NUJ URGES UK POLITICIANS TO STOP ATTACKING JOURNALISTS

Fri 19 March 2021:

The UK National Union of Journalists urged politicians and government ministers on Thursday to stop “traducing” journalists and media outlets and acting like “playground bullies,” following comments by Conservative lawmaker and leader of the House of Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg.

“It beggars belief that government ministers are smearing and impugning journalists in this way, indulging in outrageous behaviour that demeans them and the offices they hold,” NUJ general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said in a statement.

Addressing his regular ministerial question session on Thursday morning, Rees-Mogg accused HuffPost’s deputy political editor Arj Singh of being “either a knave or a fool” over a story about foreign secretary Dominic Raab.

NUJ’s statement also cited leaked Whatsapp messages last week in which health minister Matt Hancock described The Guardian newspaper as a “rag.” It also recalled that in January, the government’s equalities minister, Kemi Badenoch, turned to Twitter to accuse another HuffPost journalist of “creepy and bizarre” behavior.

“It’s not acceptable to dismiss reporting you don’t like as fake news.

It’s completely unacceptable to resort to insults and personal smears of journalists simply trying to get on with their job,” Stanistreed said.

The NUJ general secretary also noted that while Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other ministers have committed time and resources to tackle abuse and harassment of journalists, other cabinet members act like “playground bullies,” undermining the work of journalists, bringing their work into disrepute, and dishing out insults.

“It’s not acceptable to dismiss reporting you don’t like as fake news. It’s completely unacceptable to resort to insults and personal smears of journalists simply trying to get on with their job,” she stressed.

Reacting to Rees-Mogg’s remarks in Parliament, Labour lawmaker and shadow secretary for digital culture, media and sports, Jo Stevens, said that the Conservative politician should retract and apologize for his diatribe.

According to Stevens, the government is following a pattern of undermining the work of journalists who challenge them while claiming to support freedom of the press.