Christmas party

Grab your party hats and prepare to mingle, drink and gossip with other hacks in Sussex. The Brighton and Mid-Sussex NUJ branch is having its Christmas party on Thursday 20 December in the Gardens Pub, Kensington Gardens, North Laine, Brighton.

It starts at 7.30pm and we're putting £300 behind the bar, perfect for some festive cheer after the hell of late-night shopping at Churchill Square.

Non-NUJ members are welcome, although we will ask them to donate a quid or two to NUJ Extra, the NUJ charity for journalists and their families who need help through tough times, http://www.nujextra.org.uk/.

If you get lost on the night give me a call on 07939 258 172.

Rachael

Booze vouchers

Kak dela from Kyiv. There is no escaping the multi-tentacled embrace of branch business and the good news from Ukraine is that branch boozehounds will not suffer from chapped lips this
Christmas as funds continue to come our way and you can celebrate Yuletide with a partial return on your subs by wetting your whistle. Just send me the photos eh?

Anyway, last month we received our quarterly swag from HQ. The sum of 447.18. So we now have 2,911.46 in our account.

We spent 108.50. I can't remember what on but I think I wrote three cheques - for 50 quid, 36 quid and 22.50.

Despite phoning Unity Bank in early October and requesting a change of signature form for the new treasurer, Nicola, this has not turned up at my previous address in Brighton, my mum's, or Kyiv. Hence this posting.

So could some call Unity Bank 0845 1177766 to try to resolve issues resulting from me moving over here? I did my best but they just haven't done what I asked. I could phone from Kyiv but it'll cost me something like 500 zonks.

Am emailing this post to Nicky Tann for info.

Searchlight affiliation

Our subscription to Trade Union Friends of Searchlight has expired. 50 squid to renew. I ain't gonna send the form back to the UK, so could someone contact TUFS, PO Box 1576 Ilford IG5 ONG with a cheque payable to Searchlight (if you want to reaffiliate).

In the letter I have got here it says: "The BNP's vote remains worryingly high and we cannot be complacent. We already working towards next year's elections. We must all address the underlying causes that make people vote BNP."

November Podcast Available

Hi everyone. Just to let you know the audio podcast of the November meting (21st November 2007) is now available. Click here and, if you're an iPod use, you should even be able to subscribe.

Let me know if it works.

A Charter for Women Conference

The Charter for Women are holding their next conference on Saturday 9th February 2008. If you want to challenge sexism and racism and ensure that the fight for women’s rights is at the forefront of the agenda of the labour movement and of other social movements, click in the title for more information.

Anarchist films and documentaries

Some recent titles posted on the ChristieBooks (http://www.tvhastingschristiebooks.com) anarchist film website - :

http://tinyurl.com/t8sta or

http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=219646953&firstVideo=0

(For a complete up-to-date hyper-linked listing ­ Word doc - please email

us - christie@btclick.com - with 'Film List' in the subject bar)

7 días de enero (1979 - Juan Antonio Bardem),

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1311241275

Genova Libera (Daniel Hernandez Torrado)

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1312369721

Mujeres del 36 (1999 - Ana Martínez)

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1312369710

La estrategia del caracol (1993 - Sergio Cabrera)

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1313706416

La Ciudad Quemada (1976 ­ Feature)

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=769654373

Las Ilusiones perdidas - La Actividad Guerrillera (E Monesma)

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1312351337

Les Misérables Part 1 (1995 - Claude Lelouch)

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1315782813

Les Misérables Part 2 (1995 - Claude Lelouch)

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1317865475

Los Anarquistas (1983 - Muñoz, Pedroche, Eduardo de Guzman)

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1311222346

O Thiasos ­ Part 1: The Travelling Players (1975 - Theo Angelopoulos)

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1315821975

O Thiasos ­ Part 2: The Travelling Players (1975 - Theo Angelopoulos)

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1315749906

O Thiasos ­ Part 3: The Travelling Players (1975 - Theo Angelopoulos)

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1315783293

Presas de Franco - Del olvido a la memoria (M Vidal A Sangües)

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1313705520

Punishment Park - Introduction (1971 - Peter Watkins)

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1313717053

Punishment Park (1971 - Peter Watkins)

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1313717050

The Forgotten Faces (1961 - Peter Watkins)

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1313706522

The Gladiators (Peter Watkins - 1968)

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1311222299

Office to share

I've been asked to post this:

I have a serviced office in the Brighton Business Centre (95 Ditchling Rd) that I am looking to share the use of. You will be the sole occupier on Sundays, Mondays and Fridays. It is also free on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings until 1pm.

