» SubscribeMain section
-
Top story
NUJ demands guarantees at Manchester Evening News
DATELINE: 11/2/10
The acquisition of the Manchester Evening News and its weekly papers by Trinity Mirror was described by the National Union of Journalists as 'a very serious development'. NUJ deputy general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said: "The move by Trinity Mirror has implications for the future ownership of local media across the UK, as major publishers weigh their chances of swallowing up what remains of independent publishing in Britain."The concerns for diversity of information and media in the North West are an immediate issue which we will be raising with the Department of Business Innovation and Skills. Trinity Mirror already publishes the Liverpool Post and Echo titles, in addition to a substantial stable of weekly papers across Cheshire and Merseyside. Now it will also control the prestigious Manchester Evening News, which has a series of titles in the region."
"This all raises issues of editorial independence which should be of concern to government and community leaders as well as the media industry. The NUJ's immediate priority is to secure the employment of the MEN workforce and to have real guarantees from Trinity Mirror that the quality and content of MEN publications will be protected. We are determined that the jobs and conditions of current employees will be fully protected, and we will be seeking urgent discussions with management to establish investment plans for the development of the papers.”
"Our members are particularly worried that Trinity Mirror employees have pension arrangements considerably less beneficial than those at Guardian Media Group. NUJ members simply will not accept any attempt to force these inferior pension conditions on them.”
Local leaders of the NUJ at the MEN titles pointed out that the acquisition brings to an end a hundred years of shared history between the Manchester Evening News and the Guardian. “It is a sad day when popular regional titles are sacrificed to sustain failing national titles,” said a joint statement from Bethan Dorsett, mother of the NUJ chapel at the MEN Media weeklies and Judith Gordon, mother of the MEN chapel.
“Like Guardian Media Group, however, we must now forget all historical ties and concentrate on the future. We expect Trinity Mirror to maintain all titles and all jobs and honour existing agreements with the NUJ. We will also be questioning the plan to move all journalists, who have already coped admirably in spite of the savage job cuts and office closures last year, to Oldham. Does moving the company's flagship newspaper away from the city centre make business sense? We think not.”
Last modified: Thursday, February 11, 2010
Your comments:
» Click here to add your comment.
Comments will be subject to approval and should not be defamatory, obscene, racist, in breach of copyright, or contrary to law. The CPBF is not reponsible for any views expressed here.
Previous media ownership stories
BSkyB to sell most of ITV stake
Media for All conference: Silvio's Back
Passion and humour in fight to save Observer
Economic stimulus plan needed for local journalism
New threat to media ownership rules
Conservative media plans will damage journalism
Government acts on future of regional media
NUJ in government talks to save local media
Journalists urged to find 'back to basics' business model
Local media ownership review looks at survival of newspapers
Local media ownership rules 'likely to be relaxed'
BSkyB loses appeal ruling
Appeals tribunal rules BSkyB must sell ITV stake
Tribunal to rule on BSkyB's ITV stake
TUC condemns erosion of civil liberties and press freedom
Media Ownership in the Age of Convergence
Lords take stand against media barons
BBC Trust concludes its review of bbc.co.uk
Murdoch company tried on sabotage allegations
Sky and Virgin go to law
Lords Probe Media Ownership and News - Part 2
BSkyB and ITV
BSkyB and ITV
Campaign welcomes government ruling on ITV shares
Murdoch: Sky News should be like Fox
Murdoch and ITV
BSkyB 'should sell shares in ITV'
Internet Television
Murdoch must sell his stake in ITV
New inquiries into ownership
-
Notices
Events & Announcements
World Press Freedom Day
More reporters are currently imprisoned in Turkey than in any other country in the world. Only a matter of weeks ago lawyers failed to persuade a Turkish court to release a 76-year-old journalist from a Turkish internet news station.
World Press Freedom Day on Friday May 3, 2013 is being marked in Britain by a rally to highlight the dangers facing journalists in Turkey and in this podcast, Nicholas Jones speaks to Barry White, Organiser at the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, and Sam Bamford, the TUC's policy officer for Eastern Europe and Africa about the importance of a campaign to highlight international press freedom.
The World Press Freedom Day rally is being staged by the National Union of Journalists at the NUJ head office, Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1 on Thursday May 2, 6pm-8pm.
DATELINE: 27/4/13
UK launch of EU media campaign
DATELINE: 13/3/13
The UK launch of a 'European Citizens' Initiative' calling for EU rules against concentration of media power will take place on Thursday March 21 from 11:00am – 12:30pm in Committee Room 4A at the House of Lords, London. Guest speakers will include actor and activist Hugh Grant (pictured), media consultant Claire Enders, Professor Steven Barnett, Barry McCall (President of the NUJ) and Marc Gruber (Director of the European Federation of Journalists).
A European Citizens' Initiative is an official petition, like a Downing Street petition. If it succeeds in gathering a million signatures across the EU, the Commission is obliged to respond.
This petition calls for the EU to act to protect media pluralism and press freedom.
CPBF Annual General Meeting
DATELINE: 1/3/13
Make a note in your diary
Saturday 13 July 2013 from 10.00am
NUJ HQ, 308/312 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1.
Leveson, media ownership, CPBF future work.
DOWNLOAD FREEPRESS NOW
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Download Freepress in PDF, ePub or mobi format. Issue 194 now available.
MEDIA FOR ALL CONFERENCE
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Papers from the Media for All Conference
MEDIA MANIFESTO
DATELINE: 26/3/10
The media’s job is to inform and entertain us but we rely on them too to tell us what our rulers and representatives are up to. In the run-up to the Iraq war the government used spin and disinformation in the media to create panic and mislead people. The truth is coming out now, but we need stronger, more independent media to be able to scrutinise governments and make informed choices.
-
Previous stories
Media Ownership
BSkyB to sell most of ITV stake
Media for All conference: Silvio's Back
Passion and humour in fight to save Observer
Economic stimulus plan needed for local journalism
New threat to media ownership rules
Conservative media plans will damage journalism
Government acts on future of regional media
NUJ in government talks to save local media
Journalists urged to find 'back to basics' business model
Local media ownership review looks at survival of newspapers
Local media ownership rules 'likely to be relaxed'
BSkyB loses appeal ruling
Appeals tribunal rules BSkyB must sell ITV stake
Tribunal to rule on BSkyB's ITV stake
TUC condemns erosion of civil liberties and press freedom
Media Ownership in the Age of Convergence
Lords take stand against media barons
BBC Trust concludes its review of bbc.co.uk
Murdoch company tried on sabotage allegations
Sky and Virgin go to law
Lords Probe Media Ownership and News - Part 2
BSkyB and ITV
BSkyB and ITV
Campaign welcomes government ruling on ITV shares
Murdoch: Sky News should be like Fox
Murdoch and ITV
BSkyB 'should sell shares in ITV'
Internet Television
Murdoch must sell his stake in ITV
New inquiries into ownership
