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We’re standing up for journalism

The traumatic experience of the July floods highlighted, among many other things, the vital role played by an effective and reliable local press

The traumatic experience of the July floods highlighted, among many other things, the vital role played by an effective and reliable local press: Journalists who are familiar with the streets and waterways, and who have strong links in the community as well as good contacts with the right people in the relevant authorities – the council, the police, the fire service, social services, the environment agency, the railway and highway authorities. Journalists who are prepared to work overtime to bring people news of what is happening in their area, to disseminate official warnings and alerts, to gather and pass on authoritative advice on how people can best protect themselves and their belongings. Journalists who can bring the community together by sharing the wealth of stories that emerge from these traumas  of distress and loss, and of resilience and solidarity. Journalists who can pose questions to the right people about whether mistakes had been made in environmental planning, whether relief money was getting through to those most in need, and what lessons need to be learnt for the future.
Rewarding work
It was hard work – not least for members at the Oxford Mail and Times who made it into work, wading shin-deep through the worst of the floods, even when the buses stopped running down the Botley road. Yet it was rewarding work, because it offered the chance to make a real difference – the reason why most of us went into journalism in the first place.
But among the lessons to be learnt, one item was conspicuously missing from media debate. That a strong local media is essential to strong local community – an informed local community, that has a sense of cohesion and solidarity, and which holds the leaders of its public services to account. We in the Oxford branch, and the national union as a whole are launching a STAND UP FOR JOURNALISM campaign to bring that message home.
Over the past two years 6000 jobs have been axed in the newsmedia. Much of these have gone in local newspapers. Staff that remain are finding time that should be spent on news gathering is increasingly taken up by supplying and editing material for websites. Thousands of posts have gone at the BBC, while jobs have also been slashed in independent broadcasting news, as ITV has taken over all the formerly independent regional stations, rationalising the service to boost profits. Pensions are under attack throughout the industry, while local journalists continue to earn well below what they could in comparable professions including as press officers, or in PR or teaching.
Quality will suffer
As sure as building on flood plains increases the likelihood and severity of flooding, the sustained attack on jobs and conditions in the industry will lead – is already leading – to a deterioration in the quality of news coverage. Local media find it ever harder to recruit and retain journalists who can afford to stay in the job long enough to develop strong local knowledge and contacts, and have the time to go out and find stories, rather than simply respond to press releases – repackaging them in print and digital format.
This is why we as a union and a branch are inviting all our members to STAND UP FOR JOURNALISM – to make the case to the public, to politicians, and to the industry, that the job we do is important, we make a difference, and if the failure to invest in good journalism is not reversed, communities will lose out.