War-zone reporting, and the police’s relationship with journalists were some of the many topics put under the microscope when the conference returned from lunch.
The Law of the Land
With regards to journalists’ relationship with the police, motions 86 through to 92 were discussed. In 86 (covering also 87, 88, 89) the efforts, and subsequent legal victory of Sunday Tribune Northern editor Suzanne Breen were applauded and used as an example of why it is imperative for the NEC to “contact police forces in the UK and Ireland to emphasise to them the importance of the NUJ Code Of Conduct”.
With 90, the NEC was urged to continue its ongoing attempts to improve relations with the Police, while 91 focused on how relations were severely damaged by the heavy-handed treatment of journalists (especially photographers) by the police at the G20 demonstrations in London.
Motion 92 on the other hand, dealt with the flippant attitude in which the Police have adopted with the Police And Criminal Evidence Act (PACE Act) and other legislation, thanks to the recent glut of anti-terrorism laws. It proposes that the NEC produce a ‘legal guide’ in which NUJ members can refer to , so as that they know exactly how protected they and their work are, should they ever come under the scrutiny of a police investigation or arrest.
All four motions were passed without incident.
The Misrepresentation of Women in the Media
Another successfully carried motion was that of Bristol Branch, in which, based on the findings of the “Representations of Women in the Media” project, the NEC were urged to promote positive representations of women in the media, and to tackle and debunk the misrepresentations.
Disability and Permission to report
The reporting of stories involving people with disabilities was the focus of both motion 108 and 110. Motion 108 wanted every member to recognise that people with disabilities were a growing population, not only in the general population, but in the NUJ as well.
As a result, it wanted to raise awareness of the importance of sensitivity when writing, and courtesy when dealing with affected members at work. 110 was more interested in the terminology used when reporting on ‘hate crimes against disabled people’, and how words such as ‘vulnerable’ could actually be detrimental to the victims as it creates a weak stereotype that many people could and do find offensive and demeaning. Both motions were carried.
Motion 109 wanted to amend the NUJ Code of Conduct to include the principle that “journalists should seek the permission of a parent, guardian, or other appropriate adult when interviewing or photographing a child with regard to a story about their welfare”. This motion was also passed.
War on Error
The big debate of this section was Oxford and District Branch’s statement that a majority of the British media was guilty of bias reporting on the latest Gaza conflict, and that the NEC should set up a forum to discuss the ethical rights and wrongs on the reporting of the conflict.
This received passionate backing on both sides of the debate, with members from BBC World Service defending the coverage, and other NUJ members condemning it. Despite BBC World Service’s protestations, the motion was passed (with the branch’s own amendment).
Remission Possible
Not all motions were as successful as most, with motions:
- 93 (campaign to reform the PCC)
- 111 (reinstatement of former clause 8of the original Code Of Conduct)
- 113 (bridging the gap between the journalistic principles of the NUJ, and the new medias of blogging and twittering)
all remitted for the NEC to make a decision.
