Journalists highlight poor employment conditions and decline in standards

An array of employment changes facing journalists is threatening to plunge the media into crisis, according to the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ). These changes have led to both a decline in journalists’ working conditions and their ability to offer a quality product. In an attempt to tackle the fall in journalistic standards, EFJ has launched the ‘Stand up for journalism’ campaign to highlight the problems being faced by journalists.

Employment terms and conditions under threat

According to the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), employment standards within the industry are under threat. Like other sectors, employees in the media are contending with the pressures associated with increasing market competition. A recent seminar organised by the European Trade Union Institute for Research, Education, and Health and Safety (ETUI-REHS) and EFJ on ‘The future of collective bargaining and organising in journalism’ noted that employment in journalism is becoming increasingly precarious. In particular, as employers favour a deregulation of terms and conditions of employment, many journalists are being forced to sign fixed-term work contracts. EJF’s Declaration on media and democracy in Europe states that the existence of such atypical employment means that many journalists ‘are unable to exercise their rights to collective bargaining, to non-discriminatory and equal opportunities between men and women, to non-discriminatory and adequate wages and to minimal standards of social protection’.

The growth of precarious employment is also a threat to trade unions as their density rate declines with the reduction of a core workforce. To help assist affiliated unions in dealing with the challenges they currently face, EFJ has set up a Labour Rights Experts Group to provide information on trade union rights and industrial relations. EFJ views such a body as an important source of information and support for journalists, particularly for those working in the new EU Member States.

Decline in standards

The change within the industry also has repercussions for the professional standards adhered to by journalists. A cut in editorial budgets and tight deadlines are forcing journalists to sacrifice quality. This is particularly problematic in the field of investigative journalism, which can be time-consuming and costly.

One such issue involves the downgrading of editorial processes. Promoted by Mecom – a European regional newspaper publisher with interests in five countries – the new process involves journalists placing their article into a publishing system without going through a rigorous editing process. Although companies can save on editing and sub-editing labour costs, the General Secretary of the International Federation of Journalists ( IFJ), Aidan White, believes that ‘a long-term vision of journalism without a mediating process of reflection and editing will lower standards, put journalists out of work and increase the lawyers’ bill facing media’.

A decline in standards is not only seen as undermining the professionalism of journalism, but equally as a threat to democracy. Traditional high reporting standards set by journalists have been essential in ensuring that individual’s civil liberties and fundamental human rights are protected, according to the General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), John Monks.

Journalists campaign for better conditions

The prevalence of increasingly precarious employment and decline in journalistic standards has led EFJ to devise a campaign called ‘Stand up for journalism’. Launched on 5 November 2007, the campaign kicked off with a day of action involving tens of thousands of journalists across Europe. According to the EFJ campaign organiser, Marc Gruber, the event helped achieve ‘very good coverage concerning the current crisis within journalism, and allowed journalists across Europe to collectively voice their concerns about changes occurring within the industry’.

Although the campaign was coordinated by EJF, the type of activities undertaken was left up to the national member unions. In the UK, for example, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), held various events in London and Manchester, in addition to an online campaign. In France and Germany, journalists organised demonstrations in front of the respective national assemblies and participated in five-minute strike actions. Having declared the campaign launch a success, EFJ plans to hold a week of action in 2008.

Commentary

Despite still being in its infancy, the EFJ campaign aimed at protecting employment rights and professional standards is likely to become a major news item in the months to come. This is due to the fact that the campaign involves two criteria integral to the European Union – quality of employment and democracy. The European Commission has indicated its support for the campaign. The Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Ministers, Thomas Hammerberg, emphasised that there was a need to promote quality journalism.

Some evidence already exists that the EFJ campaign could be successful. In what has become a key precedent for the industry, the IFJ together with the German-based Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ) Media Group signed in July 2007 the first ever international framework agreement committed to promoting high standards and freedom of journalism – the Framework agreement on the defence and promotion of freedom of the press, quality journalism and good labour relations in companies of the WAZ Media Group (EU0710039I).

Michael Whittall, Technical University Munich