Conference crams two days into one
THE impact of the recession on Irish media organisations dominated the union’s Biennial Delegate Conference in Dublin on October 10.
Under the theme “Stronger Together: Standing Up for Journalism”, delegates debated the impact on freelances, described by Dublin freelance branch delegate Barbara Lindberg as the forgotten victims of the recession, as well as on staff journalists in all sectors.
The debate was put into sharp focus by the threatened closure of Ireland’s commercial radio news agency Independent Network News. Delegates gave a standing ovation to INN chapel representative Adam Ledwith and his colleagues as he told of the bitter disappointment they felt.
Journalists had learned of their impending redundancy on RTÉ lunchtime news. Adam Ledwith said: “As journalists we have long reported on disputes where unions say that management refuse meaningful negotiations. Well now we know what it means.”
In the light of the crisis, it was a slimmed down conference. Instead of the usual two-day event held out of Dublin, the 2009 conference took place over one day in the capital.
Reviewing a tough year, Irish Secretary Séamus Dooley hailed the stand taken by Suzanne Breen of the Sunday Tribune and by Irish Times journalists Geraldine Kennedy and Colm Keena on the protection of their sources as “sources of light and inspiration during a dark period”.