This is a disturbing notification from the NUJ. That we have come to this fearful plateau in the 21st century tells us much about our rapid slide back to the 1930s. What kind of world, once they’ve killed everyone they don’t like, do these people want? What are their policies? How will they run things? Or are death and torture the only platform they have?
| Dear NUJ member, Media reports last week highlighted the growing threats to journalists and journalism in the UK. Hold the Front Page reported threats made to the Liverpool Echo’s Liam Thorp. He shared the contents of an email which referred to his work as “disgusting journalism” and with the warning: “karma is a bitch and you judgment [sic] will be due very soon”. In January 2020, a man who had threatened to mutilate and kill Liverpool Echo staff was jailed for two and a half years. In Northern Ireland last week, another perpetrator was given a three-month jail sentence at Ballymeana magistrates court. He had contacted a Guardian newspaper journalist using Instagram and said: “As a supporter of the Far Right I think I speak for a lot of people when I say I hope you get a bullet to the brain”. The NUJ is taking a leading role in gathering evidence about the different types of threats to journalists and journalism in the UK – the union is unique as the only organisation that can gather evidence from across different media and include all the different employers, staff and freelances. The threats range from online or offline attacks and harassment to tactics designed to stymie and thwart a journalist’s ability to report. The UK government has recently established a National Safety of Journalists Committee, which is tasked with the creation of an action plan to investigate and tackle the increasing number of threats. The NUJ’s general secretary Michelle Stanistreet is a member of the government’s new safety committee. We want all NUJ members to have an opportunity to engage on these issues and to provide information about their own experiences which then can influence the reforms we will be proposing to help bolster journalists’ safety and allow all our members to do their jobs without fear of interference or threat. Please take a few moments to complete this confidential NUJ survey – https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/NUJSafety Follow us on these sites National Union of Journalists 72 Acton Street London WC1X 9NB 0207 843 3700 info@nuj.org.uk Unsubscribe Want to unsubscribe? If you change your mind, you can always sign up again. © Copyright. All Rights Reserved 2015 National Union of Journalists. This email may contain confidential material. It is intended for the individual or entity to whom it is addressed . If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender and delete all copies. |
Roy Bainton Writes 