The office is a fantastic space: high ceiling, large arched window, view towards Brighton Station and newly refurbished. The size is 3 metres x 3 metres. It is in a very quiet part of the building with a counsellor and solicitor in next door rooms so you will need to have a quiet activity! I am a dyslexia teacher so they'll be a few alphabet/phonic posters around.

The Brighton Business Centre is the large building that looks like an old church - it's Grade 2 listed so is rather special.

If you think this could work for you please email hilsofbrighton@btopenworld.com. Thanks.

Facebook - NUJ Brighton

Rachael is obviously too modest, and certainly too busy, to post but she has set up a Facebook account for the NUJ Brighton.

Lunchtime meet - of interest to NUJ members?

Monday 12th November 2007

The Loft Lounge 14 Station Street. Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 4RG Registration 1215 for start at 1230 prompt Finish Approx 1415 Members : £14.50+ Vat Visitors : £19.50+ Vat Including lunch and refreshments Book a Place Visiting companies and individuals can attend two Womens Business Club Meetings as non members. Select button to book.

What Makes News? With Nicola Carslaw of Carslaw Major BBC journalist and former home and foreign correspondent Nicola Carslaw, who lives in Sussex, shares some media maxims gleaned during 20 years experience. This presentation explains how journalists produce stories and choose what makes headline news. Why do journalists seem to love scare stories? And what’s the best way for businesses to avoid pitfalls, to understand where the journalist is coming from and to make sure that they get their message across verbally and non verbally? Nicola Carslaw has worked in the front line of national and international news for more than 20 years. Following a career in print journalism she moved to broadcast and reported extensively for BBC flagship programmes including Radio 4’s Today programme, the Ten O’clock News and Newsnight, as well as News 24 and Online. Nicola was the BBC’s first dedicated Consumer Affairs Correspondent, a post she held for almost a decade. During her tenure, she covered a wide range of consumer and CSR issues and her reports regularly led the national consumer news agenda. Prior to this she was one of the first women to hold an international post as foreign correspondent for the BBC. Career highlights included covering the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. Nicola is a contributing editor for BBC News, specialising in editorial strategy, communications and compliance. She also runs her own image and media presentation consultancy, www.carslawmajor.com that specialises in message development and presentation techniques for business leaders. Nicola is a regular speaker at industry conferences and she lectures on risk communication issues for Harvard School of Public Health and the European Food Safety Authority. She also judges the prestigious Bradford & Bingley Personal Finance Media Awards.

Dates for your diary

The Council of the Journalists' Charity will be holding a VIP Reception at the Embassy of Ireland, Grosvenor Place, London. All members are invited to attend. Tickets are £20 each with proceeds going to the Journalists' Charity. See www.nuj.org.uk for more information.

The Centre for Democratic Policy-making, Red Pepper, and Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom will be hosting 'Democracy and the role of the independent media' with speakers including Hilary Wainwright, Red Pepper and Chris Morley, Northern and Midlands NUJ organiser. Staring 7pm on Wednesday October 24 at Friends Meeting House, 6 Mount Street, Manchester. For more details contact Hilary Wainwright, hilary1@manc.org.

NUJ Training 2008

New course dates have been set in 2008 for Professional and Trade Union training. To view the course timetable and outlines click on the post's title. Places can be booked online, by emailing training@nuj.org.uk or by calling 020 7843 3717.

