Sale of Celtic Media ‘is not a done deal’THE decision of Communications Minister Denis Naughten, to ask the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland to conduct a full examination into the acquisition of the Celtic Media newspaper group by INM Plc has been welcomed by the NUJ.

The Consumer Protection and Competition Commission had ruled that there was no grounds

for the commission not to allow the share transfer.However the Minister has ordered the

investigation under Section 28E of the Competition Act 2002, to allow for submissions on a wide range of grounds including threats to media diversity, an issue not considered by the commission.

Irish Secretary Séamus Dooley confirmed that the NUJ will be making “a detailed submission”.

INDO TOLD: HANDS OFF OUR PENSIONS!

Members of the Independent Newspapers (Ireland) pension scheme pictured at a protest outside the EGM of INM plc where the NUJ, supported by SIPTU and the ICTU, opposed the unilateral changes to their pensions. Photo: Maxwell Photography. See story inside.

THE IRISH JOURNALISTNewsletter of the National Union of Journalists in Ireland February 2017

(from page 1)He said: “The deadline for submissions is

February 14th and we are consulting members of our paper. We also want the Oireachtas committee on Communications to hold pubic meetings before making its submission to the BAI.

The transfer is not “a done deal” and the public also has an opportunity to oppose a further erosion of media diversity in Ireland.”

Mr Naughten is also to establish a panel of experts to advise on the application. This is the first time that the minister has used powers contained in the Competition Act introduced by his predecessor Alex White.

The NUJ will highlight the centralised news structure within INM, the company’s record in corporate governance and industrial relations, including the recent attack on the Independent Newspapers Ireland defined benefit pension scheme while the submission will also focus on the dominant ro le p layed by INM’s major i ty shareholder Denis O’Brien.

Following completion of the examination, the BAI will furnish a report to Mr Naughten, who has the ultimate power to sanction the share transfer.

Given the timescale set out in the legislation it will be June 2017 before such a transfer could take place.

MAEVE’S WISE WORDS!

Irish authors Bernard Shaw, Brendan Behan and Maeve Binchy are among a select group of members whose work is celebrated in the newly renovated Headland House. Maeve, a former teacher, began her journalistic career at The Irish Times and like her husband Gordon Snell was a life member of the NUJ. The featured quotes reflect the rich diversity of the union’s history: Picture: NUJ.

Anything to add? The Irish Journalist needs a regular supply of articles, photos and news

snippets. Please email irishjournalist@nuj.ie with your contributions and ideas.

Acquisition of Celtic Media to be probed by BAI

Workloads causing stressNew Irish Organiser determined to secure pay restorationBy Bernie Ní FhlathartaFewer journalists doing more work for less pay is one of the biggest issues facing members, especially in the regions.

But Ian McGuinness, the NUJ’s newly appointed Irish Organiser, is determined to help chapels secure pay restoration.

He acknowledges that pay freezes and the extra workload brought about by staff reductions and employers’ push for more online presence has led to high stress levels among members.

“This has to stop. The best way to fight back is to organise yourselves into a chapel or seek assistance from branch or IEC and NEC representatives. While officials will do everything they can to assist our members, the best results on these and all other issues are achieved when we have chapels and activists on the ground. Without them we can't do our job effectively as officials,” Ian advises.

Ian, who has worked for the NUJ as Assistant Irish Organiser for the past eight years, hopes more people will join and that existing members will get more active in their chapels.

“The greatest strength of any union is the members, who have industrial power. When they are collectively organised, led by activists (with the assistance of officials where necessary) the NUJ can deliver positive results. Mothers and Fathers of the Chapel are the core of the NUJ. However, given that so many workplaces don't have chapels we need branch, IEC and NEC activists to help get them up and running and keep them operating, as well as helping isolated individual members. 

“On the issue of freelances, hopefully legislation will allow us this year to begin collectively representing our freelance members again, which we have been precluded from doing for well over a decade. Freelance budgets were the first to be cut during the economic downturn and our members in this category have suffered immensely. 

“On a separate but related-matter, the casualisation of the workforce is a major concern. In order to save money, companies are forcing what are effectively employees, to become self-employed on paper by issuing them bogus contracts for services, while simultaneously

grabbing the journalist's copyright, which freelances would normally retain.

“I call these 'false freelance contracts' because they are an invention of the employer, result in the journalist being almost totally controlled by the employer, and our members frequently end up with little or no freedom to work elsewhere or sell their photos/stories/services to another company. “Some companies are also abusing casual and fixed term contracts in order to prevent journalists from attaining employment rights — and to save their businesses a few euros. Every aspect of casualisation of the workforce must be challenged at every opportunity.”

