He is Director of the Ethical Journalism Network, a global campaign promoting good governance and ethical conduct in media. He is the former chairman of the Appointments Panel of the IMPRESS Project, the UK independent press regulator. He was the General Secretary of the International Federation of Journalists from 1987 until April 2011. He previously worked for several newspapers in the United Kingdom. He was with The Guardian in London prior to joining the IFJ. He is a long-time campaigner for journalists' rights and is a former activist with the National Union of Journalists in Great Britain and Ireland.