judges was John Lyon, editor wife in Mary from Felixstowe in of the Kilmarnock Standard, and 2000. He and Mary spent several Hugh soon began work as a news years travelling together before reporter. Mary was taken from him by a He went on to the Scottish Daily brain tumour in 2013. Express and The Scotsman. In 1963, Ian worked on several provincial he moved to the Observer, where papers including , Hugh McIlvanney he worked for 30 years with a year Ian Benfield Telegraph and Argus, Birmingham out at the Daily Express, covering Post and the Nuneaton Tribune, Hugh McIlvanney OBE, who news. He joined the Sunday Times My father Ian Michael before moving to Suffolk in 1969 to died in January aged 84, in 1993 and retired in 2016. Benfield (Bunter) passed join the . was for almost 60 years the Hugh had a high regard for away peacefully in From here, he finally made it to best known and leading and close relationship with boxer his sleep in December Fleet Street, commuting regularly figure in sports writing. Muhammad Ali. It began when he in Felixstowe after a to work for Express group Hugh won many awards interviewed Ali at length shortly debilitating two years with newspapers and News International. including British Sportswriter of after the boxer won the Rumble vascular dementia. A keen golfer, he was a member the Year (seven times), Journalist in the Jungle world heavyweight Ian was born in Bingley, Yorkshire, of Felixstowe and Rushmere golf of the Year in the British Press match in Zaire in 1974. After the in 1934 and was the last surviving clubs. Although he had a collection Awards and the Nat Fleischer Award match, Hugh had gone uninvited member of his Yorkshire family of more than 100 clubs, his by the American Boxing Writers’ to Ali’s villa outside Kinshasa in the of three brothers and a sister. He handicap never fell much below 20. Association. early hours of the morning. was educated at Bingley grammar He always enjoyed the exercise and Hugh, who was a member of the As documented in his 1997 school and still had friends and cherished the many friends he met NUJ until he retired three years ago, BBC TV programme The Football fond memories from there. while playing the game. was born in Kilmarnock and grew Men, he also got on well with Jock Ian married Effie in 1958 with His real passion was cricket – a up in a council house with three Stein, Bill Shanky and Matt Busby. whom he had me and my sisters game he played as a boy and as siblings including novelist William. Later, he helped to write Sir Alex Anne and Jane. He had seven a young man. He was a member All the children were keen Ferguson’s first autobiography. grandchildren and six great of Essex county cricket club and readers and Hugh’s move into His children Conn and arriage grandchildren. After several heart travelled to watch them. journalism began when, aged 16, survive him, as does Caroline, his operations, Effie sadly passed away he took part in an adults’ debating third wife. in 1997. Guy Benfield

theJournalist | 22 on media

Raymond Snoddy notes major missed issues amid useful ideas

It is surprising that Dame Frances, an economist as well as a journalist, does Two cheers for Dame not display greater clarity on how such an institute should be funded. Money, or more properly the lack of it, is at the Frances…at best heart of the problem with the Cairncross Review. f just one of Dame sign of what many publishers wanted She does a thorough but hardly Frances Cairncross’s – a levy on advertising or on overall unexpected job of analysing the crisis nine modest proposals revenues of the social media groups to facing legacy media and public interest I to sustain high-quality fund what Cairncross calls ‘public journalism, particularly local papers. news is implemented, interest news’. Alas, when it comes to solutions, she will not have laboured in vain. Also missing was any Dame Frances falters and fails to state The proposal is the extension of the recommendation to have social media unambiguously that this should be a VAT exemption enjoyed by the printed billionaires officially designated as case of the abusers paying up. Codes of press to their electronic versions and publishers. This would make them conduct fall a long way short. electronic-only publications. responsible for their content and do It’s a case of two cheers for the work It’s an obvious anomaly and a judge something to even up the heavily of Dame Frances Cairncross – at best. has already ruled that there is no real unbalanced scales. difference between print and electronic Instead, Cairncross proposes a code publication, but legislation would be of conduct to ‘rebalance the needed to make the VAT change. relationship’ between online platforms It’s no great shiny thing but would be and publishers, with oversight from an worth about £200 million a year to the unnamed regulator. If that oversight industry – hardly transformational but doesn’t work, the unnamed regulator certainly helpful. If it ever happens. could have unspecified sanctions. Culture secretary Jeremy Wright says Amid the vagueness are two useful he is prepared to discuss this and raise ideas. it with colleagues responsible for tax The government should launch a policy. The modest proposal therefore fund focused on innovation to has a degree of political support. improve the supply of public However, in the midst of Brexit interest news. It should have chaos, it is difficult to see the Treasury £10 million a year for the next volunteering to hand over £200 million The trouble four years and ‘work closely a year to the newspaper industry. with Google and Facebook’. Another recommendation that is “is the review For some reason Dame more likely to happen is an inquiry by Frances can’t quite bring the Competition and Markets sidestepped the herself to say the obvious Authority (CMA) into the operation of – that the money should the digital advertising market. main cause of come from social media An inquiry – one that the CMA was groups. thinking of doing anyway – might harm, which is The fund – if it ever indeed be launched. Naturally, culture the near total happens- should be secretary Wright was willing to sign up administered by a new, for that one. dominance of independent Institute for Public The best hope is that the Cairncross Interest News which would act as a Review might be a catalyst for some the tech giants sort of Arts Council for news. sort of useful change some time in the This body would coordinate the future. But don’t hold your breath. over digital efforts of many groups and The trouble is the review sidestepped advertising organisations, including the the main cause of harm, which is the BBC-funded Local Reporting near total dominance of the tech giants News Service, a service that over digital advertising. There was no should be expanded.