Ian advises anyone with a problem at work, whether an employee or as a freelance journalist, to try to resolve the matter informally with the relevant members of management concerned. 

“If this isn't possible then ask for assistance from the chapel MOC or FOC. If there is no chapel, or if the chapel can't resolve the matter locally and/or informally, then seek the assistance of your branch committee or an IEC/NEC member.

“At any stage our members and activists can contact the Irish office for assistance from an official. If the matter is very sensitive then the member may feel they need to go straight to an official in the Irish office.

“We deal with a lot of personal cases in the Irish office but we value our representatives at every level of the union. As I said before, without them the officials can't do their jobs effectively.”

Ian helped to re-establish the NUJ chapel in the Irish Medical Times/MIMS Ireland in 2002 and was FOC there until he left in January 2009. He has since negotiated house agreements, pay raises, miscellaneous collective agreements and represented individuals with the help of the Irish Office.

Ian McGuinness: organisation is key.

Significant progress is made in house agreement talks at Celtic Media

Labour Court

to rule on low pay at Landmark

Online staff employed at BreakingNews.ie and The Irish Examiner are being forced to go to the Labour Court to try to get a pay rise.

Most staff who work solely online for the two web sites are paid just €23,000. They are seeking parity with Evening Echo journalists, whose lowest paid level is €28,000.

However, the company refused to increase their pay by anything in talks, which were attended by reps from the two websites, the Irish Examiner/Evening Echo and the NUJ Irish Organiser.

The matter was therefore referred to the Workplace Relations Commission for conciliation but the company maintained its intransigent stance, despite the fact that the number of staff who would benefit from the pay rise is in single figures.

The members have decided they would like the issue, along with a number of other related matters, referred to the Labour Court for a recommendation.

Meanwhile, the union succeeded in getting online staff at both web sites contracts of indefinite duration, commonly referred to as 'permanent contracts'.

House Agreement talks have restarted with Celtic Media management and a written guarantee has been given about journalists' terms and conditions if the proposed acquisition of its newspapers by Independent News and Media goes ahead.

The breakthrough follows conc i l i a t i on t a l ks a t t he W o r k p l a c e R e l a t i o n s Commission in December. The NUJ referred these matters, along with a pay restoration c la im, to the WRC af ter management failed to engage in talks. It claimed that given the proposed merger was under consideration by third parties, it couldn't proceed with signing off on a house agreement, which was largely negotiated.

However, apart from the house agreement, the NUJ also submitted a pay claim for pay restoration of 5% at the Meath C h r o n i c l e , W e s t m e a t h E x a m i n e r , W e s t m e a t h Independent and Anglo-Celt and 17.5% at the Connaught Telegraph.

Meanwhile, when it was announced that INM wanted to acquire the newspapers by share transfer, which does not guarantee terms and conditions of employment under transfer of undertakings legislation, the NUJ sought a written guarantee of its members future terms of employment.

Following the WRC meeting w i t h C e l t i c M e d i a , i t s management provided the written guarantee the NUJ wanted and has re-engaged on

the house ag reement . A separate process is underway regarding the pay restoration claim.

NUJ Irish Organiser Ian McGuinness welcomed Celtic Media's active re-engagement: "Our members will feel more reassured now that we have received a written guarantee on t h e i r f u t u r e t e r m s a n d conditions, which was provided to the WRC and the union.

“On the house agreement, while there are a number of outstanding issues to be resolved, we are happy the company has actively re-engaged and welcome its decision to do so. The NUJ also thanks the WRC for the pivotal role it played in breaking the impasse."

The Irish Organiser also noted the pivotal role played by the chapels: "Without the five chapels at the newspapers, their co-operation with one another, and the hard work by FOCs; none of this progress would be possible.

“The strength of the NUJ lies in our members and their determination to collectively organise and take a stand for one another. This is a lesson to all members in workplaces — chapels work and are the best means o f de fend ing and building on your terms and conditions and those of your colleagues.

“If you don't have a chapel in your workplace, form one now. If you need help in doing so just phone the Irish Office on 01 8170340."

Pressure mounts for reformTHE decision by INM Plc to close Independent Newspapers (Ireland) defined benefit pension scheme has accelerated the campaign for reform of Ireland’s pensions law. 

Labour’s Willie Penrose has just published a bill aimed at protecting and defending the pension rights of thousands of workers in defined benefit schemes.

