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Live coverage of the National Union of Journalists ADM

Laura Oliver — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:41:00 +0000

A team of student National Union of Journalist (NUJ) members are providing live coverage of the union’s ADM this weekend.

Reporters will be covering key speeches and debates from the event on nujadm.org.uk complete with a section of liveblogs, motions news and speeches.

You can also follow the team’s tweets at the hashtag #nujadm or below:

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Observer to drop to four sections staff told

Laura Oliver — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:33:18 +0000

The Observer will be cut to four sections and drop several monthly supplements, staff at the paper were reportedly told yesterday.

According to a National Union of Journalists (NUJ) release, the new Observer will consist of news, sport and a review section, alongside a magazine.

The title’s monthly sport, music and women’s supplements will be closed.

Staff were informed of the changes by owners Guardian News & Media following months of speculation about the title’s future.

No mention of redundancy plans was made in the NUJ’s statement.

But the union’s head of publishing, Barry Fitzpatrick, said the changes would make the paper less competitive in ‘an already exceedingly tough marketplace’.

“It will do nothing to improve circulation and can only result in a lower quality product. We know that Guardian Media Group is looking to save costs, but they need to ensure that any steps don’t result in the running down of its titles,” he said in the release.

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Online journalism at the NUJ ADM: The Journalist, Twitter and new blood

Judith Townend — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:53:40 +0000

And so, the annual National Union of Journalists (NUJ) delegate meeting (ADM) draws near; with a variety of motions and amendments up for debate on November 19-22 (final agenda available at this link – PDF).

Among them, many issues that directly concern online media: both in terms of how the NUJ communicates through the internet, and how to engage with online journalists.

How to attract new blood?

For the New Media Industrial Council (NMIC), member recruitment among the digital community is key. For this purpose, it commissioned freelancer and former newspaper journalist Vivien Sandt to research digital media, looking into employment patterns in the UK and Ireland to help the council form a new strategy. Sandt will present some of her findings at the ADM 2009.

How should the Journalist handle its web presence?

Another topic up for discussion is how campaigns and The Journalist should be managed online. As the fight for The Union publication’s editorship rages (see the Journalism.co.uk forum for some lively discussion), the Press and PR branch proposes this motion [excerpt]:

“(….) Union rules allow that [the Journalist] editor has editorial content only over online content taken from the Union’s journal. ADM believes this is insufficient for the editor’s new role (…)

It proposes a motion to change the rules to allow that ‘the editor shall have additional editorial control over union and other website pages holding content taken from or associated with the union’s journal written or commissioned by the editor’.

Leeds branch wished to clarify this: ‘that all editorial content on the NUJ website shall by under the independent control of the editor of the union’s journal, unless the editor agrees to cede control of specific content for a specific purpose and for a specific amount of time’.

That is bound to raise some questions over the relationship between the Journalist and other parts of the NUJ, especially with its support of another motion proposed: ‘ADM further instructs the NEC to implement, without further delay, the integration of the Journalist’s editor into the Union’s Campaign and Communications department’.

North Wales Coast branch, which proposed the original motion, claim that the mixture of internet strategies has pushed the Journalist ‘into becoming a cross between a picture led kind of OK magazine and Agony Aunt Letters column’.

[See what the editor hopefuls suggest for the Journalist website at this link to the Journalism.co.uk forum.]

How should the NUJ engage with social media?

This motion proposed by Magazine is bound to create some discussion: the last para has already been recommended as void by the Standing Orders Committee (SOC) for ‘uncertainty of meaning’”…

This ADM notes that:

1) Social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and blogging are irrevocably changing the face of journalism.
2)That many of this new wave of journalists believe the NUJ’s attitude towards them is out of date.

This ADM instructs the NEC to address this problem by working with the blogging community and Twitteratti [sic] to bridge this gap and create a framework that embraces the NUJ’s journalistic principle while maintaining the press freedom enjoyed by bloggers and twitterers.

London Magazine further suggests a survey should be carried out, organised by NMIC.

Want to get involved?

The New Media Industrial Council is currently seeking NUJ members to represent these areas: London (1 out of 2) Midlands (1) Black Members Council (1) Disabled Members Council (1) North East (1). The non-geographical seats have to be nominated by the bodies concerned, and all NMIC members must be NUJ members working in new media. Those interested can e-mail the council’s chair (Gary Herman) in confidence on this address: gary.herman [at] gmail.com.

Judith Townend is a member of the National Union of Journalists (Brighton & Mid-Sussex branch) and is co-opted to sit on the New Media Industrial Council – beginning after the ADM 2009.

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Journalism.co.uk forum poll: Who do you want to edit the NUJ’s Journalist magazine?

Judith Townend — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:50:31 +0000

The race for the NUJ Journalist editorship has made for a lively week in the Journalism.co.uk forum, not least by candidate Mark Watts’ attack on the NUJ Left section of the union.

All eight contenders have been dutifully answering questions put to them by users. How would have they advised the Daily Mail’s Jan Moir? How will they attract new members? Is there a need for a print version at all? And why should we even care who edits The Journalist?

