Birmingham and Coventry National Union of Journalists

Early day motion 327: Media Standards  [NUJ Rocks]
That this House commends the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) for its work in improving media standards and championing quality journalism; notes that the NUJ is a core participant at the Leveson Inquiry; believes that this is fitting as the NUJ represents thousands of journalists throughout the press including national and local newspapers; supports the NUJ's campaign for a Conscience Clause for journalists, which will protect them in their workplaces if they are asked to carry out work that would compromise their journalistic ethics; believes that the Press Complaints Commission failed as a regulatory body and should be replaced by a truly independent body which has press freedom and high journalistic standards at its core and which includes representatives of ordinary journalists and the wider public in a co-regulatory approach; further believes that in order to be effective such a body needs to be underpinned by statute with a press ombudsman to mediate with the public; and supports such a body having the power to hear appeals from the ombudsman and administer an ethical code, such as the NUJ code of conduct, as well as the powers of investigation and the ability to decide on punishments including fines and compensation for newspapers which breach the code.

Sponsors: McDonnell, John / Clark, Katy / Mitchell, Austin
Date tabled: 04/07/2012



EDM 326: Local Newspapers as Community Assets
That this House supports local newspapers as a valued part of the community across all parts of the UK; believes they should be designated as community assets under the Localism Act 2012; supports such an extension under the Act as it will allow threatened newspapers to explorealternative ownership models; further believes that local newspapers are able to report on and hold to account local politicians in ways that the national media is not able to do and that local newspapers are essential to local business through advertising; and calls on the Government to convene discussions with local newspaper groups and the National Union of Journalists in order to safeguard this invaluable source of local news across the country.

Sponsors: Mitchell, Austin / Edwards, Jonathan / McDonnell, John
Date tabled: 04/07/2012



EDM 325: Commercialization in the BBC
That this House notes with dismay the email sent to all BBC staff working in the Global News department from Peter Horrocks, the Director of BBC Global News, which asks staff to generate money making ideas for the BBC; further notes that the email states that staff will be required to exploit new commercial opportunities as part of their appraisal process; condemns such an idea as threatening the ethos at the heart of the BBC's public service broadcasting; believes that ordering staff to focus on commercial ideas will distort the Corporation's fundamental news-gathering and reporting objectives; further believes that journalists working for the Global News Service, which includes the BBC World Service, work in some of the most challenging terrain in the world and can only carry out their work as impartial reporters rather than money gatherers; and calls on the BBC to abandon this ill conceived initiative.

Sponsors: Mitchell, Austin / McDonnell, John
Date tabled: 04/07/2012