Striking journalists have accused newspaper bosses of lifting an exclusive story that they uncovered at a council meeting.
Reporters from South Yorkshire Newspapers, currently in their third week of an indefinite walkout, splashed on their bootleg newsletter about plans by Doncaster’s elected mayor Peter Davies to outlaw spitting in the town.
The story was picked up by the skeleton staff which is currently producing the weekly Doncaster Free Press when they were alerted by the strikers’ ‘bootleg’ newspaper ‘News Of The Don’ on Thursday.
Union members unearthed the story after covering a Doncaster Council meeting.
A re-hashed version of the scoop then appeared on the Free Press’ website after other staff, believed to be from another JP title, contacted the council for the same statement issued to the strikers.
A spokesman for the Doncaster NUJ chapel said: “Yet again the management of South Yorkshire Newspapers has demonstrated their breath taking arrogance.
“Stealing stories from their own journalists, who they have forced onto the picket line with their ludicrous plans, almost beggars belief.
The News Of The Don has been produced from the picket line since the start of the dispute with journalists finding a number of exclusive stories missed by their titles.
Johnston Press had not responded to HTFP’s request for a comment at the time of publication.
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Good old JP. Say nothing and pretend nothing happened. Very poor as usual and continuing good luck to the strikers. What is most disturbing is the other people putting the ‘official’ paper together. I hope they don’t expect any support when the evil eye is turned in their direction.
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Shameless strikebreakers showing the journalistic ethics you would expect from them, and the management dumbstruck with embarrassment: the provincial press is in safe hands! Good luck to the strikers and their admirable stand for jobs and proper journalistic standards. I feel a donation in the offing!
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I notice from a previous report that SYN publications are being produced by ‘skeletal staff’. Working their fingers to the bone, eh?
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Anyone who thinks they are going to be “favoured” by JP when the axe falls because they have worked during a strike can think again.
Two of my strike breaking colleagues were among those made redundant last summer.
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You strikers need to stop making up stories and report the truth. I pleased to see what little income you have you are spending wisely on producing a 2 sheet ‘paper’. You are quick to pick up on errors etc but never mentioned your own error where you stated senior reporters earn 19.10 a year. The Free Press has improved without your input. You are only putting a noose around your necks…
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