The NUJ president, Michelle Stainstreet, has welcomed Independent News and Media’s chief operating officer Gavin O’Reilly’s speech on quality journalism.
O’Reilly delivered a keynote address at the Society of Editors conference in Manchester last night. When asked about pay for journalists in regional and local journalists, he said: “I see a future when journalists will be able to demand premium rates. It’s not all about cost – it’s about how you get quality journalism.”
Stanistreet said: “We could not have put it better ourselves. Quality journalism cannot be achieved without proper investment in journalism – and that means paying journalists an acceptable rate for the job. While we differ with Gavin O’Reilly’s strategy in relation to the future of editorial production on this point we are at one.
“We too see a future where journalists are properly paid, in both the regional and national media. And we in the NUJ will ensure that Gavin and his colleagues will not have too wait too long.
“We hope that through the World Association of Newspapers Gavin will work at international level to improve the pay and conditions of journalists everywhere”
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