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

theJournalist | 23

arts

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

Theatre by Tim Lezard You can’t move for Miller! Queenie Exhibition Candice Carty-Williams Can Marketing Save Lives? This is a novel about Queenie Museum of Jenkins, a 25-year-old Jamaican Brands, London British woman who works Until 26 May for a national newspaper where Dig for Victory, she is constantly forced to compare Measles is Misery, herself to her white middle Don’t Die of class peers. Ignorance – these campaigns have It is an examination of a society in frightened, inspired and educated the which she straddles two cultures but At the last count, five one that will undoubtedly shift the British public over the years. slots into neither. productions of Arthur Miller’s focus of the play. They all feature in this exhibition of http://tinyurl.com/ybb4z9qz plays were running or about to Both The Price and The American historical posters, TV commercials and run in London. Clock look at the consequences of objects that span a century of public Slumboy from the Golden City So why the revival? Is it because the Great Depression. health marketing. See how many you Paul Joseph it’s the 70th anniversary of Death The Price focuses on two can remember. Activist Paul Joseph’s political of a Salesman? Fifty years since his brothers (David Suchet and Brendan www.museumofbrands.com awakening began as a 15-year-old works were banned in the Soviet Coyle) being reunited after 16 years Indian in a racially segregated school Union? Or just that his plays are as of estrangement while The Theatre in 1930s Johannesburg. It continued relevant today as they were when American Clock features the Carrying David with his commitment to the fight they were written? once-wealthy Baum family who are On tour against apartheid and led him to take Controversy and politics – forced to move from Manhattan to Dramatised by NUJ part in virtually every political both big ‘P’ and little ‘p’ – are never live with relatives in Brooklyn. member Ed campaign since. far away in Miller’s work. Whether Clarke Peters (The Wire) and Sule Waugh, this Joseph, who now lives in north it’s war, bank-inspired financial Rimi (Sweat) share the role of ‘County Durham London, gives accounts of being ruin or a witch hunt, it does not businessman Arthur Robertson. Rocky’ tells the held in detention following take a huge leap of imagination Another Wire star, Wendell Pierce, tale of how TV the Sharpeville Massacre, being to transport the issues of makes his UK stage debut as fantasist Glenn placed under house arrest and 20th century America to Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman McCrory became being tried for treason alongside 21st century Britain. with director Marianne Elliott a boxing world champion. Nelson Mandela. An astonishing The Crucible, Miller’s account of looking at the tragedy through the It also looks at the love between two historical read. the 1692 Salem witch trials written eyes of an African-American family. brothers, one fighting for boxing http://tinyurl.com/y989hbya during the ‘red scare’, is often Last but not least, Bill Pullman fame, the other fighting for his life. described as the ultimate post- and Sally Field star in All My Sons, a www.facebook.com/carryingdavid/ The Man Who Shook His Fist at truth play. Is it also the ultimate Greek-style tragedy about past the Tsar post-fact play? crimes coming back to haunt Books Jack Robertson The Yard Theatre’s promotional successful suburban businessman The Suspect Longstanding NUJ member Jack material boasts “A story from Joe Keller. Fiona Barton Robertson offers a new translation the past brought crashing into If you’re in London at any stage Journalist Kate Waters, who has not of one of the most influential works the present, a world in which lies during the next few months, surely seen her son for two years since he of Russian literature, Alexander and truth are indistinguishable” – it’s Miller time? left home to go travelling, gets Pushkin’s epic poem, the Bronze £350 million a week for the emotionally involved writing stories Horseman. NHS, anyone? www.oldvictheatre.com about two 18-year-old women who go In this new version, Robertson It’s a bold step to cast a woman theyardtheatre.co.uk missing in Thailand. It is described as paints Pushkin as a serious (as yet unannounced) as troubled www.youngvic.org a ‘twisting psychological suspense historian who gave voice to Russian and tragic farmer John Proctor, but www.wyndhamstheatre.co.uk about every parent’s worst nightmare’. radicals. http://tinyurl.com/ycyle4ol http://tinyurl.com/y8dlyf6y

