NUJ will fight to oppose privatisation of Channel 4
Séamus Dooley, says the proposed sell off of Channel 4 would be bad for employment in the sector, bad for journalism and bad for the UK.
Séamus Dooley, NUJ assistant general secretary, described the proposal by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries as "a wanton assault on a valued British institution disguised as a gift to the creative industry in the UK”. He said:
"Channel 4 has a proud history of creativity, imagination and innovation. The current funding model enables high quality journalism which is admired nationally and internationally – at no cost to the taxpayer.
“One has to question the motivation of replacing that model and leaving a public service broadcaster at the mercy of shareholder control. This would be an unforgivable act of cultural barbarism which demands a vigorous response from all who care about public service broadcasting and independent journalism.
“The government seems hell bent on putting Channel 4 on the market, hoping to secure support by promising to invest proceeds of the sale into the creative industry. Make no mistake. This is a wanton assault on a valued British institution disguised as a gift to the creative industry.
“Informed, authoritative journalism was never more important than today. One has only to look at Channel 4's coverage of Ukraine in the last 48 hours to appreciate the importance of quality, public interest journalism.
“Broadcasting policy should not be determined by an apparent obsession with competing with subscription models such as Netflix and Amazon on the part of the Culture Secretary.
"Does she really want to hand control of Channel 4 to foreign investors or some shady oligarchy with no commitment to the ethos which has been the cornerstone of public service broadcasting in the UK.
“There is no evidence to support her contention that the sale of Channel 4 would 'give Channel 4 the tools and freedom to flourish and thrive as a public service broadcaster long into the future'.
“What the Culture Secretary is proposing is to take away the tools which have allowed Channel 4 to flourish over 40 years, to thrive in the competitive marketplace of ideas. The proposed sell off of Channel 4 would be bad for employment in the sector, bad for journalism and bad for the United Kingdom.
“The NUJ will strongly oppose this dangerous move and will be seeking cross-party support for our campaign."
NUJ briefing on the privatisation of Channel 4