View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Media Law
July 24, 2008

NUJ takes police complaints to the Home Office

By Press Gazette

NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear is to meet with Home Office minister Tony McNulty to complain at the treatment of journalists and photographers by police.

Dear will tell the minister for police and security, with a responsibility for terrorism, of growing concerns over the monitoring and harassment of professional photographers. He will also raise the threat to the work of investigative journalists from terror legislation.

Shiv Malik was this month forced to hand over notes to a forthcoming book on terrorism after production order from Greater Manchester Police, made under the Terrorism Act 2000.

Dossier

Dear said: ‘We will be raising our concerns about the harassment of photographers, particularly those covering demonstrations and public order incidents.

‘We’ve an ever-growing dossier of complaints ranging from physical attacks to verbal assaults, from intimidating surveillance to confiscation of equipment and unwarranted denial of access and restrictions placed on photography in public places.

‘We want a clear commitment that the Home Office will reinforce the message to the police that journalists’ rights to carry out their work free from arbitrary restrictions, free from threats and intimidation must be respected.”

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

In 2006 the union negotiated guidelines on dealing with the media with the Metropolitan Police, the country’s largest force, which was adopted by the Association of Chief Police Officers in April last year.

The guidelines say officers must not impede photographers covering demonstrations or events of any kind but several photographers have complained of heavy-handed treatment in the past 12 months.

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network