The Pensions (Amendment) Bill 2017 would apply specifically in incidences when a defined benefit scheme is being wound up and/ or the employer remains solvent.

INM’s move put into sharp focus the difference between law in Ireland and the UK, where solvent schemes cannot force the closure of schemes.

In December Senator Alice Mary Higgins led an attempt to amend the Social Welfare Bill to bring the

Irish law in line with the UK. Lobbying by the NUJ and SIPTU led to cross-party support for the measure.  It was ruled out on procedural grounds but not before senators strongly criticised INM’s stand.

In the run up to the debate Fianna Fáil leader Michael Martin and Social Protection spokesperson Willie O’Dea assured Séamus Dooley, Irish Secretary of his party’s support, a crucial commitment given the arithmetic in the Dáil.  Support has also been forthcoming from Sinn Féin and the Social Democrats.

ICTU General Secretary Patricia King and Séamus Dooley have also been engaged in negotiations with the Department of Social Protection. “While Minister Leo Varadkar has been sympathetic we have encountered a marked resistance to commit to legislation at this stage. With cross-party support the government will be forced to bite the bullet on this,” he said.

Protests stymie Indo pensions wind upStrong trade union protests and a forceful stand by trustees have prevented the immediate wind up of the Independent Newspapers (Ireland) defined benefit pension scheme.

Without consulting either the scheme trustees, workers or unions the company wrote to deferred members in December advising that the scheme would be wound up. The move breached funding agreements reached with the then Pensions Board in 2013 and provoked outrage.

NUJ and SIPTU members protested at the INM EGM in Dublin’s Alexander Hotel. Dublin branch chair Martin Fitzpatrick launched a blistering attack on the company.

“What on earth has happened to this company? Is there no morality left?” he asked INM chair Leslie Buckley, who

struggled to prevent NUJ members speakers on the issue.

ICTU General Secretary Patricia King told protestors that the move by a highly profitable company represented “a new low for corporate Ireland”.

S é a m u s D o o l e y , I r i s h Secretary told shareholders that the closure would be a breach of an exist ing agreement reached under Section 50 of the Pensions Act and would mean that deferred pensions would sustain a loss of 70% on their a n t i c i p a t e d p e n s i o n . N o

information has been provided to members on the transfer value of their pension to the defined contribution scheme.

SIPTU and the NUJ have met the scheme trustees who are taking legal advice on the decision of the company to unilaterally withdraw funding for the scheme.

“There have been other scheme closures, what sets this apart is the manner in which a solvent company has set about winding up a scheme” Dooley told a meeting of the NEC in London a few weeks ago.

Assistant General Secretary, Séamus Dooley making his point flanked by Martin Fitzpatrick, NUJ member and Irish Independent retiree, Rachel Ryan, Legal Rights Unit of SIPTU, Patricia King, ICTU General Secretary, and Denis Hynes, Industrial Officer with SIPTU.

Man who shaped union also made his mark as a broadcasterEddie Barrett, who died at his home in London recently, was one of the most influential figures in the history of the NUJ, during a professional career spanning broadcasting, print journalism and public relations in two countries. He helped shape the union and played a key role in defending press freedom.

Eddie began his working life as a reporter in The Irish Times in 1965, following graduation from the fledgling journalism course at the College of Commerce, Rathmines.

He was made a member of honour in 2014 along with a former Irish Times colleague Mary Maher.

Mary recalls Eddie’s arrival as a new recruit: “I remember the first day Eddie Barrett walked into the Irish Times news room. He looked like a good-natured teen-ager, easy going, witty, full of fun.....by the end of his first week it was clear that he was also passionate about the importance of journalism and committed to the politics of the trade union movement”.

After The Irish Times he joined RTÉ and made an immediate impact. The RTÉ archives give a valuable insight into his skills as a consummate reporter.

Eddie was a fearless reporter. As a trade unionist he was also fearless, as then president Barry McCall recalled during the member of

honour presentation. He played a key role in the development of Dublin broadcasting branch and the RTÉ Group of Unions.  As branch chair he led opposition to Section 31 of the Broadcasting Act.

When RTÉ management decided that Eddie Barrett could not quote direct evidence of Rose Dugdale as a defendant in a criminal trial he refused to cover the trial and after a week-long standoff RTÉ accepted that Section 31 did not apply to court reporting. 

He worked tirelessly alongside Irish Secretary Jim Eadie in organising branches and chapels, as a member of the Irish Area Council and the then Republic of Ireland Industrial Council.

