Article published at journalism.co.uk by Laura Oliver with my additional reporting.
30/04/2010
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has this week rejected a membership application because it came from a member of the British National Party.
The application had been refused because of the individual's work as a BNP organiser, the union confirmed to Journalism.co.uk. The individual's links with the party were clearly stated as part of the application.
"His actions aren't compatible with membership of the NUJ," a spokesman said, adding that other unions would adhere to similar rules. A BNP member entering the union would contradict with the NUJ's Code of Conduct, which all journalists joining the union must sign, the spokesman suggested. Section 10 of the code says : "A journalist (…) produces no material likely to lead to hatred or discrimination on the grounds of a person's age, gender, race, colour, creed, legal status, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation."
At an event promoting the cross-media EXPOSE the BNP campaign, deputy general secretary of the union Michelle Stanistreet called on the British Media to exact more scrutiny of the BNP and its policies.
"Journalism comes with a responsibility. We have to face the reality of what happens when we don't do our job properly. We are encouraging our members to scrutinise people from across the political parties. But at the minute the BNP just isn't being scrutinised properly," she said.
"We need people to know the difference between what these people are saying on TV and what they actually stand for. This needs to be exposed through the media."
The NUJ criticised BBC's decision to put Nick Griffin on Question Time in October: "The union argues that the format of the show does not allow the BNP’s dishonest propaganda to be properly challenged." In February the union launched a guide to journalists reporting the BNP ahead of the general election.
A BNP spokesperson said the decision by the union was "hardly surprising". "The NUJ bosses wouldn't want anyone blowing the whistle on the extent of their doctoring of news reports concerning the British National Party," the spokesperson said.
Friday, 30 April 2010
Thursday, 29 April 2010
NUJ fears job cuts and apathy could prevent 'proper' media scrutiny of BNP
My article on journalism.co.uk
NUJ fears job cuts and apathy could prevent 'proper' media scrutiny of BNP
Posted: 29/04/10 By: Sophie Maden
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) last night launched its campaign to encourage the British media to give greater scrutiny to far-right political parties or risk political apathy letting in the British National Party.
Michelle Stanistreet, deputy general secretary of the NUJ was the main speaker at the EXPOSE event in Sheffield, a city represented in the European Parliament by BNP candidate Andrew Brons.
"Journalism comes with a responsibility. We have to face the reality of what happens when we don't do our job properly. We are encouraging our members to scrutinise people from across the political parties. But at the minute the BNP just isn't being scrutinised properly," Stanistreet said.
"We need people to know the difference between what these people are saying on TV and what they actually stand for. This needs to be exposed through the media."
The NUJ has previously spoken out against the BBC's decision to put Nick Griffin on Question Time and has created a guide to journalists for reporting the BNP.
The panel, including the Sheffield Star's Julia Armstrong, also criticised falling standards in reporting for allowing extreme policies to go unchallenged.
Armstrong, who has been targetted by the Redwatch site, said that cuts made by Johnston Press were leading directly to "churnalism".
She said: "Because of the cuts made over the last two to three years it's tough to do your job."
Referring to the new Atex technology being introduced by the group, which is the subject of tomorrow's strike action by Johnston Press journalists in Scarborough, she said: "Our new content management system is more 'mismanagement'.
"The Johnston Press slogan is 'life is local', but it doesn't believe that. Life isn't local to them, it's centralised."
On the proposed relocation of sub-editors from Scarborough newspapers to Sheffield, she said: "It basically means job losses. People won't make that journey. They will either take up reporting positions and take a cut in pay or take redundancy."
Dr Rhetta Moran, secretary of Greater Manchester Unite Against Facism and an NUJ member also featured at the event, which was attended mostly by student journalists.
Moran was arrested at the English Defence League's protest in Bolton on 20 March and the union is working with her to appeal against her arrest. She said: "The difference between the EDL and the BNP is becoming more fluid. The reality is that neither gets the scrutiny it should in the media. Above all we need to raise awareness of the need to vote."
Sophie Maden is a NCTJ print postgraduate student at the University of Sheffield.
NUJ fears job cuts and apathy could prevent 'proper' media scrutiny of BNP
Posted: 29/04/10 By: Sophie Maden
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) last night launched its campaign to encourage the British media to give greater scrutiny to far-right political parties or risk political apathy letting in the British National Party.
Michelle Stanistreet, deputy general secretary of the NUJ was the main speaker at the EXPOSE event in Sheffield, a city represented in the European Parliament by BNP candidate Andrew Brons.
"Journalism comes with a responsibility. We have to face the reality of what happens when we don't do our job properly. We are encouraging our members to scrutinise people from across the political parties. But at the minute the BNP just isn't being scrutinised properly," Stanistreet said.
