Union Backs NI Media Over Riot Tapes

The broadcast union, BECTU is throwing its weight behind an appeal to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to adopt a more 'responsible approach' to applications for access to media footage.
The appeal comes in a letter from Michael Wilson, Managing Director of UTV Television on behalf UTV, BBC Northern Ireland, the Belfast Telegraph, the Irish News, the News Letter, the Press Association and Sky News.
The letter expresses profound concern at the "increased use of indiscriminate applications for production orders against media organisations under the Police and Criminal Evidence (NI) Order 1989".
The media organisations represented, supported by BECTU and the journalists' union, the NUJ, believe that the police's current practice is endangering the safety of staff involved in newsgathering because it could encourage 'terrorists and rioters' to see media workers as 'evidence gatherers for the State'.
Michael Wilson writes: "It is our responsibility to ensure the safety of our staff. We owe them a duty of care, especially when they are covering civil disturbances, and we must always bear that in mind when determining whether to deploy staff to cover a particular event.
"It is also incumbent upon the PSNI to ensure that its actions do nothing to increase the risk placed on our staff.
"The broadcasters challenge the PSNI to do nothing which would infringe the rights of newsgathers to report the news.
"In addition the PSNI is encouraged, where it believes an application for a production order is necessary, to limit this 'to what is necessary and proportionate in the circumstances' and should not be a wide-ranging request seeking many hours of footage from a number of media organisations, which is akin to a fishing expedition."
Gerry Morrissey, BECTU General Secretary, said: "BECTU represents staff and freelances working for all of the major broadcasters in Northern Ireland and we are pleased to support this appeal for a more considered approach to applications to view media footage.
"Television crews provide a vital service to the public; it is essential that we all work together to maximise their safety," he said.
(BMcN/BMcC)