Fax Newspaper : << The Trade Union News>>

Nah, Eun-kyung

1. History

94. 10. 6  'Weekly Trade Union News' launched(once a week) ---- 1st period
95. 5. 24  Discontinuation after 24th issue
96. 11. 7  The first issue of revised paper (25th issue : 3 times a week) ---- 2nd period
96. 12.26  Issued 1st 'General Strike : prompt report'
97. 1. 17  Issued 13th 'General Strike : prompt report'

2. The Object and Content of the Paper
  
The First Period : 'Weekly Trade union News'
1) term : the initial number(94.10.26)  24th issue(95.5.24)
2) purpose : Because of starting operation of TU(trade union information) on 'Chollian', commercial online BBS service, systematic management was possible. However, most of union members were unfamiliar with using PC(Personal Computer) as a communication tool. Therefore, the opinion that some guides are needed to help how to use TU service effectively was suggested. Educational and informational data were decided to publish via FAX.
3) the number of sheets : A4 size 24 pages
4) the cycle of publication : once a week
5) the content of paper : There were four parts that would be helpful for users to use TU efficiently. Those were helping users' searching information, improving efficiency of 'Weekly Trade Union News' articles, arranging and analysing labor news every week and introducing the latest data.
     - Weekly general view : this part dealt with the most important news about workers during that week. Throughout the news about a trade union's struggle or an actual report  and analysis of current labor policy, this part of the paper tried to build a new view to the labour community.
     - Conquering beginner : introducing basic knowledge and usage about communication via PC. example) What is modem? How to deal with the emulator such as 'iyagi', How to take part in TU?
     - Journey to 'trade union's information' : introducing the menu of 'trade union's information', the way of searching and using some data.
     - Counselling : informing some case of consultations and relating precedents.
     - This week's new data : introducing new data recorded on TU that week.
     - Notification field : introducing labour community's events and schedule.
     - TU trend(from 13th issue) : talking about the essential story recorded that week.
6) assessment : contributing to use labour information via PC communication, utilizing the data as an educational tool of trade unions, the readers' responses for 'general view', which analyze news from labours' point of view, had a good reputation. it influenced on a revised paper.

The Second Period : FAX Newspaper 'The Trade Union News'
1) term : 25th issue (96.11.7)  99th issue (97.5.27)
2) purpose : specialized labour journalism
The fact that 'weekly general view' in the 'weekly trade union news' attracted public attention was one of basic consideration of second period. Thus, we tried to focus on quick reports on labour community and analyzing them from labours' point of view, which would be called 'specialized labour journalism'. It originated from the actual recognition that news could not be reached to the workers via conservative journalism in spite of occurring continuous accidents in the labour community. At that time, some media were dealing with labour journalism. However, to inform latest news was nearly impossible because they were published weekly or monthly. The situation of the only daily newspaper was similar to this due to delaying more than one day for delivery. Therefore, FAX newspaper 'The Trade Union News' was revived under the recognition that workers urgently needed 'fast and precise labor journalism' apart from conservative and existing labour journalism.
3) the number of sheets : 35 pages.
4) the cycle of publication : three times a week(every other day)
5) the content of paper : 
     - Labour news : struggle news for single union or superior groups, introducing and criticizing the policy among the labour, the employer and the government.
       At the beginning of this period, following subjects were the majority part of the paper.
       - showing the movement against new labour law and criticizing it
       - presenting a desirable way of reforming labour law
       - labour community's struggle against new labour law
     - Features : full report for current issues (ex) construction of industrial divided trade union federation, employer's union, privatizing of the worker's accident compaction insurance etc. 
     - Introducing TU : showing the way of using TU menu and searching information
6) assessment : when the paper was revived, the political situation was that the reforming new labour law was the most important thing. 'The Trade Union News(TUN)' fully introduced the process of argument about it in the committee for reforming labour law. The paper also pointed out the problems in essential articles and gained popular support throughout suggesting the reform direction. Moreover, a warning that the atmosphere of struggling should have been maintained in order not to reform it before the end of last year became the truth because the ruling New Korean Party(NKP) carried the worse one on 26th of last December. The paper published at this time was useful for educating the members of several trade unions. Meanwhile, TUN changed its cycle of publication to prompt report due to general strike led by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions(KCTU). It had good reputation not only the speed of daily delivery but also the precise suggestion to the next fight. In addition to this, by reporting minor problems for conservative journalism, such as struggles in the small factories or the problem of unfair dismissal,  it contributed to form a public opinion as well as make solidarity from other factory or superior group.

