news
ITN journalists given backing for strike vote
T
he NUJ chapel at ITN has been given authority to call a strike ballot at regional news programme London Tonight over a threat of ‘savage’ job cuts. The union’s authorisation of a vote on industrial action in protest at plans to axe 21 staff comes amid serious concerns for jobs and broadcasting standards throughout ITN’s regional news services. Employees working for the early evening regional news and sports programme in the capital have been told that 15 out of 36 posts are to go. NUJ national organiser for broadcasting Sue Harris, said: “These are savage cuts and are bound to have an impact on the quality of London Tonight’s service. “The management has said it will be looking for voluntary redundancies and we will
be working to support our members against compulsory job losses. “The NUJ hopes to continue to have constructive talks with the management. We are also concerned that those who are left will be put under stress, with unreasonable workloads, as they attempt to cover for the lost posts.” NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said: “Taking an axe to London Tonight in this way can only damage output on the programme. At a time when the BBC is facing huge cuts to its news services in the regions, this represents a damaging retreat from quality regional journalism at ITV. “The NUJ also has grave concerns about the implications of these cuts for regional news elsewhere within the ITV network. This is bad news for journalists and bad news for viewers.”
in brief...
“
MAIL’S WEB BOAST WRONG, SAYS BBC The BBC denied Daily Mail claims that the paper’s news website – the biggest and fastest growing among national newspapers – is more popular than the BBC site. Mail Online claimed 44.7m unique global visitors in June – boasting a 35 per cent lead over the BBC. But the corporation said the Mail’s figures excluded BBC sport, weather and World Service news output, which gave it 57.4m unique browsers.
These are savage cuts and are bound to have an impact on the quality of London Tonight’s service
MP BACKS UNION’S INTERNS INITIATIVE Wigan MP Lisa Nandy has proposed a Commons early day motion backing the NUJ’s ‘cash back for interns’ campaign. The motion congratulates the magazines Elle and Cosmo for agreeing to pay their interns and notes that Alan Milburn’s report to government, ‘Fair Access to Professional Careers’, identifies journalism as ‘one of the most socially exclusive of professions’.
”
COUNCIL ATTACKED on ADvertS
A
county council has been strongly criticised by the NUJ after it withdrew advertising from a local paper because of ‘negative’ coverage. Carmarthenshire County Council pulled an advert from Newsquest’s weekly South Wales Guardian in response to a story
reporting traders’ concerns about possible delays to a regeneration scheme. The council’s press manager e-mailed a member of the authority’s marketing department stating that ads should not be placed with the paper because of ‘negative publicity’. In a joint letter to Kevin
trainees’ lack of accuracy The NCTJ said the latest results in the seniors exam were ‘disappointing’, and bemoaned a lack of accuracy among candidates. Fewer experienced staff and less guidance because of cutbacks did not explain the sort of inaccuracies encountered, the council said.
Madge, the council leader, Jonathan Edwards MP and Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM said: “The South Wales Guardian, along with other newspaper publications, has the legitimate right to report the business of that and any other council.” The NUJ said the council’s actions were ‘wholly unacceptable’.
OLYMPICS BOSSES HEAR THE VOICE The NUJ backed a successful campaign to challenge the British Olympic Association’s decision to deny accreditation to the Games for The Voice, Britain’s only national newspaper for black readers. Of the 78 British track and field athletes, 29 were of African and Caribbean heritage.
NUJ salutes Fleet Street leader NUJ Irish secretary Séamus Dooley acknowledged the great honour bestowed on the NUJ by the Geraghty family’s invitation to give a major address on behalf of journalists in Ireland and Britain. Séamus (pictured) said: “Seán would have despaired at the failure of the wider British trade union movement to seize the opportunity presented by Leveson to expose the rotten corruption at the heart of the British media establishment.”
mark thomas
T
he NUJ played a prominent role in ceremonies to mark the funeral last month in Dublin of former Fleet Street leader and labour movement legend Seán Geraghty. Seán remained secretary of the Fleet Street branch of the electricians’ union throughout the Wapping dispute, supporting sacked printers in defiance of his own trade union which recruited a pirate workforce for Murdoch.
TUNING IN TO LOCAL RADIO The Journalism Foundation, has teamed up with the University of Lincoln to offer six days of free training sessions in October for those seeking to start a community radio service in their local area. theJournalist | 7