Journalists Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney
Members of the National Union of Journalists’of the Derry and North West branch committee will meet on the Guildhall steps in Derry at 12.45 pm where they will join in a minute’s silence.
Belfast and District branch committee will be meeting at the same time in Writer’s Square in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter for the socially-distanced protest.
Members will walk together to the steps of St Anne’s Cathedral, where they will stand for a minute’s silence in memory of murdered colleagues Lyra McKee and Martin O’Hagan.
Afterwards, the Belfast & District branch committee will meet union representatives at the INM group, which publishes the Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Life.
They will also be meeting NUJ colleagues from the Sunday World and the Irish News.
In recent weeks, journalists from all these papers have come under direct threat.
Because of Covid measures, much of today’s protest action will take place online, with journalists individually recording their solidarity using the hashtag #standupforjournalism.
The NUJ’s Irish secretary Seamus Dooley said: “Journalists must publicly stand with those under threat. Intimidation and harassment are not acceptable.
“Threats are occurring nearly every week in Northern Ireland. Women journalists in particular are being targeted with vile and misogynist abuse.
“Threats should never be accepted as part of the job of a journalist or any other worker.
“Intimidation, harassment and online abuse should not be normalised.”
Mr Dooley added: “We do not allow anyone to stop our members doing their job. That job is to shine a light in dark places.”
The chair of the Belfast & District branch of the NUJ, Robin Wilson, added: “The NUJ in Northern Ireland has already buried two members.
“I was a former colleague of Martin O’Hagan and part of the guard of honour at the funeral of Lyra McKee last year. We say: no more Martin O’Hagans; no more Lyra McKees.”
Mr O’Hagan (51) was shot dead in Lurgan in September 2001 by the LVF
Ms McKee was shot dead by the New IRA during rioting in Derry on Thursday, April 18, 2019.
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