NUJ Discuss the Future of Journalism

The National Union of Journalists held a conference in London to tackle media barons on Saturday. After 40% of jobs lost in five years, journalists, professors and students, authors and the public gathered to debate the damage media barons, like Rupert Murdoch are causing to journalism.

Guest speakers all communicated a need for the capitalism and monopolising in journalism to stop: academic James Curran said at the conference ‘we need to be politically brave and introduce anti-monopoly controls, there are economic solutions, a 1% levy on search engines that profit from news, and an independent public trust with press regulation that works.’ He called for a ‘culture change away from where journalists are scared of losing their jobs.’

Speaker Harriet Harman, Labour deputy leader and Shadow Cabinet member for Culture Media and Sport opened the conference stating: ‘Good journalism is vital for democracy.’ She also accused News International of ‘dehumanising’ celebrities in ‘pursuit of profit’.

Other speakers throughout the day included general secretary for the NUJ, Michelle Stanistreet who claimed the NUJ were not involved in talks with media barons and the ‘relentless pressure to make goods regardless of the cost’ meant drastically slipping standards in journalism came as 'no surprise’.

New socialist worker models of journalism were proposed. Examples of Co-op papers, such as the Camden New Journal, Islington Tribune and West End extra, were presented as examples of newspapers running independent of shareholders and media barons. They are run by the workers for the local people.

‘Hacked Off’ campaigner Thais Porthilo-Shrimpton was one of many to say ‘journalism is a service to the public that needs to be free of the shackles of commercialism.’

The destructive relationship between politicians and media barons was also described by left wing paper The Morning Star’s editor, Richard Bagley: ‘I cannot believe the relationship between Murdoch and Tony Blair leading up to the Iraq war.’ The conference is one of many across the globe where journalists are standing up to media barons and capitalist monopolies of the news.
More information on the event can be found at: www.tuc.org.uk

The UK Will Be Next Greece

A Greek journalist came to speak of the revolutionary takeover of his employer’s paper at the University of East London on Friday.

Mosissis Litsis is one of a group of journalists and other workers who received funding from the Athens trade union of journalists to print the paper they work for themselves. The daily which is one of the biggest in Greece – ‘Elefthrotypia’ became ‘the workers of Elefthrotypia’ after 3 months of strikes and non-payment of wages, due to austerity cuts. The first copy sold 31,000 copies – more than the original paper. The second edition selling 33,000, he told the student socialist worker meeting at UEL.

Describing the unpaid and unemployed in Greece as a humanitarian crisis, where 48% of 16-24 year olds are out of work, 250,000 ordinary people have to go to the church for basic food, and daily stereotyped arrests are made – Moissis said it won’t be long until the UK is the same. Although other countries are, or will be in the same economic crisis – the UK shares the debt of the Olympics with Greece.
Lastly Moissis called the students to ‘fight for your rights, organise worker and student solidarity, this is a real opportunity to show the governments of Europe we are united.’

More information about similar events can be found at: www.swssnet.org

Foreign Intervention In Afghanistan is Futile

‘Only Afghans can change their own society’ Guardian foreign correspondent, Jonathan Steele has said.

The author of ‘Ghosts in Afghanistan’ told a public meeting at City University that it’s ‘hopeless for foreigners to intervene’.

Steele, who first visited Afghanistan in 1981 and has reported about the country for over 30 years, called for foreign money to go towards aid not warfare.
He said foreign intervention increases weapons manufacture and killing. The continuation of foreign intervention was questioned heatedly at the meeting; Steele claimed that US combat troops will just be re-named as trainers and engineers, still armed and uniformed.

He attempted to debunk myths that military interference is a responsibility not to ‘abandon Afghanistan’ - as stated by various politicians such as foreign secretary William Hague (MoD). He also highlighted that Afghans, being ‘more conscious of ethnic identity’ fear a religious or sectarian civil war, similar to neighbouring countries like Iraq.

Afghanistan has been in a state of war since 1983, but it is not a poor country. It has more than £1trillion in raw materials. Despite this, Afghanistan still ranks 2nd in the world for poverty (UNICEF). The Guardian correspondent used these statistics to call for more international aid at the meeting.

The war correspondent described how Afghans were originally ‘delighted’ the Taliban were overthrown. They were hopeful that foreign intervention would bring money and better living conditions. However, as Steele poignantly told City University, 9 years later Afghans are now dubious of foreigners. After seeing a stalemate war with no benefits, local Afghans propose talks with their ‘brothers the Taliban.’ The Taliban have been in Afghanistan since 1986.

Highlighted as another failed attempt at foreign intervention, Steele spoke of the previous war between Russia and Afghanistan which ended when inherited to the new Russian leader, who ceased military action.

Foreigners also can’t change women’s rights in Afghanistan, Steele claims. It is ‘so deeply embedded’; Steele said when questioned about the mistreatment of women, (or ‘Baeed’ as it is known in Afghanistan) it cannot be changed by outside influence. The culture of using women like cattle is deeply engraved in Afghanistan’s culture from rural areas into the cities. The culture of abuse did not start from the Taliban; it is an age old way of solving ‘blood feuds, resulting in many child marriages’.

Child labour in Afghanistan is a major issue that was also discussed. Many children work in Opium fields. A member of the meeting asked if it could be swapped for onion and carrot picking labour, but Steele said it will be ‘a struggle to eradicate the poppy fields’ due to their profitability.
When women and children’s rights were discussed further, Steele was questioned ‘what’s wrong with foreign intervention to stop these things?’ Steele responded by stating the need for peace as a human right is far greater to Afghans than any other human right.

The veteran correspondent, who started out as a political activist when studying economics at Yale, also gave advice on reporting in countries such as Afghanistan. Giving away his motto to ‘stay angry but don’t shout’ - referring to his own motivational ‘low intensity anger’ about Afghanistan politics. Steele also advised using alternative methods of transport when reporting, being able to deal with difficulty getting through checkpoints, the need to stay committed, and to have a compromising partner. He listed occupational hazards as ‘cynicism, nicotine and alcohol’ to any aspiring to report on foreign intervention in countries like Afghanistan.

Steele read extracts from his book: ‘Ghosts in Afghanistan’ to reiterate his experiences and knowledge of the country.
More information on similar public events at City University can be found at: http://www.city.ac.uk/events.

Journalism Twiiter Talks!

A very useful links for anyone interested in the media. Fifty talks on twitter - communicate with professionals, academics and other students to debate issues within the media/press:

http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2012/03/50-terrific-twitter-chats-for-journalism-students/

MAKE KONY FAMOUS 2012

Wow. Not much stops me in my tracks and just makes me want to drop everything for a new cause.

But this did.

Please watch it, and share it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc&feature=share

MAKE KONY FAMOUS - the beginning of a new, better world might finally be here.

UEL Rowers Triumph

From my work experience in UEL press office, more to come! -

http://www.uel.ac.uk/news/press-releases/2012/03/bucsrowing.htm