24 | theJournalist arts

Comedy Music and spoken word The Guilty Feminist On tour Deborah Frances-White hits the road Remarkable, ordinary lives to record her podcast in front of a live audience. TUC general secretary Frances where Johnson worked as a Be badly behaved in the audience O’Grady and Beast of Bolsover reception teacher. as she explains how she feels guilty at Dennis Skinner MP are just His previous song suite, Gentle not being a very two of the star performers on Men, used the biographies of his arts good feminist. Robb Johnson’s latest opus, grandfathers to explore the First https:// Ordinary Giants. World War and its consequences. deborahfrances- The triple album about the life This was hailed as a ‘folk classic’ by dedicated his life to state education. white.com and times of Johnson’s father, Ron, Robin Denselow in the Guardian, With his chronicle of unremarked also includes contributions from with Billy Bragg considering it “a yet remarkable lives, lived by Mark Thomas Roy Bailey, Maddy Carty, Alan wonderful mixture of the political ordinary people through On tour Clayson, Matthew Crampton, and the personal”. extraordinary times, and a Mark Thomas is 54, the NHS is 70, Tracey Curtis, Claire Martin, Ordinary Giants consists of more celebration of their aspirations, and national average life expectancy Rory McLeod, Phil Odgers, Tom than 50 songs and spoken word endurance and achievements. in the UK is 84. Robinson, Fae Simon, Justin Sullivan, pieces, looking at Ron’s life, Johnson records a funny, moving If Mark makes it to 84, the NHS Miranda Sykes, Bobby Valentino, recounting how as a young man he and, above all, fitting musical tribute will be 100 – what will they both Steve White – and the children volunteered for the RAF to fight to his father and his times. look like? of Hertford Infants School, against fascism and, after the war, www.irregularrecords.co.uk Based on a series of interviews with experts on and within the NHS, Mark uses his own demise to explore the state we’re in. at the age of just 37. More of a Cork International Choral Festival compared to London-based https://markthomasinfo.co.uk personal reimagining 1-5 May Desperate Journalist. than historical account, Julian One of Europe’s premier https://sleaford-mods.myshopify. Film Schnabel’s film is earning international choral festivals, this com/pages/home Loro 1 rave reviews. event welcomes choirs from across Released 12 April www.ateternitysgate-film.com the world for a programme of gala Television This comedy – comedy, not biopic – concerts, schools’ concerts, MotherFatherSon by director and social critic Music competitions and world-class BBC 2 Paolo Sorrentino about Silvio Paul Heaton performances. This is, I’m sure we This eight-part drama, scheduled Berlusconi and politician-bribing and Jacquie can agree, something to to hit our screens escorts is merely the first half of Abbott sing about. later this year, the drama. 20 and 21 June www.corkchoral.ie looks at the workings of It was released in Italy last April; the Edgeley Park, one of the most sequel, Loro 2, was shown in May. Stockport Sleaford Mods/Liines powerful families The first part grossed €4 million in The former March, April, May in the world who, one day – this is our chance to see Housemartins On tour naturally enough, what the fuss is about. vocalist and Beautiful South duo are A brilliant double-bill of shouty own a UK newspaper. playing consecutive nights at bands. Nottingham electro-punks Richard Gere (in his first major TV At Eternity’s Gate Stockport County FC. Sleaford Mods take all-women role) plays a self-made American Released March 29 Support comes from former Pulp Manchester post-punks Liines businessman, Helen McCrory plays Shot in France in places where guitarist Richard Hawley. There aren’t on tour. his estranged wife and Billy Howle Vincent Van Gogh lived, this film many tickets left, so you’d better Both bands are very exciting plays their son who actually runs the stars Willem Dafoe as the tortured hurry up. live, so I’m in no way clutching at newspaper. Nothing like the painter as he enters his last days https://t.co/ZMZXYHDZcm straws when I say Liines have been Murdochs, then.

