NUJ: 'How to report the BNP'

Give the public the facts about the BNP and expose their racist views through robust, independent reporting - that is the NUJ's advice to its members.
It follows a special Reporting the BNP meeting organised by the union.
Officials assured those journalists attending the meeting in London last week that members who uphold the NUJ’s Code of Conduct and "refuse to be used to propagate racist propaganda will be given the full backing of the union".
A new website setting out key questions to ask BNP politicians, exposing myths about asylum and immigration, highlighting good journalistic practice in tackling racist propaganda, and bringing together information on far-right parties will be launched in the coming weeks.
The NUJ’s policy condemns racist and fascist views and states “the best way to combat such views is to oppose and expose them wherever and whenever they are expressed, rather than by seeking to deny their expression”.
The NUJ Code of Conduct states that journalists shall not handle racist material, and in addition the union has a set of guidelines on race reporting that include advice on reporting racist organisations.
The union pledged support to members prepared to take a stand against racism in their workplaces and to provide support for those targeted as a result of their exposés.
Other suggestions included staff taking action against their publications accepting ads from the BNP and pressing for a right of reply by anti-racists to BNP assertions.
Leaflets and posters setting out the NUJ’s guidelines will be distributed to workplaces across the UK and well-known journalists will be approached to back the union’s campaign against the media being used as a platform for racist or fascist propaganda.