The Third Period : FAX Newspaper 'The Trade Union News'
1) term : 100th issue(97.5.28)  now
2) purpose : TUN, which use to think of prompt report system, changed its cycle of publication from every other day to daily for the celebration of 100th issue. With the change to the daily paper. TUN strengthened the function of news gathering for the purpose of becoming faster and more objective journal. Particularly, TUN tried to emphasize its own character by starting new sections; column, labour law explanation etc.
3) the number of sheets : 4 pages
4) the cycle of publication : daily
5) the content of paper : 
     - Labor news
       - Headline : daily reports and explanation about the main issues of labour community
       - Main articles : main struggle news and policy of the labour community(daily)
       - Short articles : a brief news of the labour community(daily)
       - Brief notes : one or two sentences about daily news
     - Labor Law Q&A : question and answer about the new labor law (2 or 3 times a week)
     - Today's Labour Community : information and event that would happen the day
     - Column : criticism for current affairs written by specialists (once a week)
     - Features : full report, analysis and comment for current issues (once a week)
     - Opinion on the spot : letter form fighting members of union (once a week)
6) assessment : brief notes and schedule of today's labour community became popular among the readers because they realized the worth of its effect. Labor law Q&A had got a good reputation due to its helpful explanation and suggestion for a new labor law, but irregularity needed to be overcame. 
In order to know readers' response to the TUN, a survey was taken from 20th to 24th of October. The results are as follows.
  a. Fastness, Objectiveness, the quality of article and editing
  94.6% of readers agreed to the question of article's fastness. It meant that TU performed as a prompt giving news agent. In addition to this, 76.9% agreed to the question of article's objectiveness and the question, 'Is TUN standing on the worker's side?', was supported by 94.2%. Therefore, it could be said that TUN succeeded in fastness, objectiveness and view.
  However, 72.2% of the readers answered 'not so good' at the quality of articles. It resulted from two difficulties. One was the difficulty of gathering news due to the TUN's low recognition, and the other was the lack of reporters.
  Editing which gathered 50% of 'nothing special' needed to improve its way. Although well edited report was made, it was difficult to maintain the quality after transmission via FAX.
  b. Articles : good and bad things 
  Among the articles in TUN, 'reports about the essential issues and arguments of labour community' had the best reputation. Following orders were struggling news, every aspect of labour community, Q&A on labour law.
  On the other hand, the readers showed the worst satisfaction for 'the articles about the department of labours in government' and 'opinion on the spot'. Every aspect of labour community, column, reports about the essential issues and arguments of labour community and Q&A on labour news were the next orders.

In conclusion, the readers hope TUN to show a sharp reports and to suggest alternatives about the essential issues and arguments of labour community. Moreover, they demand the information for the government. They seem to have dissatisfaction with Q&A on labour law because of its irregular articles. Therefore, readers want TUN to analyze the worker's news and to suggest its view to the issue. Last but not least, TUN is demanded to show its opinion and alternatives for the actual legal problems since labour law was changed.

3. Why FAX Newspaper?
a. objective conditions
The fastest way would be electronic newspaper using online PC. But, the reality of labour community prefer printed news to online one. Moreover, the development of telecommunication technology in Korea cannot afford to use an electronic newspaper. In order to perform as electronic newspaper, motion pictures and sound data should be prepared, but recent condition can not reach it. FAX report could be the next choice considering current situation.
b. Fastness
In terms of fastness, broad newspaper has got limit. It takes long time to gather, edit, print and send the news. Especially, the people living in rural area cannot receive the news within 2 or even 3 days. However, it Fax used, we can reach thousands of readers at the same time. The time to make it needs only news gathering and editing.
c. Actual situation of labour journalism by using FAX
The first attempt to send a daily newspaper via FAX was tried by 'Daily Human Rights News'. In labour community, TUN started publishing newspaper via FAX. When it was published at the first time, the readers regarded it as a union's news report or newsletter. However, most of them became realizing that it sent the faster news than any other media in the country during the general strike in January. As a result, many unions and federations started sending the news via group fax service. Nowadays more and more labour groups are using FAX for the newspaper; for example, 'Work and hope' (published by the FKTU), 'Chemical federation news', 'Steel federation news', 'Buchon Nochong weekly'(published by Buchon branch of FKTU).
d. Practical use of Fax newspaper
Daily TUN has been used by several union's news or newsletter as a database. Single unions and superior groups have been quoting TUN's whole article or part of it on their own newspaper. Moreover, some unions have been sending it to the other branch where FAX is not available. 'Labor Law Q&A' and 'Mini Explanation' have been used by the members of unions as an educational text. Questions about reported precedents have been continuously asked.
e. The merit and weakness of FAX newspaper
Merit : Because of short time need publishing and sending, it can report news as quick as possible. Lower cost for publishing(after making articles with Hangul wordprocessor, the news are sent via FAX). Cost for paper, pressing, sending paper is not necessary. Payment for group Fax is enough to publish.
Weak point : It cannot be printed more than 4 pages. Readers should bear the expanse for the receiving paper. It is difficult to show photos. If the news were received by FAX, readers would have hard time to read. Keeping the paper is not so easy. The cost of sending group FAX amounts to several thousands of dollars. To reduce the cost, the cycle of publication was changed from time to time.

4. Outlook to the Future
Fax newspaper is an intermediate tool to electronic newspaper. The development of the telecommunication industry and the growth of the telecommunication user might open the age of an electronic media. For example, some daily newspapers and broadcasting companies have shown their news on PC communication. One of the radio stations is preparing for the Internet broadcasting.
The Future of the FAX newspaper, also, should be electronic newspaper because it doesn't have to be worry about the number of articles, photos, time and so forth. It would not support limited space for articles and can send news from the spot with letters, moving pictures, voice all together without any delaying of the time.
In order to prepare the age of electronic newspaper, TUN started sending photographs as well as publishing suitable FAX news for current situation. TUN would change its tools to electronic newspaper when the telecommunication technology improves more than now and the use of telecommunication is more popular. 
If electronic newspaper is possible, information transfer will be far faster than now. And what is more, news can penetrate public without paying a lot of money. If that happened in the future, it would be possible to break down the government's ideology and to establish labours' own voice. Probably, that would be one of the most important turning point in human being's history.

    