In 1983 Eddie became the first member from outside of the Dublin Newspapers Branch to represent the Republic of Ireland on the NEC. 

He was elected vice-president the following year and in 1982 became president – only the second member representing the Republic of Ireland to do so.

Eddie emigrated to England 30 years ago and after a brief career in broadcasting was appointed Communications Director of the T&G.  He went on to serve as a consult to many trade unions and NGOs.

In a varied career Eddie’s commitment to the NUJ, reflected in membership of SOC, the Appeals Tribunal and even as Acting Editor of the Journalist, was constant.

So too was his commitment to the principles of socialism. James Larkin was a hero and he admired Larkin’s unvarnished gospel of social justice and equality. 

Eddie had many gifts. He will be missed for his wisdom, his strategic insights, his unfailing optimism and good humour but above all for his generosity of spirit.

To his family, comrades and friends sincere sympathy.

— Séamus Dooley 

Eddie Barrett, left, and John Kelly, right, lead the NUJ delegation at the Dublin Council of Trade Unions tax march in 1979. Pic: NUJ file.

Eddie Barrett, centre, at the Larkin Hedge School in 2013 with Manus O’Riordan, right, and former NUJ colleague Padraig Yeats, right. Pic: NUJ

Bill marks breakthrough for freelance workers

A Bill to restore rights to freelance workers to be collectively represented on pay and conditions by a trade union was passed in Seanad Éireann.

Members of the Irish Executive Council of the NUJ attended the debate in the Seanad, where Senators considered amendments tabled by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mary Mitchell O’Connor.

Senator Ivana Bacik received cross party support for her Competition (Amendment) Bill, which exempts categories of workers and their trade unions from the provisions of a law which seeks to control price fixing.

The former Competition Authority, now the Consumer P ro tec t ion and Compet i t i on Commission, has interpreted trade union bargaining and even the publishing of minimum freelance rates by unions such as the NUJ and SIPTU, as a form of price fixing.

The Bill now goes to Dáil Éireann, where it is expected to receive all party backing.

IEC Cathaoirleach Gerry Carson and the Irish

Organiser Ian McGuinness led the NUJ delegation in the chamber. They were joined by SIPTU colleagues who have worked closely with the NUJ and the ICTU in a long campaign for reform of competition law.

Gerry Carson said: "This is an important step on the legislative journey towards restoring fundamental rights to freelance journalists.  

“We want to acknowledge the support of all senators but, in particular, Senator Ivana Bacik and Senator Ged Nash.

“The NUJ has been heartened by the support from the minister. We acknowledge the contribution of Deputy Mitchell O'Connor and the Attorney General in bringing about a legislative framework which finally addresses this major injustice to freelance workers in our industry."

Ian McGuinness added:   “Freelance journalists face many challenges.   In representing our freelance members we have had to deal with a legal barrier which will be removed when this Bill is enacted.  Competition law should not be used against workers and we look forward to the enactment of the Bill in the near future" .

Senator Ivana Bacik outside Leinster House with NUJ Irish Executive Cathaoirleach, Gerry Carson, and NUJ members from left, Bernie Ní Fhlatharta, Kieran Fagan, Ronan Brady, Ian McGuinness, Irish Organiser, Jim Aughney, Gerry Curran, Mary Maher and Gerard Cunningham.

End of an era in the South East as Paddy brings down the shutter on his careerBy David Looby

AFTER 24 years clicking and processing tens of thousands of photographs in black and white and in colour for the New Ross Standard newspaper in County Wexford, Paddy Delaney retired in late September.

The first photographs Paddy took for the newspaper in September 1992 were developed in a darkroom at his brother Edno’s house in New Ross and although digital advances meant the process through which his beloved photographs came to the page changed, his passion for the job remained undimmed.

Paddy’s grandfather William Kielthy was a photographer and it was always in his blood, with his two older brothers Willie and Edno specialising in wildlife photography.

A father of seven – namely Deborah, Audrey, Kirk, Jason, Yvonne, Patrick and Shane – Paddy is married to Frances.

Sitting cross-legged in the Standard office, Paddy reca l led the days o f process ing photographs in a darkroom. "It was very painstaking and time consuming and the smell of the chemicals was dire," he said.

"I used to come out of the darkroom with red eyes. Digital has changed all that. When I got my first digital camera I had a day to get used to it. It’s simple now to get photographs ready but it is very time consuming."

He said taking the photographs is the easiest part of the process.

