NUJ slams BBC Trust rejection of local plans while regionals celebrate

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The NUJ has slammed the BBC Trust's rejection of BBC local plans, while regional groups celebrated the decision. As reported by Journalism.co.uk , the BBC Trust today refused plans to create a network of 65 local online video news services, at a cost of £68 million.

The rejection of plans by the BBC Trust for investment in local journalism is 'a missed opportunity to enhance local media', the National Union of Journalists has said in a statement released immediately after the announcement was made.

"This decision is a missed opportunity to improve local news for communities around the country," said Jeremy Dear, NUJ General Secretary.

"Local papers are closing and job cuts mean thousands of journalists don't have the time to do their jobs properly anymore. ITV is withdrawing from its regional and local news commitments.

"Against a significant decline in local journalism, here was an opportunity to take a small step in the opposite direction by actually enhancing local news provision," he said in the release.

"The BBC made commitments to invest in local and regional news services. We expect the corporation to stick to its promises and ensure that other news services now benefit from this investment.

"Newspaper employers have spent years taking huge profits out of local media whilst cutting jobs. Now they have helped stop new jobs being created because they said such competition would stifle their investment.

"Now is the time for them to put their money where their mouth is and invest more in local journalism - in jobs, in training and in resources for hard-pressed newsroom," Dear said.

Meanwhile, regional newspaper groups welcomed the decision from the BBC Trust.

"All I can say is that it is welcome news and the Trust have made a very sensible decision," said Roger Green, managing director of Newsquest Digital Media.

"They [the BBC] are totally irrelevant to local audience needs," he added.

" Three Counties Radio says it all," he said, explaining that this type of coverage illustrated the BBC's approach to local news.

It's been a 'distraction' for those involved at regional newspapers, he said. "A lot of time wasted, lobbying and in meetings," he added.

"It is a sensible decision and now we can get back to doing what we do," Green said.

CEO of Johnston Press, Tim Bowdler, is 'delighted,' with the news, he told Journalism.co.uk. "But we're not complacent: we have to continue developing audio and visual services and be focused," he said.

Bowdler was not surprised by the NUJ decision and said that he hasn't found the union at all 'mutual' with the regional press in its goals.

Echoing this, Christian Dunn, digital editor of NWN media, which publishes the Evening Leader, said he is 'not quite sure where the NUJ are coming from arguing in favour of the plans.'

"This is a bit of good news for the regional press at a very bleak time for the industry," he said. "BBC's plans could have been the final nail in the coffin for many struggling local newspapers.

"Yes, the BBC's proposals would have created some more journalism posts, but this would have been at the expense of jobs on the local paper – and not just journalists' jobs: advertising reps, designers and all the other roles involved in the regional press would be affected," Dunn added.

"It would be great to think that both BBC jobs and regional press jobs could flourish, but I think believing in this would be a little naïve," he said.

The Newspaper Society, which used lawyers to call for suspension of the market impact and public value tests, and question BBC Trust and Ofcom's actions, has expressed its pleasure at the Trust's refusal of plans.

"This is a proposal which the BBC should never have made and would have severely reduced consumers' media choice and the rich tapestry of local news and information provision in the UK," said David Newell, director of the Newspaper Society.

"We will be seeking an urgent meeting with the Secretary of State to discuss the future roles of the BBC, BBC Trust and Ofcom and the current challenges facing regional and local media. We must be on our guard to ensure that the BBC is not allowed to expand its local services by alternative means," he said in a release issued after the Trust's announcement.