Standing Up for Freelance Journalism

The NUJ is to launch a campaign seeking negotiating rights with the BBC on behalf of freelances.
As part of the Stand up for Journalism events on November 5, the Freelance Office will launch a petition at Headland House between 12.30pm and 2pm. The campaign will apply to all freelance journalists who work for any part of the BBC in any capacity.
All freelances are invited to attend. Lunch will be provided. To book please email freelanceoffice@nuj.org.uk

AGM minutes

Minutes from AGM, September 26

Present: Adrian Colley, Adam Juniper, Cath Quinn, Su Quinn, Nic Tann, Harriet Meyer, Fred Pipes, Eamonn Davoren, David Blackman, Elaine Fairweather, Matt Long, Greg Hadfield (apologies if I've forgotten anyone)

1. Minute's silence for Barbara Wiseman
2. New members Raychel Harvey-Jones, Paul Farley, Jessica Bauldry, Simon Milham, Stephanie Jones were accepted
3. Election of officers:
Adam Juniper - chair
Su Quinn - welfare officer
Nic Tann - treasurer
Cath Quinn - co-secretary
Rachael Glazier - co-secretary
4. Agreed to continue affiliation to Justice for Columbia (£50)
5. Nominations for National Exec. Will wait until next meeting as deadline is November 26
6. Nominations for industrial council. Adam interested in new media before, Rachael to find out info
7. Nominations for elected bodies at annual delegate meeting. David Blackman interested in more info on disabled members' council, Rachael to forward info
8. Agreed to donate £50 to New Popular Weekly, paper of OPZZ trade union (Poland)
9. Discussed Nov 5. Elaine expressed interest in attending the NUJ's lobby of the Society of Editors meeting in Manchester on November 5. The branch discussed trying to recruit new members on this day, perhaps at Lewes. The officers will discuss details, any ideas welcomed
10. Christmas party dates discussed. Rachael suggested choosing a Thursday this year. Need to find a pub with disabled access. Discuss again at next meeting
11. Any other business: Elaine mentioned issues with the NUJ freelance office not being well-informed in journalism issues and changing of payment terms at Daily Mail. Rachael to write to freelance office to discuss this
12. Present given to outgoing secretary Adrian Colley as thanks for all his hard work over the years

FAO City College students

Thanks for listening yesterday. If you want to join the NUJ as a student member then here's where you go:

http://www.nujtraining.org.uk/studentreg.phtml

Keep an eye on this site for local events. Don't forget you are all invited to the Christmas party. Not sure when that is but come along whether you join the branch or not - it's a chance to talk to local journos and a good night out.

One message I really wanted to get over (and forgot to mention) was "please read your contract when you get a job". In my experience hardly anyone does and it can make a big difference and save a lot of time if you do this.

Thank you

I am overwhelmed by the generosity shown to me on Wednesday and would like to thank everyone for my presents - you shouldn't have. But thanks anyway.

I shall be following Sussex events closely from my new home in Kyiv and wish everyone the very best. Good luck, the branch is in good hands and keep the faith.

Today's agenda

BRIGHTON AND MID SUSSEX NUJ ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Minute's silence for branch Barbara Wiseman, 96, who died last month.

1 Apologies

2 New members - Raychel Harvey-Jones, Paul Farley, Jessica Bauldry, Simon Milham, Stephanie Jones.

3 Election of officers.

i) Chair
ii) Secretary
iii) Treasurer
iv) Welfare officer

4 Correspondence - copies of Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom mag available. Plea for donation to New Popular Weekly, paper of OPZZ trade union with 800,000 members. At risk of closure, facing right-wing government.

5 Affiliation to Justice for Colombia. We have been affiliated to this organisation which helps trade unionists in Colombia who run the gauntlet of death squads and
intimidation in the course of their duties

6 Nominations for National Executive Council. Anyone want to serve on the union's most powerful body. We can nominate for the regional seat - SE England, which has three reps, or for industrial sectors where we have members - eg book, magazines, broadcasting, freelance, new media. We have up until November 26 to make nominations.

7 Nominations for industrial councils - there are currently seats to fill on ethics council, freelance industrial council, new media IC, magazine and book IC and newspapers and agencies IC. If you want to stand we can nominate you today!