"We need people to know the difference between what these people are saying on TV and what they actually stand for. This needs to be exposed through the media."
The NUJ has previously spoken out against the BBC's decision to put Nick Griffin on Question Time and has created a guide to journalists for reporting the BNP.
The panel, including the Sheffield Star's Julia Armstrong, also criticised falling standards in reporting for allowing extreme policies to go unchallenged.
Armstrong, who has been targetted by the Redwatch site, said that cuts made by Johnston Press were leading directly to "churnalism".
She said: "Because of the cuts made over the last two to three years it's tough to do your job."
Referring to the new Atex technology being introduced by the group, which is the subject of tomorrow's strike action by Johnston Press journalists in Scarborough, she said: "Our new content management system is more 'mismanagement'.
"The Johnston Press slogan is 'life is local', but it doesn't believe that. Life isn't local to them, it's centralised."
On the proposed relocation of sub-editors from Scarborough newspapers to Sheffield, she said: "It basically means job losses. People won't make that journey. They will either take up reporting positions and take a cut in pay or take redundancy."
Dr Rhetta Moran, secretary of Greater Manchester Unite Against Facism and an NUJ member also featured at the event, which was attended mostly by student journalists.
Moran was arrested at the English Defence League's protest in Bolton on 20 March and the union is working with her to appeal against her arrest. She said: "The difference between the EDL and the BNP is becoming more fluid. The reality is that neither gets the scrutiny it should in the media. Above all we need to raise awareness of the need to vote."
Sophie Maden is a NCTJ print postgraduate student at the University of Sheffield.
Thursday, 22 April 2010
Help put us in the Picture
Page lead in the Manchester Evening News written on work experience.
By Sophie Louise Maden.
PORTRAITS of a host of Manchester faces from the 1940s and 50s will grace the walls of Manchester Art Gallery this month – but staff have no idea who they are.
The photographs, taken by Manchester photographer Dorothy Bohm, have left staff scratching their heads and appealing to the public for help.
They hope that people will recognise the faces in the photographs and come forward with more information to help their April 24 exhibition 'A World Observed 1940 - 2010: Photographs by Dorothy Bohm'.
The photographs were taken whilst Dorothy was a student at Manchester College of Technology before beginning her six decade-long career at Samuel Cooper Photography and creating her own studio, Studio Alexander, in Market Street.
They include portraits of every day people, from a university graduate to nurses and children.
Jennifer Boyd, a volunteer researcher at the gallery, said: “We'd be really excited to hear from anyone who can help us with our research.
“You can also check your old family photographs to see if a Studio Alexander portrait is hidden among them. Some may have the handwritten signature of Dorothy Alexander in the bottom right hand corner, and others may have Studio Alexander printed on their mount.”
Dorothy, who emigrated to England from Lithuania in 1939, now lives in London and has had an internationally renowned career.
Anybody who provides a Studio Alexander photograph will receive a free copy of the exhibition catalogue, worth £14.95, and also see the photo added to an album of prints for visitors to browse.
To look at the photographs, visit www.manchestergalleries.org/dorothybohm or send your own Studio Alexander photographs to Jennifer Boyd, c/o Exhibitions team, Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3JL or email aworldobserved@googlemail.com.
By Sophie Louise Maden.
PORTRAITS of a host of Manchester faces from the 1940s and 50s will grace the walls of Manchester Art Gallery this month – but staff have no idea who they are.
The photographs, taken by Manchester photographer Dorothy Bohm, have left staff scratching their heads and appealing to the public for help.
They hope that people will recognise the faces in the photographs and come forward with more information to help their April 24 exhibition 'A World Observed 1940 - 2010: Photographs by Dorothy Bohm'.
The photographs were taken whilst Dorothy was a student at Manchester College of Technology before beginning her six decade-long career at Samuel Cooper Photography and creating her own studio, Studio Alexander, in Market Street.
They include portraits of every day people, from a university graduate to nurses and children.
Jennifer Boyd, a volunteer researcher at the gallery, said: “We'd be really excited to hear from anyone who can help us with our research.
“You can also check your old family photographs to see if a Studio Alexander portrait is hidden among them. Some may have the handwritten signature of Dorothy Alexander in the bottom right hand corner, and others may have Studio Alexander printed on their mount.”
Dorothy, who emigrated to England from Lithuania in 1939, now lives in London and has had an internationally renowned career.
Anybody who provides a Studio Alexander photograph will receive a free copy of the exhibition catalogue, worth £14.95, and also see the photo added to an album of prints for visitors to browse.
To look at the photographs, visit www.manchestergalleries.org/dorothybohm or send your own Studio Alexander photographs to Jennifer Boyd, c/o Exhibitions team, Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3JL or email aworldobserved@googlemail.com.
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