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Section: The NUJ's Role in the PR & Communications Industry
NUJ Public Relations Industrial Council | |
 | |
| Founded | 1999 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Headland House, 72 Acton Street, London, WC1X 8DP |
| Location |
|
Members |  693 (2022) [1] |
Key people | Natasha Hirst, President Laura Davidson, General Secretary (elect) |
| Affiliations | IFJ, TUC, STUC, ICTU, TUCG, NSSN, FEU NUJ |
| Website | nujprcbranch |
Introduction: The NUJ Public Relations & Communications Industrial Council plays a critical role in advocating for PR and communications professionals, ensuring their voices are heard and their rights protected. The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) is a significant trade union representing journalists and media professionals in the United Kingdom and Ireland. With a storied history dating back to 1907, it now boasts over 30,000 members across various media sectors, making it one of the largest independent journalists' unions globally. The Public Relations & Communications Industrial Council (PRCIC) and Branch (PRC Branch) is a significant development in the NUJ's work as a union, and the place of public relations and the communications industry within the Trades Union Movement.
Advocacy and Support
The NUJ provides extensive support to its members through legal, industrial, and emotional assistance, especially during challenging times. This support ensures that PR and communications professionals can focus on their work without undue stress (Source: nuj.org.uk). It also works closely with an independent charity which administers a benevolent fund (NUJ Extra) to support members who are in need and facing hardship.
The branch actively engages with various councils, such as the Black Members Council and Broadcast Industrial Council, to address industry-specific concerns and promote diversity within the field. It has increasingly close links with industry groups within the public relations and communications field, but also links to institutions concerned with ethics, health and safety, the charity sector, and parliamentary groups.
Membership Size and Structure
The Branch and the Industrial Council are led by officers who oversee its operations. These committees cover the both the UK and Ireland, and extend into Europe through the NUJ's networks, and more broadly through connected organisations, worldwide. Its current membership is drawn from across the communications industry, but includes workers in press officer roles, parliamentary lobbying, crisis communications, internal communications, and it has members in staff, consultancy, and freelance roles.
Collaboration with NUJ Organizations
The Public Relations & Communications Branch works closely with other NUJ councils, such as the Black Members Council and Broadcast Industrial Council, to address the unique challenges faced by PR and communications professionals. It collaborates with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and NUJ Extra to promote best practices and advocate for the rights of journalists globally. Work with Other Organizations
The Branch engages with local, regional, national, and international organizations, including the TUC (Trade Union Congress), to strengthen its advocacy efforts and promote the interests of PR and communications professionals. It closely tracks both traditional and modern players in the communications industry such organizations such as the Worshipful Stationers & Newspapers of the City of London, the Chartered bodies (CIPR, CIM, CMI, and others) to remain at the forefront of practice. and to advance the profession's standards and ethical practices.
Ethical Frameworks and Industry Standards
The NUJ Public Relations & Communications Branch adheres to the union's code of conduct, which emphasizes ethical standards, respect, and professionalism in the PR & communications industry. It aligns its objectives with those of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and the NUJ to ensure that the profession meets the highest ethical and professional standards. Its members fall under the affiliate banner of the Trades Union Congress (TUC). It was formerly subscribed to the GFTU, granting member organisations access to the GFTU member aggregate Credit Union facilities but, since 2017, is no longer a member.
Addressing Agnotology and Axiology
The branch acknowledges the importance of addressing agnotology (the deliberate production of ignorance) and axiology (the study of value) in the PR & communications industry. It advocates for the use of virtue ethics, deontology, and consequentialism as moral frameworks to guide PR and communications professionals in their work.
Conclusion: The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Public Relations & Communications Branch plays a pivotal role in advocating for PR and communications professionals. Through its collaboration with various NUJ councils, other organizations, and adherence to ethical frameworks, the branch ensures that the profession remains integral to the communications industry. By promoting diversity, ethical standards, and professionalism, the NUJ Public Relations & Communications Branch continues to safeguard the interests of PR and communications professionals, both in the UK and internationally.
Publications
editThe NUJ publishes a magazine called NewspaPR.
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "National Union of Journalists Form AR21 for year ended 30 September 2022" (PDF). GOV.UK. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
External links
editPublications
editThe PRC Branch publishes a magazine called NewspaPR, distributed not only to the public relations and communications membership of the NUJ, into members' workplaces, and into industry.