NUJ conference vows to stand up for journalism

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Delegates to the NUJ’s annual conference leave Southport today after pledging to lead a major push to defend quality journalism in the UK and Ireland.

The impact of cutbacks on journalists and their abilities to undertake effective journalism was an undercurrent running throughout the union’s delegate meeting this weekend.

The union has vowed to campaign to fight cutbacks and lead the way in finding alternative models of funding to support the future of the profession.

• Read detailed coverage of the NUJ ADM on the website run by student delegates.

Speaking after the event NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear said: “This was a serious conference, reflecting the grave situation our members are facing at work. Cutbacks are ripping the heart out of every part of our industry, from newspapers to broadcasting, new media to book publishing.

“Politicians are failing the media, media owners are failing journalism. It is left to NUJ members to take a stand in defence of quality journalism, in defence of our democracy.”

Addressing delegates at the close of the conference outgoing NUJ President James Doherty highlighted the strength of the NUJ in addressing the challenges in the industry: “This weekend everyone has attended with a single goal of taking our industry through the crisis and taking the fight back to those who seek to destroy it.

“We are fortunate in this union that when times are tough – and they have been exceedingly tough – we come together and support each other.”

Peter Murray, a union rep at the BBC’s Glasgow studios has been elected as the new president of the union. He vowed to lead the union’s campaigning over the coming months, saying: “As we take the campaigns on jobs, ownership and pay into every workplace, we will help sustain the union and build confidence among members to keep their eyes on the prize: decent jobs for our members, decent pay for our members and safer, less stressful workplaces where our people can produce the quality journalism which our readers and viewers want.” 

Student journalists provided live coverage of the meeting from Southport. Read their reports and tweets at http://www.nujadm.org.uk/.

22 November 2009