Latest editorial
Screen grab of (left to right) Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chief Medical Officer for England, Chris Witty, during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on coronavirus (COVID-19)
THE government’s “extraordinary” decision to axe daily coronavirus Downing Street press briefings was criticised today by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) as “unworthy of a democracy.”
On Tuesday, Downing Street announced that that evening’s press briefing would be the last, except on days when there are “significant” announcements.
Hours before, PM Boris Johnson announced further easing of the lockdown from July 4 and the reduction of the two-metre social-distancing rule to “one metre plus.”
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The once beating heart of British journalism was undone by technological change, union battles and Murdoch’s 1986 Wapping coup – leaving London the only major capital without a press club, says TIM GOPSILL
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LAURA DAVISON traces how Murdoch’s mass sackings, political deals and legal loopholes shattered collective bargaining 40 years ago – and how persistent NUJ organising, landmark court victories and new employment rights legislation are finally challenging that legacy
Speaking to the Morning Star’s Ceren Sagir, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists LAURA DAVISON outlines the threats to journalism from Palestine to Britain, and the unique challenges confronting the industry through the rise of AI