Comments on: Outrage at Police plan to issue their own press card

By: Jess Hurd

Jess Hurd — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 20:36:49 +0000

Murray have you managed to sidle up Downing Street yet?

By: MURRAY

MURRAY — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:43:23 +0000

Many of us have done very well indeed over the past few years without any sort of ‘press card’ at all. Discretion has always been the better part of valour and I have found that by simply pretending to be a curious bystander, people tell me things and give me vantage points. I have seen and heard journalists and photographers with heavy equipment/motor drives/flash and telephoto lenses slung around their necks given the cold shoulder by people watching an incident. I keep a Leica and a couple of lenses in an old army jacket pocket and blend in with the crowd. No wonder the protesters and police completely ignore me. Press card on a lanyard around my neck? No thank you!

By: Alex Ekins

Alex Ekins — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 22:36:37 +0000

In reply to David Simms:

You don’t have to get a press card from the NUJ.
Both The CIoJ and the BPPA issue press cards as well as offering a variety of outstanding additional services.
I agree with you concerning the NUJ statement concerning the EDL so just join the CIoJ or the BPPA. I can’t imagine any reason why you wouldn’t .
Cheers
Alex Ekins

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 22:00:33 +0000

The fact that ANYBODY (press or not) can legally take pictures of anything in a public area or on a public highway seems to have escaped their attention. Don’t think that the police have a right to issue badges. Making up new laws and regulations again.

By: EDL Leicester 09/10/10 – Link dump of articles, video and images from today. « Durrson

Sat, 09 Oct 2010 16:27:02 +0000

[...] http://londonphotographers.org/2010/10/outrage-police-plan-issue-press- [...]

By: Marc Vallée » Blog Archive » The EDL, Police & a Press Card

Marc Vallée » Blog Archive » The EDL, Police & a Press Card — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 10:45:33 +0000

[...] “Outrage at Police plan to issue their own press card” – londonphotographers.org [...]

By: Hullablue

Hullablue — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 20:54:50 +0000

The NUJ asking memebers to ignore impartiality has caused a lot of the anti-journo feeling. I despise and oppose the EDL, and I am a member of the NUJ, but my first obligation is not to the NUJ and not to my perosnal opinions, but to balance and truth.
Why say ‘NUJ members seek to publish and broadcast materials exposing the myths and lies of racist organisations like the EDL’ insted of ‘NUJ members seek to publish and broadcast materials exposing the myths and lies of any organisation’

By: Leah Borromeo

Leah Borromeo — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 18:48:01 +0000

I suggest we refuse to acknowledge police who fail to carry identification provided by journalists to prove who is a legitimate officer and who is just there for the jolly.

What a magnificent way of distracting from the actual story people are going to Leicester to cover.

By: Jess Hurd

Jess Hurd — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 18:07:20 +0000

Andrew I think that is the Leicestershire police backtracking. Apparently they haven’t even made the cards/badges yet. Someone is going to be up late with card and double sided sticky tape..

By: Stefan Paetow

Stefan Paetow — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 17:57:09 +0000

You do not need to join the NUJ to receive a press card. If you are a bona fide journalist, you can join any of the organisations who issue press cards, some of which may not be as… well-known as the NUJ.

That said, unfortunately we had a very similar discussion recently about the UK Press Card where it appears some police forces are not aware of the press card (or perhaps feign ignorance because they can’t be bothered), but the UK Press Card was designed in response to issues like this one.

The guy with the UK Press Card will most likely be a bona fide journalist because not every Tom, Dick & Harry can get one.

Regards

Stefan Paetow, MCIJ