Annual Delegate Meeting-elected bodies - eg ethics council, equality council, journalist editorial board, women's TUC delegation, disabled members' council
committee of British national pensioners' convention, TUC delegations. We have until November 26 to make nominations. Please consider if you would like to serve on one of the union's decision/policy-forming bodies.

8 November 5th - Stand Up for Journalism day. What do we want to do?

9 Christmas party. What dates are preferred? Where shall we hold it?

10 Any other business

Accounts for year ending September 30, 2007

The branch gets 5% of every member's subscription. We get this in the form of quarterly installments from HQ and this more than funds branch activities. We now have, as of August 31, £2,692.78 in the Unity Trust Bank.

This year we spent £1,350.57 and received £1,709.26. So we are in a healthy position in that we have twice as much money in the bank as we have spent in the last year. As a comparison, in the 12 months up to September 30, 2006 we spent £1,166.15 and received £1,821.40.

In the last year I wrote 16 cheques, itemised below. Branch running costs have been about 40% of expenditure and party costs have been around the same! The only unpaid bill is a cheque soon to be written to Rachael Glazier for costs she has incurred in the past few months and for which she has not yet made a claim.

Cheques paid out:
JFC affiliation - £50
Searchlight - £50
AGM costs of newsletter printing, after-meeting drinks, taxi for Barbara Wisemen - £42
AGM room hire - £34
Jemima Kiss for hire of web domain - £6.78
Deposit for Xmas party room hire - £40
Stamps - £115
Xmas party drinks bill - £202.40
CPBF subs - £25
Sundry items - envelopes, printing, wine for guest speaker - A Colley £20
500 stamps - £123.90
Wine for Andrew Crofts - £13.99
Rachael Glazier - £45
Adrian Colley - £440. Includes cost of food and drink for barbecue (£), drinks bill at Bedford Tavern (£159.40) and donation to NUJ Extra charity (£120). For convenience I paid NUJ Extra the
money raised from the raffle and then wrote myself a cheque for the barbie/drinks bill and charity payment.
500 stamps - £120
Photocopying - £22.50 - paid to R Glazier

Total £1,350.57

ADMINISTRATION = £543.17

Stamps £358.90
Room hire - £34
Web costs - £6.78
Other costs - photocopying, envelopes, taxi for member from AGM, presents for speakers - £143.49

CHARITY DONATION = £120

ENTERTAINMENTS £562.40

Xmas party £242.40
Summer barbie £160
Night in pub at postponed barbie - cost of drinks. £159.40

AFFILIATIONS = £125

Justice for Colombia - £50
Trade Union Friends of Searchlight - £50
Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom - £50
Income from HQ - £1,709.26

INCOME = 1,709.26

Four quarterly payments - £414.08; £402.10; £435.77; £457.31

2007 annual meeting

The annual meeting this year will be later this month on September 26 in Brighton in the Stanmer Room at the Brighthelm Centre.

Joint secretary Adrian Colley is stepping down so the branch is likely to need new blood to help run affairs.

Please think about whether you can lend a hand. Last year I said helpers had to come forward or the branch would fold. As it turned the ultimatum worked and we have had three well-attended social events (Xmas party; barbie and Bedford Tavern drinking session) and several good speaker - Andrew Crofts, Joanne Mallon and Anthony Rowlinson come to mind - as a result.

Contact us if you need details on how to get there!

Simpson speaks

Beeb World Affairs editor John Simpson talks about his new book Not Quite World's End at The Venue in Quarry Lane, Chichester on Saturday October 13 at 8pm.

It takes an upbeat view of the globe's troubles. Tickets are £13.

Tunney's triumph

Sussex-based NUJ member Sean Tunney has just had a book published - Labour and the Press 1972-2005.

It tells the story of how the Labour party transformed its relationship with the national press, allowing the emergence of New Labour.

It covers the party's overall development from the days of Harold Wilson, through its flirtation with Daily Mirror tycoon and thief Robert Maxwell to the approach of Tony Blair.

Sean is a lecturer at Roehampton College in London and has worked on the FT and on local newspapers in Crawley. It's published by Sussex Academic Press - call 01524 68765 for a copy. £40 hardback, £15 softback. Sean says it's so far selling better in the US than in the UK.

