NUJ leader Michelle Stanistreet denies "ridiculous" reports that she backs state press regulation
National Union of Journalists leader Michelle Stanistreet has described claims in a leader by The Sun that she is backing state control of the press as "ridiculous".
This morning, The Sun said that it was "dumbfounded" to hear that the NUJ would back such a notion, adding that state regulated newspapers would mean the UK would "end up like Russia, Zimbabwe and Iran, with State stooges and politicians deciding what can or can’t be printed in your Sun."
the leader went on to describe that by following such a mindset would make Stanistreet "the most dangerous union leader in Britain".
Stanistreet has moved to pour scorn on reports that theUnion backs state regulation of the press however, telling The Drum: "I am of course against state control of the press!"
She continued: "The NUJ's model for a future regulatory system is based on the system in Ireland, where the NUJ also represents journalists. It is a press council and ombudsman system, and one in which the regulatory framework includes representation from journalists and a broader range of civic society reps, as well as the industry. It is not state controlled, but the existence of the press council is recognised in statute. This form of statutory underpinning not state control is what the NUJ has supported as a sensible change to enable genuinely independent press regulation, independent of government but also independent of the owners unlike the current PCC."
Stanistreet added that the NUJ had "long campaigned" for reforming the Press Complaints Commission and scrapping it completely.
"The union is certainly not campaigning for increased government control of the press, far from it. An acknowledgement in statute of a new body would simply be that its existence - with protecting press freedom one of its key objectives)- an opportunity to spell out its aims and remit, enabling it to levy fines with powers of investigation.
She described the idea proposed by Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre of licence carrying journalists as being one that would "effectively individualise responsibility for any transgressions on to the journalists" and would hand publishers powers to withdraw a journalist's press card for one error, pointing out that the phone hacking incidents of phone hacking were not the fault of individual journalists.
She also described Lord Black's commercial contract solution as being "unworkable".
"The model the NUJ has suggested is one that is working for members in Ireland, where it certainly hasn't compromised press freedom or led journalists on to a path of state control of the press. Ironically, given the positions of the major newspaper groups here, the same owners work perfectly cooperatively with the NUJ in Ireland within the Press Council.
The world hasn't caved in, and there isn't a Zimbabwe move to state control or censorship," she concluded.
Claims of support for State regulation came from the following comments, run as part of a statement promoting an NUJ debate in Bristol.
Stanistreet is quoted as having said: “We believe that if we are to achieve independent, accountable regulation it needs to be underpinned by statute enabling a framework for a new body to be established with clear terms of reference, and a structure that involves journalists and civil society as key stakeholders.
“This is absolutely not the same as state regulation, far from it. Our model is based on the system in Ireland, where a Press Council was established together with a Press Ombudsman.
“It is significant that in Ireland, employers work sensibly and positively with the NUJ as a key stakeholder in a structure that journalists are actively represented within.”