MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS WWW.NUJ.ORG.UK | MARCH-APRIL 2018 Growing fury over pay bias Contents Main feature 12 Equal value Fight for pay justice spreads News qual pay has been a major campaigning 03 Trinity Mirror plans job cuts issue for women for 50 years now, ever since women car workers in Dagenham Major shift to digital journalism staged their strike for pay parity. 04 Doubts over self employment review But not until now has it achieved Irish inquiry ‘missed opportunity’ Esuch a powerful momentum in workplaces across all industries. 05 Amateurs encouraged to charge Carrie Gracie, the BBC’s former China editor, brought the Campaign to end free images issue to a head by resigning in protest against being paid 06 NUJ’s action on dementia significantly less than her male counterparts. In a move 60+ council lobbies Jeremy Hunt supported by the NUJ, which is also acting for more than 100 other women at the BBC, she is forcing change on an “organisation that is accused of failing to take the issue Features sufficiently seriously. 10 Building community journalism Our cover feature by Louise Tickle looks at the fight within the Hyperlocals filling a vacuum BBC and at women’s campaigns elsewhere. Another issue of vital importance to our industry is fake 14 Changing minds news. Raymond Snoddy looks at how prolific it is, how much Reporting mental health regard is given to unsubstantiated news and how quality 16 True or false? journalism is fighting against it. Fighting back against fake news We also find hope for community journalism despite the constant assault on jobs and regional newspaper closures. There’s plenty to think about and I hope to interest you. Regulars And if you want to join the debate on any of these subjects 09 Viewpoint or any others please keep our letters pages alive with your contributions. 25 Story behind the picture 26 And finally Christine Buckley Editor @mschrisbuckley Arts with Attitude Pages 20-21 Editor NUJ [email protected] 72 Acton Street Design London WC1X 9NB Surgerycreations.com [email protected] [email protected] www.nuj.org.uk Advertising Tel: 020 7843 3700 Letters & Steve Bell Melanie Richards Manchester office Raymond Page 22-23 Tel: 07494975239 [email protected] Snoddy [email protected] Glasgow office Print [email protected] Page 19 Warners Cover picture www.warners.co.uk Dublin office [email protected] Rose Lloyd Distribution ” GB Mail www.gb-mail.co.uk 02 | theJournalist news Trinity Mirror sets out in brief... LIFE SENTENCES FOR JOURNALISTS job cuts in digital shift A Turkish court has jailed journalists Mehmet Altan, his rinity Mirror’s regional papers are braced brother Ahmet and Nazli Ilicak for for more job cuts after the publisher life after finding them guilty of Tannounced 49 redundancies. The jobs to involvement in the coup attempt of go are print-related as the publisher moves to 2016. The International and establish a standalone digital operation. European Federations of Journalists The latest restructuring follows the said they were appalled by the establishment of Birmingham Live last year. The jobs to sentences. This has a digital editorial team separate from go are print the Birmingham Mail newspaper, which is “ EX TODAY EDITOR TO based in a different office. related as RUN WORLD SERVICE Plans for the regional cuts came soon after Jamie Angus, a former editor of Trinity Mirror purchased the Express group of The cuts to Trinity Mirror’s local papers are the publisher Radio 4’s Today programme, has newspapers from Richard Desmond, a move expected to affect Bristol, Gloucester, been appointed BBC World Service that has raised fears over the future editorial Somerset, Dorset, the East Midlands, West moves to director. Angus, who joined the BBC independence of the titles involved. Trinity Midlands and the North West. establish a in 1999, has also worked as acting Mirror bought the daily and Sunday In Tamworth, Staffordshire, 11 jobs are at editor of Newsnight, editor of the newspapers and celebrity magazines including risk including the group editor’s. Tamworth is standalone World at One and The World This OK! magazine from Desmond’s Northern & a hub for free newspapers and the company Weekend, and editor of daily news Shell, plus the company’s 50 per cent joint has indicated that the business model is not digital programmes on World Service radio. venture interest in the Irish Daily Star, in a deal sustainable for some titles. worth £126.7 million. In the East Midlands, 16 roles could operation MEN EDITOR LEAVES The sale needs the approval of Trinity Mirror disappear, affecting Derby, Nottingham and AFTER SIX YEARS shareholders and could be referred to the Leicester. The Burton Mail website will be shut Rob Irvine, editor-in-chief of the Competition & Markets Authority. and absorbed into Derbyshire Live. Manchester Evening