The regulation and licensing of journalists is the policy of
authoritarian regimes, and the NUJ knows only too well that in Britain
the police often now take it upon themselves to decide who is a
“proper” journalist (see Undercurrents, Indymedia etc.).
I left
the NUJ in the Seventies when it tried to enforce the dismissal of a
sub-editor who had resigned from the NUJ to join the IOJ. It seemed to
me then, as now, that the closed shop must be resisted.
I have
always admired the NUJ code of conduct. But in those days the NUJ tried
to discipline people who breached the code, which would have made life
impossible for some journalists.
I saw other dangers at the time.
The NUJ voted for a pro-abortion policy. I did not object to the
policy. I objected to the NUJ having any policy on the subject.
Journalism needs diversity, not uniformity, of views.
Related
Given the shameful meanness of employers in the press the NUJ should have better things to do.
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