Performance

opportunity to create a Curtains raised at union HQ’s theatre space that attracts NUJ London’s newest venue is Clapham, the newly founded cabaret is promised … and members and the wider cultural and social very close to home for the Chapel Playhouse is in the all within five minutes’s journalistic community, but gatherings is a great way of NUJ. As a matter of fact, it basement of the NUJ’s HQ at walk from London’s King’s also acts as a hub for other showcasing what we do to IS in the NUJ’s home. Headland House. Cross station. trade unionists. the many prospective Run by the Workers’ Beer A wide range of theatre, NUJ general secretary “I’m a strong believer members out there who Company, the team behind comedy – Shappi Khorsandi Michelle Stanistreet said: that opening up the have yet to join our the award-winning Bread and Mark Dolan are two of “Having the team at Bread buildings that trade unions movement.” and Roses Theatre in the the names to feature – and and Roses is a brilliant inhabit, and using them for www.chapelplayhouse.co.uk

theJournalist | 25 and finally...

Venturing into the gladiators’ arena

things: “I certainly wouldn’t try to patronise you, and Chris Proctor gets I’m sure you would never try and patronise me.” They both nodded. And their noses grew longer. confrontational Probing interview questions have included Eddie Mair asking Boris Johnson, “You’re a nasty piece of was woken the other morning by a loud work, aren’t you?’ which, I have to concede – despite argument. This is not unprecedented where my sympathies lie – is a tough one to answer. in our block of flats, but the dispute Then Andrew Neil came up with the innovation of was on the radio. Nick Robinson was continuing the argument long after the red light has I doing battle with Michael Gove. gone out. After coming second in a discussion with They were arguing about whose turn it was. journalist Carole Cadwalladr, he tweeted that she was Robinson was outraged. “You keep talking over me,” ‘a mad cat woman’. Which she is not. he wailed, which did appear a trifle pot-black-kettle- I hold no brief for moderation or decency but, on a calling. Saddened, he declared that, in the old days, practical basis, if you start being aggressive towards the system was that the interviewer asked a question an interviewee, you get nothing out of them. They and then the guest replied. don’t like you, so they shut up. Better to be polite Actually, that hasn’t been true since television went – until your last question at least. colour and wirelesses stopped needing valves. Before It’s no good pretending to be pally, which both then, you can find BBC folk introducing the prime sides do, calling tormentors by their first names. minister with the words, “so what do you have to tell Heretics facing Inquisitor Torquemada didn’t us, prime minister?”, remaining mute until the start with, “Well, Tommy …” Mind you, speech premier concluded his words of wisdom and then is at a premium when you’re thanking him for coming. hanging upside down with Modern, thrusting interviewers take a different your head in a bucket. approach. The greeting has become a thinly Alternatively, we could disguised, “So what are you lying to us about today, all adopt the ‘shouty you snivelling untrustworthy little hypocrite?” shouty’’ model. Leaving pen and pad in A few moments are allowed for the interviewee to the , we could square up to an clear her throat before the derisive snorts come. interviewee and slog out the truth in the ring or “So where are you going to find the money?” the alley at the side of the studio. “Two sources: an increase in …” It would require a different set of qualities, “And how are you going to pay for it?” with physical presence taking precedence over “We have planned …” sharp intellect. Many interviewers would have “If you’re not going to answer a direct question, to go, but the likes of Jon Snow, with his long why did you bother to come onto the programme?” reach, and Jeremy Paxman, with his ferocious “You asked me.” appearance, would be OK. I can see an opening “There’s always someone to blame, isn’t there? All for Joey Barton on Newsnight. Liam Gallagher right, you’ve got six seconds remaining. Can you could be worth considering for Drivetime unless explain the government’s fiscal policies, outline your Sara Cox could pick up nutting people. approach to religious bigotry and comment on the My favoured option is to employ NUJ expanding universe theory?” members, ideally mothers of chapel, to take on “I think it might take a bit longer …” formal refereeing roles during interviews. Such “I wanted a straight ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but we’re getting an innovation has the potential to please the nowhere. I’ll have to cut you off there while we move on public, boost numbers and present the viewer to a story about a five-legged dachshund with bunions.” with the vision of our Michelle sitting between Andrew Marr went a step further when he was Robinson and Gove, blowing a whistle,, card- chatting to Shami Chakrabarti and she said she didn’t waving, finger-wagging and calling for video- know if he was a democrat. assistant referee replays. That is something that I’d “Don’t try and patronise me,” he snapped, get out of bed for.. headmasterishly. The baroness assured him of two

26 | theJournalist Moved house or changed your email address?

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theJournalist | 31

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