news in brief... African Unity A stronger and more united journalist movement across Africa was called for in Harare by the second continental congress of the Federation of African Journalists, part of the International Federation of Journalists . The congress was the first summit of journalists organised in Zimbabwe since the country’s current political and economic crisis. Niger kidnaps Two journalists were released after several days of being held in captivity in the Nigerian state of Imo. South African sound engineer Nick Greyling, who works for the television station 8M-Net Supersport, and Nigerian sports commentator Bowie Attamah were freed. Philippines death A journalist was bludgeoned to death at a radio station in the southern Philippines, another victim in a spate of media killings. Broadcaster and columnist Chito Abuzo was beaten to death with a rock at DXGS radio in the city of General Santos. Thirty journalists were among 57 people murdered in Manguindanao province in the southern Philippines in November last year in an attack blamed on a local political rivalry. JOURNALIST shot Honduran journalist David Meza was shot dead in his hometown of La Ceiba. The radio and television journalist was shot in his car as he tried to escape his attackers while metres from his house in the coastal town about 200 kilometres north of the capital, Tegucigalpa. The motive for the killing was unknown. Irish tax relief Many NUJ members in the Republic of Ireland are losing out by not claiming tax relief on their trade union subscriptions. The union’s Irish secretary Seamus Dooley said: “This is a relief to which trade union members in Ireland are entitled, and it is very important that they claim it. Claims can be made online through the Revenue Commissioners website .”
Red card for ‘fans with lap-tops’
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he Scottish NUJ is kicking into touch sports editors who use amateur writers to report on matches. The union has written to sports editors pressing them to maximise the use of real journalists to cover sporting events amid a growth in the number of ‘fans with laptops’ supplying copy to news organisations. The Scottish NUJ will step up its campaign ahead of the start of the new football season in August with soccer attracting the most amateurs keen to write cheaply or for free. The letter sent to sports desks says: “At a time when industry cuts are affecting professional journalists, we
do not want to see amateur scribes covering games that could be done by qualified staff or freelance members of our profession.” The Scottish section of the union is concerned that professional sports reporters are increasingly frustrated at having to work alongside amateurs and are becoming more concerned about falling editorial standards and pay because of the growth in amateurs. It says that many of the enthusiasts already have full-time jobs in other professions. The union complains that in the last football season every press box had “more than a fair share of policemen and teachers acting as ‘fans with lap-tops’.
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Every press box had more than a fair share of policemen and teachers acting as ‘fans with lap-tops’
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Scottish NUJ
Gorkana alert: business sold
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he founders of Gorkana, the group that supplies information about journalists to the PR industry, made multimillionpound fortunes after selling the business to Durrants, the press cutting service. Michael Webster and Alex Northcott, who used to work for the City PR firm Brunswick, sold the online business that they started in 2005 for just under £25m. Gorkana boasts a database of more than 130,000
journalists. The organisation largely works by sending email alerts to PRs and journalists about job changes and vacancies throughout the media.
Readers’ Digest goes to private equity
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he British division of Reader’s Digest, one of the best-known names in publishing, has been bought by Better Capital, the private equity firm belonging to Jon Moulton. The UK operation went into administration in February, six months after its US parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Mr Moulton first came to prominence when he tried to buy the Rover car group 10 years ago. He has since gained some recognition for speaking out against some of the excesses of the financial markets. Better Capital Limited paid about £13 million for the longestablished business through its BECAP fund. Reader’s Digest in the UK, which markets magazines, books, music, and financial services along with its famous prize draws, employs 100 people
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