NEWS RELEASE

Release time: 19 February 2010

The Chartered Institute of Journalists (CIoJ) has written to Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and asked for the immediate release of film-maker and freelance journalist Paul Martin.

President of the CIoJ, Liz Justice said: “This was an unprecedented step against a foreign journalist who had properly requested papers to work in Gaza and was approved for a visa to work as a journalist in the country.

“To arrest someone who is willing to go to court to back up a colleague by explaining that they are working as professional journalists goes against everything the CIoJ supports. The freedom of the press to operate objectively and openly is vital to any democracy.”

The CIoJ has also pointed out that British journalists are working with their colleagues across the world to help identify the people responsible for the assassination of the Hamas leader Mahmoud al Mabhouh in Dubai.

“We have pointed out to the Prime Minister that Hamas also need to act responsibility in dealing with press freedoms in their own country. Specifically the International media is focusing on this murder, making it more likely that the perpetrators will be found and any Government behind such action will be deterred from operating that way in the future.

Martin was arrested as a suspect for “harming Gaza’s security” after he appeared at a military court to speak on behalf of Mohammed Abu Muailik. The two had been working together on a documentary about Gaza. Muailik was held in detention in June accused of collaborating with Israel.

Ends+

Notes for Editors:

Formed in 1884, the Chartered Institute of Journalists (CIoJ) is the world’s oldest established professional body for journalists, and a representative voice of media and communications professionals throughout the UK and the Commonwealth.

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The visit takes three and a half days, 20-23 June, 2010.  It starts with a Eurostar journey to Brussels in the afternoon of Sunday, 20 June.  Members will be fetched from their hotel at 8 a.m. on Monday, 21 June, for a day of talks, presentations and meetings at NATO.  On Tuesday, 22 June members visit the European Parliament, and then on Wednesday 23 June they will be taken down to SHAPE in Mons, southern Belgium.  They return straight to Brussels’ Midi Station in the afternoon, to catch the return Eurostar to London.

PLEASE NOTE THE DATES in your diaries.  Full details of the programme and costs will be announced nearer the time.

This is a visit not to be missed.  Journalists throughout the country will be wanting to come to hear about how these vital organisations are changing in the modern world.

Media law in a digital age

Suitable for:

Journalists who need to update their legal knowledge and improve the way they apply it in a digital age.

Duration:

One day – 28 January 2010.

Delivery:

Workshop style: short ‘lectures’, interspersed with discussion, questions and answers, problem solving exercises and practical exercises.

Outline:

• Your notes;

• Your sources;

• Defamation – message boards, UGC, blogs etc;

• Contempt of court – archives, ID;

• Privacy – words and photos;

• Data Protection Act;

• PCC code / Ofcom code;

• Twitter, Facebook and other social media;

• Copyright

Cost:  £100 non-members, £60 members

Course tutor:

The course will be delivered by Cleland Thom, Director, Potential.GB.com – http://www.potential.gb.com/website/about_us.php – who is an expert on media law.

To book:

To book your place on the course contact Head Office for more details and a booking form – 020 7252 1187, memberservices@cioj.co.uk .

DOWNLOAD a booking form here…

Former Institute Deputy General Secretary, Jim Paterson, has died aged 88.

Members of the Chartered Institute of Journalists remember with great fondness, the 17 years’ service that Jim Paterson gave to the organisation as its Deputy General Secretary.

Above all, he will be remembered for his loyalty and dedication to the IoJ and his sheer mental and physical energy at chapter meetings and annual conference, where his mantra of ‘recruit – recruit – recruit’ is still remembered today.

Jim’s commitment to fighting the closed shop during the 1970s played no small part in bringing about change to the law on union membership. Similarly, his diplomacy and sound advice when handling disputes won him admiration among his peers.

He was a human dynamo who was equally loved by members and staff for his strength, kindness and boundless good humour.

http://tweetvite.com/event/gagcarterruck

Writing for different media…

In this brave new world of multi-skilling and media convergence, the traditional demarcation lines between different fields of our profession have vanished.

Journalists are increasingly being asked to write copy for three different types of media – a newspaper or magazine, a website and a script for an online video or audio reports.

While the basic newsgathering and writing skills are the same, you need to tell your story in a slightly different way for each type of media.

This is how students on NCTJ pre-entry courses are now being taught to prepare them for their first jobs as journalists. The changes in the basic training have been led by demand from editors, who want trainees with a wide range of skills, some of which were, only recently, found only in specialists.

The Chartered Institute of Journalists is offering members a chance to get up-to-date with these changes at a one-day course run by NCTJ journalism lecturer Charlie Harris

The course will cover:

A refresher on essential newswriting skills

How those skills need to be adapted for

1) Covering breaking stories online

2) Pulling together news from numerous sources for the online round-up and the print edition

3) Paring the story to the basics for video or audio coverage

This will be done through a live exercise based on a major breaking story covered by the local newspaper which the course tutor used to edit.

COST: £60

Dates: 4th and 11th November 2009 – please indicate your preference when booking.

Venue: CIoJ Head Office, 2 Dock Offices, Surrey Quays Road, LONDON SE16 2XU

DOWNLOAD A BOOKING FORM HERE>>>

Your trainer…

Charlie Harris

The course will be led by Charlie Harris, a member of the Institute for more than 35 years. A past president of the Institute and former chairman of the NCTJ, Charlie worked for local newspapers across north London, SW Hertfordshire and South Bucks for 33 years, becoming editor of the Harrow Times Series, covering three London boroughs. Involved in editorial training since the mid-80s, he represented the Institute on the NCTJ for many years, and now teaches newswriting and public affairs on NCTJ-accredited courses at Brunel University in Uxbridge and at noSWeat Journalism Training in Clerkenwell. He is also an NCTJ-accredited examination and logbook marker, and helps run exam centres and serves on course accreditation panels for the council.

The Institute’s annual conference is the place for members to debate and discuss key issues affecting the media and the journalistic profession.

Come along and join the debate and help shape the Institute’s work over the coming 12 months.

Entry is FREE but for catering purposes please book your place by letting head office know that you will be attending.

The agenda for the day can be found here

IoJ (TU) accounts may be found here

Letter to the Editor;

Dear Sir,

The Chartered Institute of Journalists would like to congratulate you on your determined campaign to free Afghan journalist, Sayed Pervez Kambaksh.

As journalists we often walk a difficult path and this is more dangerous as we pursue our professional duty to expose corruption, illegal practices, human rights’ abuses and express our support for victims of oppression.

Sadly most people forget this when they judge journalists and the profession and we were delighted to see the Independent fighting to support journalists like Sayed Pervez Kambaksh.

Congratulations once again,

Dominic Cooper

General Secretary

Chartered Institute of Journalists, 2 Dock Offices

Surrey Quays Road, London SE16 2XU