Get involved!

If you want to serve on some of the NUJ committees then now's your chance. HQ are looking for people for, among others:

NUJ Extra (the union charity)
Disabled Members' Council
Standing Orders Committee
Committee of British National Pensioners' Convention
Equality Council
Journalist Editorial Advisory Board
Women's TUC delegation
TUC delegation

All the above are elected by a vote of delegates at next year's ADM in Belfast. If you want to be nominated by the branch then put your name forward and the branch can forward your candidacy. We can do this at this month's or next month's meeting.

Justice for Colombia

We have a DVD on the situation faced by trade unionists in Colombia if anyone wants it. Reaffiliation ot the JFC campaign will be on Wednesday's agenda. You can also buy JFC Christmas cards, so get your order in early.

CPBF magazines

Several copies of the July-August edition of Free Press - the journal of the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom - available. Drop us a line if you want one. Issues covered include the CPBF's agm in July and the investigative journalism summer school held in London.

More training

And these courses are free. The General Federation of Trade Unions is running 61 courses next year, all over the UK.

Too many to list but several are in London or Bedford. Accommodation, travel and meals are paid for by the trust.

Sample courses include dealing with bullying and harassment; pensions; courses for reps, building self esteem and assertiveness; public speaking; green issues; health and safety.

I repeat, these courses are FREE. So well worth a look. Booklet's available at Wednesday's meeting.

ADM important dates

Early heads up for the annual delegate meeting in Belfast next April (3rd to 6th).

Deadlines are

November 26 for motions the branch might want to propose

February 1 for close of amendments/confirmation of motions/nominations of delegates

March 14 for close of online registration of delegates.

Searchlight magazine

September's issue of the anti-fascist mag available. I can chuck it in the post. This month's accompanied by an Extra supplement on the Rock Against Racism music movement of the late 70s.

Guaranteed to bring a tear to the rheumy eye of ex-pun/reggae/ska aficionados.

Union rep courses in Sussex

Sussex Downs college is running courses in Bognor and Newhaven.

Stepping up the Advanced course for Union Reps 10 days (10 x Wed 26th Sept to 5th Dec 2007)

Union Reps - stage 1. 10 days (10 x Fri 28th Sept to 7th Dec 2007)

Health and Safety - stage 1. 10 days (10 x Tues 25th Sept to 4th Dec 2007)

Next steps for Safety Reps. 10 days (10 x Thurs 27th Sept to 6th Dec 2007)

Union Learning Reps ‘Certificate’ courses:

ULR Module (Information Advice & Guidance) - 3 days (17th, 18th & 21st Sept ‘07)

Union Learning Reps - 5 days (5 x Mon 24th Sep to 29th Oct 2007)

ULR Module (Skills for Life) - 3 days (Mon 5th, 12th & 19th Nov 2007)

ULR Module (Working with Employers) - 3 days (Mon 26thNov,3rd&10thDec2007)

ULR Module (Information Advice & Guidance) - 3 days (17 - 19th Dec 2007)

Short ‘Award’ Courses

Tackling Work-related Stress - 3 days (10th – 12th Dec 2007)

Tackling Bullying at Work - 3 days (12th – 14th Dec 2007)

Grievance & Disciplinary - 3 days (17–19 Dec 2007)

1 year ‘Diploma’ courses

Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety - 1 year (36 x Wed 19th Sept 2007 to 9th Jul 2008)

Certificate in Employment Law - 1 year (36 x Thur 20th Sept 2007 to10th Jul 2008)

These are informal gatherings to get informed, exchange ideas and most importantly exchange contact details.

Union Reps Networking Event - Monday 22 Oct 2007 (11am to 2pm)

Health and Safety Reps Networking Event Thursday 8 Nov 2007 (2pm to 5pm)

Union Learning Reps Networking Event Thursday 18th Oct 2007 (9.30am to 12.30pm)

Don’t’ forget - if you have 14 Reps to train – their tutors can come to you! Visit the own website at; http://www.sussexdowns.ac.uk/unionlearn/

Not able to get to a classroom? Why not register for an ‘online’ unionlearn course?

