I am delighted to see that Ireland’s former press ombudsman, John Horgan, has been made a member of honour of the National Union of Journalists.
The Irish Times reports that Horgan received his award - the highest accolade that the NUJ can confer - during the union’s delegate meeting in Southport at the weekend.
A message from the Irish president, Michael D Higgins, said it was a well deserved honour that “recognises the distinguished contribution that John has made to the world of journalism – and to society at large”.
It continued: “I believe the award is also an acknowledgement of John’s generosity of spirit, as well as his immense influence as a public intellectual, politician, press ombudsman and advocate for social reform.
“John’s relentless pursuit of accountability and high professional standards has been one of the pillars on which public trust in the free press of this country has been built”.
Horgan dedicated his award to the hundreds of NUJ activists who work in a voluntary capacity on behalf of journalists.
When he announced his retirement as press ombudsman in March 2014, the NUJ’s general secretary, Michelle Stanistreet, spoke of him having “served Irish journalism with distinction” during his seven years in the post.
And Séamus Dooley, the union’s Irish secretary, said he had been “a skilled ombudsman, extremely diligent in the conduct of his duties and fiercely independent while always being supportive of journalists and journalism”.
Horgan, it should be remembered, also gave evidence to the Leveson inquiry, making a submission that was influential on the judge’s thinking about the new model for UK press regulation.