"It’s the captions that take time so some nights I finished at 2.00am and I started early in the mornings, sometimes at 6.00."

Paddy knows every back road and byway in the county and over the years he has driven tens of thousands of miles and taken tens of thousands of photographs.

He said: "I had a massive area to cover stretching from South Kilkenny to Enniscorthy over to Adamstown and down to the Hook. I got great

satisfaction from my work appearing in print in the New Ross Standard, the Wexford People and the Enniscorthy and Gorey Guardians. I will miss being part of the photography team and I always got on very well with the other photographers. I want to thank the management also who I always got on with."

For 24 years Paddy captured moments of joy and sadness in the lives of people across the county. Providing seven days a week cover, he only missed one day due to a serious incident on his way to a job.

He said: "When I started I supplied around 12 photographs per week to the Standard and this September for the First Day at School I supplied 156 photographs. Usually I supplied around 80. The most important events for me were dealing with the public all over the areas who volunteered their time to raise money for various fundraising organisations and charities. I will miss meeting these people who give up their time in villages and towns across the district to raise money for worthy causes. Great praise should go to all of these volunteers."

During his time behind the lens for the Standard, Paddy worked hand in glove with eight reporters, the late Larry Larkin, Damien Tiernan, Michael Ryan, Ian McClure, Aishling Donnelly, Conor Cullen, Elaine Furlong and David Looby, providing them with plenty of tip-offs on stories and as he

Paddy Delaney: photography in his blood.

said himself, "setting them straight if they ever put a foot wrong".

Paddy said he always enjoyed his work even if at times it meant that he couldn’t attend family occasions.

He said: "I would like to thank Frances and my children for their understanding of the extent of my job and for accepting the fact that I couldn’t attend family occasions. I loved the work but some people thought I was waiting on the other end of the landline or the mobile for them to call for a last minute booking."

One aspect of the work that never sat well with Paddy was covering tragic scenes knowing that grieving families were affected. He said: "There are people behind every story and you always have to think of them. I want to thank the emergency services, the firemen and Gardaí for their cooperation. They had a job to do and they also understood that I had a job to do."

One of the highlights of his career was attending the senior citizens’ Christmas parties. "I loved going to them because you could go out there and have the craic with them and they always appreciated getting their photo into the paper."

He also loved covering human interest stories, especially stories where there was a positive outcome, be it for a local child trying to get medical attention for a debilitating illness or someone who was fighting for their rights. "I really got satisfaction when there was a proper result for them."

Paddy earned the nickname Paddy Snaps and he was known to young and old for his quick remarks and friendly banter.

He would often respond to requests from people to make them good looking in the paper that he was a photographer and not a magician.

Specialising in spontaneous photographs, Paddy loved catching people unawares through the long lens.

"Most photographs are set up, but I loved taking photos at field days with a long lens because people were unaware of the camera

and children, in particular, were completely unselfconscious unlike adults who are more self-conscious."

Paddy’s only regret is that every photograph he took couldn’t make it to print.

Paddy, who turns 66 on March 1, plans to continue taking some photographs from time to time for the New Ross Standard and to follow his brothers into wildlife photography.

"Edno is an All-Ireland winning wildlife photographer and Willie is also an excellent photographer. I’m also looking forward to playing plenty of golf and to having a life and spending time with my grandchildren, wife and children."

Wishing Paddy well in the future, Jim Hayes, Editor, said  he "will be missed".

"I would like to thank Paddy for the huge contribution he has made to the pages of the New Ross Standard and our other titles in county Wexford.

"For over two decades his pictures have been a window to life in local communities in New Ross and beyond."

Irish Secretary Séamus Dooley will take up the role of Acting General Secretary in March.Séamus, currently Assistant General Secretary, will take the No 1 spot in the NUJ while Michelle Stanistreet is on maternity leave.

He will continue as Irish Secretary, working between Dublin and London. IEC Cathaoirleach Gerry Carson extended best wishes to Michelle and her partner Tim and assured the Irish Secretary of support in his new role.

Speaking at a meeting of the general purposes committee of the IEC, Séamus noted that Michelle was probably the first trade union GS in the UK and Ireland to qualify for maternity leave, a reflection on the small number of women at the top.

New role for Séamus Dooley at union HQ

Paddy plans to follow his brothers into wildlife photography.

The time has come for libel reform, says NUJ submission

The NUJ has called for the repeal of Ireland’s libel laws. The call comes in a detailed submission to the review ordered by Justice M i n i s t e r , F r a n c e s Fitzgerald.