Visit the national unionlearn website at; http://www.unionlearn.org.uk/courses/index.cfm

Barbara Wiseman - 'What a woman'

About 50 people attended the cremation of Barbara Wiseman earlier today in Brighton.

Family and friends came from afar to pay their last respects and swap stories about a singular stalwart of the British Communist Party. For those who don't know, for most of her life Barbara was a leading light in this country's Communist party.

The 45-minute tribute at the Downs Crematorium was almost a social history of UK communism as several speakers remembered Barbara, who died on August 16 at the age of 96. They gave a snapshot of a different era and also provided ample evidence of Barbara's burning passion, unswerving commitment and energy, which despite the encumbrances of age were evident whenever she came along to NUJ meetings.

Always a clear, precise and eloquent speaker, Barbara's NUJ contributions were built upon a career of activism. Speakers recalled events from 60 years - one comrade remembered cycling
to Croydon with Barbara in the 1950s armed with a podium and a loudhailer. She sold the Daily Worker while Barbara used the loudhailer to spread the message. This, in the days when a communist meeting in Kingston could attract an attendance of 1,000. Another friend told the gathering - "I used to tell a friend the stories about her and though she'd never met Barbara, she commented 'What a woman'.

Others paid tribute to Barbara's ability to motivate, advise and listen. Age hardly seemed to wither her. Ten years ago, she travelled to an international communist convention in Cuba - she was one of the branch's first speakers back in 1998 when she recounted her experiences from this trip to the Caribbean.

Even at the age of 95 her strength was undimmed. Eighteen months ago, Barbara travelled to Kenya and then to Australia and New Zealand. Only two years ago, we were told, her failing eyesight meant she could not write, so she dictated the first 50,000 words of a novel to a friend!

To end, many of her former colleagues trooped out of the Crematorium with their right fists raised as the communists' anthem - The Internationale - was played on the PA.

Barbara would have enjoyed that!

Support for asylum seeker member

Mansoor Hassan, an NUJ member, is under threat deportation even though he and his family would be at serious risk after he exposed Pakistani politicians involved in honour killings.
Please support him by signing a petition to urge the Home Secretary to allow him to remain. Click on the title to sign.

STAND UP FOR JOURNALISM SPECIAL

On November 5th, NUJ members across all sectors and regions will take part in a day of action in defence of quality and standards in media, against job cuts and for fair pay and decent pensions. The NUJ is urging EVERY member, chapel and branch to get involved. For more ideas and resources visit www.standupforjournalism.org.uk.

Online petition
Please sign the petition and urge non-members to do the same. It is our chance to send a loud and clear message to all media owners about the importance we as professionals attach to having the necessary resources - staff, terms and conditions, budgets - to enable us to produce quality media.
Click here to sign: www.ipetitions.com/petition/standupforjournalism

Discuss your sector issues online
A Stand Up for Journalism discussion board has been set up for members to debate the issues which are affecting them. You can share ideas and inspiration for the day and debate ways to protect journalism for the future.
Join the board at www.standupforjournalism.org.uk

Contact your MP
Email your MP here and ask them to sign Early Day Motion 1994. Check if your MP has signed by visiting http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=33860&SESSION=885.
There are also postcards available to send to your MP. These can be requested from campaigns@nuj.org.uk

The fight for pensions continues

In recent months union members have fought key campaigns to protect their pension schemes. Yet despite the union's campaigning work company after company is looking to save money by shifting the burden for paying for pensions on to staff, closing down schemes and replacing them with inferior ones or significantly reducing benefits.

As part of a renewed campaign to defend occupational pensions and to expose the current state of pension provision in the industry in the run up to the union-wide day of action on 5 November (Stand Up for Journalism) the NUJ has launched a new survey.

Please take a few minutes to fill it in - the results will help inform the union's workplace pensions campaigning over the coming months. Click on the title link to take the survey.

Reuters/Thompson merger

Is your MP one of the 28 who has signed up to the NUJ Parliamentary Group's Early Day Motion (EDM) on the Reuters/Thompson merger? You can find out at http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=33770&SESSION=885.
The EDM calls on the merged company to honour its commitments to the pension schemes and to maintain the integrity and independence of the company's news output.
Email your MP to sign up to EDM 1912 at www.writetothem.com.

