Vote Steve Usher 1

2009-10-21T10:43:00.000-07:00

Leading disability activist joins campaign

2009-10-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

Stephen Brookes, chair of the union's Disabled Members' Council is the latest high profile name to add his support to the campaign to elect Steve Usher.
Stephen is elected to represent disabled members on the NUJ's National Executive Council and is the NUJ's representative on the TUC Disability Committee.
He is backing Steve because of "shared ideals" - a sign of Steve's strong commitment to ensuring a voice for all NUJ members.

Journalist. Not Politician.

2009-10-19T09:45:00.000-07:00

The Journalist should be:

* about journalists and journalism not sectional politics
* written about not written off
* for the many not the few
* sought out not chucked out
* vibrant in print and vital online

Leading NUJ members agree

Join them. Vote Usher 1.

Put a professional journalist in the editor’s chair and make our union magazine the must-read for ALL journalists and media workers.

More supporters join campaign

2009-10-12T00:31:00.000-07:00

Among the latest supporters to add their name to Steve Usher's campaign are Simon Coss, a freelance who represents members in Continental Europe on the union's National Executive Council and Brendan Foley, a life member and former branch chair of London Press & PR Branch, who is also one of the teachers on the NUJ's training programme.

Leading freelance backs Steve's campaign

2009-10-09T12:04:00.000-07:00

The NUJ's former freelance officer Peta Van den Bergh-Steel is the latest union member to sign up to support the campaign to elect Steve Usher.

She joins Aidan White, the General Secretary of the International Federation of Journalists and long-time Irish activists Kevin Moore, the chair of Dublin Newspapers Branch and Michael Cronin, NUJ Member of Honour and the longest serving FoC of The Irish Press Group and former Secretary of Dublin Newspapers' Branch - all experienced members backing Steve's unique combination of union activism and his long track record as a journalist on local and national newspapers.

Standing up for Journalism

2009-10-07T08:53:00.000-07:00

The Journalist has a proud history of championing good causes, backing NUJ members in trouble and giving a voice to our members. It holds power in our union to account.

It enjoys editorial freedom. It is a shining beacon for journalists working in conditions where such freedom is a distant dream. Journalists working under oppressive regimes, oppressive owners and oppressive managements.

To continue its vital work, it needs to climb onto ever-changing media platforms, reaching out to the young wannabe journalists of the future. It needs to focus not on niche political causes but the issues that matter to us and our profession.

It should provide advice and information, news and analysis and help members to assert their rights, get ahead in their careers and reflect and influence the debates happening across our industry about the future of journalism, broadcasting and publishing.

A vibrant print edition and vital online presence remains key to the success of this venture. It needs to broaden its appeal to attract a wider audience. It should be the must-read media publication for everyone involved in journalism.

We need to expand distribution of the Journalist to ensure it is not just received at home but in the workplace too. Let non-members and members of other unions see it and read it. Let the editors read it. Make sure managements see it and read it. Send copies in bulk to media colleges and universities teaching the journalists of tomorrow.

I can make the Journalist something that is written about - not written off.

Who Am I?

2009-10-07T08:38:00.000-07:00

A national newspaper journalist with 25 years’ experience in this ever-changing industry, I have worked as a reporter, sub-editor, photographer and art editor. I have been staff, freelance and a teacher of journalism.
As Father of the Chapel at the Daily Star for the past 13 years, and currently FoC for all four Express titles supporting around 600 journalists on a daily basis I know the issues facing journalists and publishing workers – staff and freelance – in today’s media industry.
I have a proud track record standing up for journalism – defending those who stand up against proprietorial power, who stand up for fair pay, who stand up for media freedom, who stand up for jobs, who stand up for ethics and who stand up for freedom of information.
I work in print and online. I work with experienced hacks and aspiring new journalists.
I believe my experience gives me the qualities of independence, strength and leadership to take the magazine to where it should be. It should be flying the flag of quality journalism and the real interests of the members whose subscriptions bankroll it.

Leading journalists and members back Steve Usher

2009-10-07T07:05:00.000-07:00

Aidan White, General Secretary, International Federation of Journalists; Barry Fitzpatrick, NUJ Head of Publishing; John Fray, former NUJ Deputy General Secretary; Pierre Vicary, NEC London member and Secretary BBC World Service Branch; John Barsby, NEC member East Anglia; Ray King, NEC elect representative for Newspapers and Agencies; Chris Howe, FoC The Telegraph; Michael Roddy, FoC Reuters; Francis Wheen, Writer and broadcaster; Richard Wray, Communications Editor, The Guardian; Lena Calvert,Equality Organiser, NUJ; Hélène Mulholland, Public policy correspondent, The Guardian; Simon Rocker, FoC Jewish Chronicle; Brian Williams, FoC The Guardian; Rachel Baird, Christian Aid; Simon Hinde, Sky.com; Frank Prenesti, former FoC Thomson Reuters; Andy Bruce, Economics sub-editor, Reuters; Robin Gibson, Racing Post; Suzanne Roberts, Johnston Press Peterborough, former MoC Spalding Guardian; Pan Pylas, Associated Press; Jon Hopkins, Stefano Ambrogi, Maytaal Angel, Jessica Mortimer, Toby Chopra, Simon Jessop, Thomson Reuters; Haoyu Zhang, NEC SE England member, Chair of BBC WS Branch and FoC, BBC Chinese Chapel; Michael Workman, Chair BBC World Service Branch, FoC Bush House News & Current Affairs Chapel; Nahed Abouzeid, FoC BBC Arabic Chapel; Tory Blair, Full-time BBC Secondee (lay official); Olex Hyrb, FoC BBC Ukrainian Chapel; Anna Mainwaring, MoC BBC TV News Channel; Nina Killen, MoC Express Newspapers Broughton; Emma Herring, Former NEC member, Newsletter Editor and Branch Secretary of London Press and PR Branch; Steve Miller, Head of Journalism Courses at UCA Farnham, formerly Head of Publications at Amicus/Unite; Ferne Arfin, National Co-ordinator, Writers In Prison Network/NUJ Pathways to Journalism; Bill Bowder,FoC Church Times; Sarah Chambers, MoC Archant Ipswich; Keith Webster, Daily Mirror; John Carey, Press officer, Fenland Council; Jeff Apter, Paris Branch/NEC member elect Continental Europe; Kevin Moore, Secretary, Dublin Newspapers' Branch, former FoC of Independent News and Media; Peta Van den Bergh-Steel, former NUJ Freelance Officer; Michael Cronin, Member of Honour, former FoC, Irish Press Group; Brendan Foley, former Chair, Press and PR Branch; Simon Coss, NEC Member, Continental Europe; John Foley, former FoC Independent Newspapers Chapel, Treasurer Irish South East and West of Ireland Branch, Stephen Brookes MBE, Chair, NUJ Disabled Members' Council