I r ish Secretary Séamus Dooley said that while the c u r r e n t D e f a m a t i o n A c t , introduced in 2009, was a significant advance it continues to have a chilling effect on freedom of expression.

The NUJ recognises the need of those who have had their reputation wrongly damaged to have legal redress, he says.

The current law stifles free expression while imposing excessive costs on plaintiffs.

The NUJ's Irish executive council has broken ranks with media owners by calling for the retention of juries in defamation trials. 

Among the NUJ proposals is the introduction of a “serious harm test” threshold, similar to that as introduced by the UK in its Defamation Act 2013.

T h i s A c t s p e c i fi c a l l y introduced an obligation for a claimant to show that the publication resulted in serious harm in order to succeed in a defamation action.  

The tes t would prov ide protection against; (a) the issue of defamation actions with little merit but issued to intimidate a publisher in an attempt to prevent future publication about an individual or a particular topic) and, (b) the use of this jurisdiction as a haven for libel tourism.

Séamus Dooley stressed that the review could not be viewed in isolation from the union’s

overall approach to press freedom, saying:

"The current defamation r e g i m e c a n r e s u l t i n exceptionally high penalties, fines which could endanger the ve ry ex i s tence o f med ia organisations. The law, by definition, is open to the rich and powerful.

“In Ireland our focus has been to campaign for libel reform coupled with the development o f a r o b u s t s y s t e m o f independent press regulation

“Our experience is that those wronged by the press are not out to make a quick buck but

want an efficient, fair and affordable system of redress.

"Ireland’s blasphemy law is predicated on an outmoded constitutional provision which should be amended. While there have been no convictions under the law of blasphemy it has no place in a modern democracy.”

The submission was drafted by Séamus Dooley and Prof Michael Foley,   Ethics Council member, and the union retained Andrea Mart in and Sarah Kieran, Media Law solicitors, Dublin as consultants, and is available on www.nuj.org.uk

Séamus Dooley: chilling effect.

PSNI record communications All communications between the media and senior officers of the PSNI will be recorded and made public, in line with recommendations of the Leveson Inquiry. This policy came into force on February 1.

DIT honour for FoleyETHICS Council member and long time activist Dr Michael Foley has been named Professor Emeritus of Journalism at Dublin Institute of Technology.The former head of the School of Journalism at DIT co-wrote the recent NUJ submission on libel reform. Michael has served at chapel, branch, IEC and NEC level within the union.

Charmers & ChancersLIFE member Hugh Oram recently published his latest book — his 77tth publication. Charmers & Chancers is about many of the famous and infamous people Hugh has met and often interviewed during his long career as a freelance writer and media historian based in Dublin.The book is published by Trafford Publishing.

Death of veteran union member Austin HunterHis friends in the NUJ and wider media circles in Northern Ireland were shocked to learn of the death of veteran union member Austin Hunter.

The County Tyrone man was widely recognised as a journalist of exceptional ability and was noted for

his encouragement to young journalists entering the profession.

Austin (64), a life member and former treasurer of the Northern Ireland Broadcasting Branch, died after a road traffic collision in Bahrain in December.

In a career spanning 45 years Austin worked as a print journalist, BBC broadcaster and public affairs consultant. He served as Editor of The Newsletter

Freelancers shown how to make technology their friendFreelance members who attended the Freelance Forum in Dublin enjoyed a very hands on practical session on how they can use technology.

Mobile journalism was the theme of producer and trainer, Aileen O’Meara’s session where she demonstrated how to shoot, edit and trim a video on a smartphone. That session was prefaced by RTE head of innovation Glen Mulcahy, who outlined the latest MoJo trends.

NUJ President Tim Dawson addressed the gathering on freelancing in the 21st century.

Speakers also included journalists Steven O'Rourke and Cóilín Duffy on breaking into sports journalism. Editors Roslyn Dee (Irish Daily Mail) and Esther McCarthy (Irish Examiner) spoke about pitching to commissioning editors.

The Freelance Forum is a twice-yearly one day event designed to keep freelance journalists up to date with the latest developments in their industry.

Aimed at writers and photographers, it also covers print, broadcast and online journalism and is organised by Dublin Freelance NUJ Branch, with support from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.

It is not restricted to members of the Dublin Freelance branch but is open to freelancers throughout Ireland.

The next Freelance Forum will take place this Spring. Check http://dublinfreelance.org for details.

Ronan Leonard, Stephen Bourke and Mary Caulfield at the Freelance Forum in Buswells.