Exhibit JC42 - The Leveson Inquiry

For Distribution to CPsThe influence of the Diploma for Journalism on the National Union of Journalists and futurejournalism training and educationThe speaker was James G. Gregson who became Vice-President of theUnion in 1931 and President in 1932, while continuing his interest ineducational matters (as evidenced by the six articles mentioned above.)The occasion of his speech was a dinner given by the East Lancashirebranch of the Union which was supporting a motion to restrict entry bytightening up entry requirements. He was quick to point out, however, thatthe entrance examination would apply only to those under 21.The Journalist (Appendix XXVI) resounds with articles reminiscent ofearlier battles conducted in the Institute of Journalists Journal on thesubject of improving the status and standing of journalism. The chairman ofone of the Union branches wrote on ’The Question of Status. The NewJournalists’ Views’ in March 1930. He proposed ’lifting the craft from thecommon rut, and placing it among the ranks of the accepted professions. ’39The next month another branch chairman, James Fieldhouse, picked upthe proposal and developed it saying: ’The first step in raising the status ofthe profession, in my view, is to institute a system of examinations,preliminary, intermediate, and final... A certificate would give those whoenter the profession something to aim at during those years of training. ’4°He related this specifically to the London University Diploma coursewhen he said that he would recommend the syllabus of that course whileinstituting an independent body, or joint board, to conduct the examination.This would enable journalists to study for the certificate while still engagedin practical newspaper work when their leisure time was: ’often browsedaway reading with no set purpose in view, or, worse, wasted in the smokeyatmosphere of the billiard room of some club. ’41The author believes that this article provides the first published exampleof the idea which eventually developed into the proposals for a ’NationalCouncil’ to oversee the education and training of journalists on their ownterms. Fieldhouse spoke as one who obviously regretted not being able toattend the London University course, saying, ’in 1919 I could not afford it.’Within a year the Annual Delegate Meeting of the Union was discussing,and approving, a recommendation from Mr. Fieldhouse’s branch that: ’theNational Executive Council approach London University asking them toamend the rules governing the... Diploma in Journalism, to make itpossible for working journalists, provided the~ have Matriculated, to obtainthe Diploma without attending the University.The same year saw the setting up of a joint committee, in 1931, of theUnion, Institute and Newspaper Society, ’to consider drafting a scheme forthe training of journalists’ although the Union replied to the Society that’Your Society and my Union are fully representative of all the interests,43concerned. Further progress in these negotiations was halted when theUnion attended a conference at the Newspaper Society on January 5 th1932, and found Institute representatives there. They ,qeft stating that’because of an ADM resolution, they were unable to act jointly with theInstitute.’ 44 While the columns of The Journalist still contained manyarticles on the subject of education for journalists there were no morereferences to either the London University Diploma or the idea of a nationaltraining scheme up to the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. 45156MOD100051327