It is extremely satisfactory that the proposed merger between the
National Union of Journalists and the Institute of Journalists- has failed to materialise because the latter body polled far short of the 75 per cent, of favourable votes required. Actually less than 5i per cent, of the members voted in favour of the merger. The difference between the two bodies is roughly that the Union regards journalism as a trade—it is itself affiliated with the Trades Union Congress and is working strenuously for the closed shop, i.e., for the exclusion from employment in newspaper offices of anyl man (or woman) who is not a Union member—while the Institute regards it as a pro- fession. Politically, the Union is far to the Left of the Institute. The latter body, with the road now clear before it, will, it may be
hoped, steadily build up its membership and abandon all thought of bartering its independence. Freedom of the Press still needs vigorous and vigilant defence, and nothing could be more fatal to it than tha "closed shop" principle. The Trade Union Congress for a time impinged seriously on freedom by admitting only members of the N.U.J. to the reporters' table at its meetings.
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