News, is leaving after six years in the role. PA WIRE/PA IMAGES Under his editorship, the paper’s website became the UK’s second BBC CHALLENGED OVER EQUAL PAY” biggest regional news website, behind London’s Evening Standard. arrie Gracie, the BBC’s former she was paid significantly less than Darren Thwaites, editor-in-chief of China editor and NUJ member has male colleagues in similar roles. The Trinity Mirror North East, will take Ctold MPs on the digital, culture, union is fighting equal pay cases on over as editor-in-chief. media and sport select committee that behalf of more than 100 women at the management of the BBC is the BBC. I SITE VIEW FOR EX incapable of resolving its gender pay Ms Gracie, supported by the NUJ, BUZZFEED EDITOR crisis and needs external help. had taken a grievance out at the BBC Luke Lewis, former Buzzfeed UK Gracie gave evidence following her but resigned after she couldn’t achieve editor- in- chief, has been appointed resignation as China editor, a move a satisfactory resolution. to the newly created role of head of she made to challenge the fact that Equal value, page 12 audience development for the inews website. The role will focus on reaching new audiences for news, lifestyle, entertainment, money, NUJ leader gets 23% pay increase travel, sport and video. ichelle Stanistreet The general secretary’s NEW EDITORS IN THE NUJ general total remuneration, including SOUTH MIDLANDS Msecretary, has had a pension and car benefits Newsquest has named two new 23 per cent salary increase. MARK THOMAS now stands at £92,785. editors for the south Midlands. The move, which takes her Barry McCall, chair of the Michael Purton will be responsible basic pay from £68,017 to finance committee of the for the Worcester News, the Malvern £83,666, was made to correct union’s ruling national Gazette & Ledbury Reporter, the a pay anomaly between her secretary who is also the executive council, said: Evesham & Cotswold Journal and and her deputy, the assistant Irish secretary, Seamus “The NUJ takes its Berrow’s Worcester Journal. general secretary. Dooley. The erosion of that commitment to equality Stephanie Preece will be in charge The general secretary is differential became apparent extremely seriously and of the Stourbridge, Halesowen & supposed to have a 12.5 per when Michelle took maternity would never knowingly Dudley News, the Bromsgrove & cent differential of pay leave and Seamus, deputised discriminate against Droitwich Advertiser, The Shuttle between the assistant general for her. any employee.” and the Redditch Advertiser. theJournalist | 03 news in brief... Doubts over self-employment review TEELINE MARKS ITS HALF CENTURY he Irish government represents a significant number The Irish government started – where a worker is forced to be Teeline shorthand reaches its review of self- of freelances, including workers a consultation process in a sole trader or operate 50th anniversary this year. It was Temployment forced into bogus employment. January into bogus self- through a company to get work developed by James Hill, who was arrangements and The report does not recognise employment. Late last year, the – can result in a significant born in 1908 near Bradford and implications for social the scale of the problem in the Irish Congress of Trade Unions reduction in social insurance taught Pitman shorthand. Hill insurance and tax revenue as media sector. There are a estimated that such payments. This is because the developed Teeline as a quicker a ‘missed opportunity which variety of employment arrangements in the employer does not have to and more straightforward method. misses the target and fails to relationships in the industry construction industry cost the make an employer’s He taught taster classes in 1966 address key issues about and a longstanding tradition of state about €80 million a year contribution, and the worker is and two years later it was labour rights and social freelance work, but there is also in lost tax and social insurance responsible for their own taxes. recommended to the National protection’, according to a serious problem with workers payments since 2007. At the same time, the worker Council for the Training of Séamus Dooley, NUJ Irish being forced to accept contracts The government has can lose out on rights to Journalists. secretary. that deny them employment acknowledged that bogus holiday sick pay and maternity He said: “The NUJ rights and social protection.” self-employment arrangements and pension contributions. PAPER TO LIVE STREAM CITY RACE The Manchester Evening News will JOHNSTON LOSS OFFSET BY I PAPER publisher said. live stream this year’s Greater Johnston Press said Manchester Run. The move ohnston Press’s cent fall if the i paper ‘exceptional’ year. million last year. digital growth remains is thought to be a first for a UK total publishing is excluded.