And now everyone is invited to participate in a open poll in which anyone can vote, anonymously, NUJ member or not. Unlike the real NUJ vote, the results will be decided on a first-past-the-post basis.

The debate will continue right up to the official closing date of November 6.

Vote in the poll at this link…

Put your question to the candidates at this link…

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NUJ Release: Union criticises BBC for allowing BNP on Question Time

Judith Townend — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:35:13 +0000

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) opposes the BBC’s decision to invite the leader of the British National Party (BNP) onto its Question Time programme, the union has said in a release.

“The union argues that the format of the show does not allow the BNP’’s dishonest propaganda to be properly challenged.”

Full release at this link…

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NUJ Journalist Editor Election: Mark Watts’ ‘exposé’ circular to NUJ members

Judith Townend — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:18:51 +0000

Mark Watts, one of the candidates campaigning for the NUJ Journalist magazine and website editorship, has issued a statement to 19,000 of the union’s members claiming to ‘expose’ another candidate Rich Simcox as a member of the NUJ Left, arguing that this section of the NUJ ‘is trying to hijack the union from its members’.

However, scepticism over whether Simcox’s allegiance was much of a secret has already been raised by Jon Slattery on his blog:

“Watts names the NUJ Left candidate as Rich Simcox. But is this such a shocking revelation? Simcox told me when I revealed he was standing in the election on September 3 that he had the support of the NUJ Left and I reported the fact here in the second paragraph of the story.

“Watts, however, alleges that Simcox has not revealed his NUJ Left backing in his election material. His email ends dramatically: ‘Lance the boil. Save the NUJ’. Simcox told me today: “I didn’t realise it was such a secret. It comes up fourth when you Google my name.”

Journalism.co.uk has contacted Rich Simcox for a response to Watts’ statement, in the meantime, please leave your thoughts below this post. What questions would you like to ask Watts or Simcox?

We’ve created a special section of our bulletin board for you to quiz the would-be editors on their plans for the union title and why they should take the helm. It’s already very active, with numerous responses from six of the eight candidates. Add your question by posting a new topic on the forum at this link or by emailing us at laura or judith [at] journalism.co.uk.

Mark Watts statement as follows:

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Quiz the candidates: Ask the NUJ editor candidates a question

Laura Oliver — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:46:46 +0000

Eight candidates are in the running for the editorship of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) magazine, The Journalist.

With a £51,000-a-year salary and the chance to revamp the magazine for the digital age, who’s the best journalist for the job?

Voting for union members is now open and until it closes on November 6, Journalism.co.uk is asking for questions from members and non-members for the candidates.

We’ve created a special section of our bulletin board for you to quiz the would-be editors on their plans for the union title and why they should take the helm. Several have already agreed to take part in the debate and answer your questions.

Questions are flooding in on plans for The Journalist online; attracting new members; relations with photographers and how the title is funded.

Post on the forum or leave your question below. You can also drop us an email if you’d prefer to comment anonymously and we can post it on your behalf.

You can follow the responses online, by subscribing to an RSS feed and by subscribing to email notifications from the bulletin board under the ‘notify’ tab.

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Jon Slattery: NUJ ‘out of date’ for new media journalists, says mag branch

Laura Oliver — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:23:52 +0000

Jon Slattery reports on a motion put forward by the National Union of Journalists’ (NUJ) magazine branch, which suggests new media journalists see the union as ‘out of date’ in its attitude towards online journalism and social media platforms.

“This ADM instructs the NEC [National Executive Council] to address this problem by working with the blogging community and Twitteratti to bridge this gap and create a framework that embraces the NUJ’s journalistic principles while maintaining the press freedom enjoyed by bloggers and twitterers,” the motion reads.

Full post at this link…

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NUJ Release: NUJ condemns more job cuts at Trinity Mirror regionals

Judith Townend — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:19:55 +0000

Further to Trinity Mirror’s announcement that the Birmingham Post could become a weekly and the Birmingham Mail could be produced overnight, the National Union of Journalists has issued a statement condemning more job cuts at the Midlands titles.

Jeremy Dear, NUJ general secretary, said:

“Trinity Mirror managers have been shown to be irresponsible with regard to the truth and their attitude to their newspapers and the communities they serve.

“The union will fight to defend the jobs of journalists and the future of the Post.”

Full release at this link…

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Journalism Daily: Freelance photographers’ rights, AFP reporters injured and Express rapped by ASA

Laura Oliver — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:16:46 +0000

Journalism.co.uk is trialling a new service via the Editors’ Blog: a daily round-up of all the content published on the Journalism.co.uk site.

We hope you’ll find it useful as a quick digest of what’s gone on during the day (similar to our e-newsletter) and to check that you haven’t missed a posting.

We’ll be testing it out for a couple of weeks, so you can subscribe to the feed for the Journalism Daily here.

Let us know what you think – all feedback much appreciated.

News and features:

Ed’s picks:

Tip of the day:

Working with developers

#FollowJourn:

@adamoxford/freelancer

On the Editors’ blog:

The printing press versus Jesus… what year would you vote for?

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