NUJ appeals Dale Farm footage handover order

The National Union of Journalists has appealed to the high court after a production order was made against journalists and broadcasters to hand over footage from the first two days of the Dale Farm evictions to Essex police.

The union says a judgment was issued on 6 February which found there to be "a clear and compelling case for disclosure of the material held by Mr Parkinson", and made the same order against the BBC, ITV, BSkyB, Channel 5 and Hardcash Productions.

The NUJ has now submitted an appeal of the order on behalf of Parkinson, who said he was concerned that journalists could be viewed as "evidence gatherers for the police" as a result.

"The production order against me could have grave professional consequences and there is a danger it will have a serious impact on my ability to carry out my job in the future," he said in an NUJ release.

"I want to protect the integrity and impartiality of journalists on the frontline – journalists should not be forced to be evidence gatherers for the police. We are reporting in the public interest and there should be a clear distinction between police surveillance and the press."

The NUJ said the order is also being appealed by the BBC, ITN, BSkyB and Hardcash Productions.

Parkinson told Journalism.co.uk the fact the broadcasters are also appealing the order "shows how important this case is".

General secretary for the NUJ Michelle Stanistreet added in the release: "The appeal launched by the NUJ will have significant implications for the whole of our industry and we are challenging this decision because the union’s code of conduct compels the union – and our members - to defend a vital principle, the protection of journalistic sources and material.

"Our members regularly face attack and intimidation whilst doing their jobs. The danger increases if footage gathered whilst reporting events is seized and used by the police. This is an attack on press freedom and turns photographers, videographers and journalists into potential targets. Journalists are not there to carry out investigatory work for the police."

The union's legal officer Roy Mincoff added that "if the order for production is not overturned by judicial review, the future safety of reporters and photographers will be at risk".

"They will be seen merely as evidence gatherers for the police, with major consequences for their ability to report objectively and impartially in the future. The vital role of the media as the public watchdog, so important to a democratic society, would be seriously undermined."

It is understood that having lodged the appeal the NUJ will have to wait several weeks to hear if a judicial review will be granted.

Update: John Hardie, chief executive officer at ITN has released the following statement:

"We are very concerned about the seemingly automatic assumption from the police that they can demand access to un-broadcast editorial material as a matter of course. Rather than being a rare exception where requests are made for otherwise unobtainable evidence of serious wrongdoing, the wide-ranging Dale Farm production order is in danger of becoming the norm and we are alarmed at the frequency and nature of these requests.

"We are appealing the court’s ruling on the Dale Farm order and resisting a separate attempt from police to obtain footage relating to a demonstration outside the Syrian embassy as we feel it is a fundamental right for our journalists to operate without the fear that their material will habitually be obtained by the police. This issue strikes at the heart of the independence of news organisations to operate freely and jeopardises the safety of our journalists who may be seen as evidence gathers for law enforcement."

Sky News told Journalism.co.uk that it is seeking a judicial review regarding handing over its unbroadcast Dale Farm footage to the police.

Free daily newsletter

If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).