Newsquest action

Action being taken at Glasgow. Read all about it at
http://business.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1121572007

Charity jackpot

Love and kisses to everyone who turned last night. It was a great effort on a foul night and we have raised £120 for NUJ Extra thanks to your doughty attendance.

Forgot to take my camera along so there are no pix. Lots of people won prizes and I hope some of you are happy with them and apologies to the person who entered hoping for a crate-full of booze but who ended up with the guidebook to Birmingham. All the good prizes were down to Rachael's efforts - all the bad ones down to me, if you're looking for a scapegoat!

Looks like the barbie will be rearranged for one of the last three days in August. Don't forget the meeting later this month, with speaker Formula 1 expert Anthony Rowlinson.

Wet weather plan

You may have noticed there's been a wee bit of rain about the last few days, so we've come up with a wet weather plan. It's a complicated one: if it rains, we'll meet at a pub instead. That took days of planning.

The pub is the Bedford Tavern on Western Street, almost opposite Embassy Court and very close to the Peace Statue. Once there we will drink, chat and, eventually, send some poor sod out into the rain to cook all the food.

If the weather is okay then the plan is still to meet at the groyne to the east of the Meeting Place cafe (near the Peace Statue) today, Thursday July 5, about 7ish.

Free booze, food and a brilliant raffle with more prizes than you can shake a stick of rock at. We look forward to seeing you all. Non-members are welcome too.

If anyone gets lost on the day please give Rachael a call on 07939 258 172 or Adrian on 07944 566 728.

Beach Barbie

We're nearly there. Wednesday is booze-buying day. The fun starts at 7.30pm on Thursday at the groyne next to the Meeting Place cafe on Hove seafront. Look at the sea from the cafe and the groyne is about 70 to 100 yards to your left.

We'll have a short meeting first followed by sossie rolls and drinks after. Don't forget to buy some raffle tickets - all for charidee - as we have some brilliant and some not-quite-as-brilliant prizes up for grabs.

Book it!

Picked up a couple of books which anyone is welcome to borrow - email us and I can bring it to the beach barbie next week.

First up is Nobody Told Us We Are Defeated by ex-Argus journo Rory McCarthy - stories of ordinary people in the aftermath of the Iraq war. Bloody excellent

Second is Young Stalin by Simon Sebag Montefiore. 'Rip-roaring' barely does it justice. It's like the best thriller I've ever read. Bloody brilliant.

Third up is the NUJ Centenary Book, which I haven't read yet. You can borrow it, or buy it for a tenner direct from HQ.

Space wanted

Does anybody out there know of anyone with anywhere that Stephen, a musician, can rent at a reasonable cost to use as a teaching space (no loud bangy stuff -- honestly) and maybe storage for the (hopefully) short space of time between his selling his flat (going through now) and us buying anew house? I thought maybe a room above a shop, an attic or converted garage or somesuch might be suitable.

Contact Naomi Marks at naomi_marks@yahoo.co.uk

Bordeaux-ed of work? Drink this then

Dourthe, a renowned Bordeaux producer, has kindly donated a mixed case of Bordeaux. That's 12 bottles of wine waiting to be quaffed. I would expand more but my wine knowledge is pretty low despite (or possibly because of) a drunken wine course. A quick google shows Tim Atkin of the Observer likes some Dourthe wines, so that's okay then.

Tony Benn back in the Frontline

A panel including former Labour MP Tony Benn, Times columnist David Aaronovitch and NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear will be discussing the future of the NUJ at the Frontline Club on Friday 15 June.

The world is changing fast, with new media springing up and the old ones rushing to keep up. Journalists are driven harder to keep their publications going, often for less reward. The union has a vital role to play but what approach should it take?
This and other key questions about the role of the NUJ will be addressed at a lively discussion led by the panel.

The event will double as the London launch of the union's acclaimed history book - JOURNALISTS: 100 years of the NUJ - by Tim Gopsill, editor of the Journalist, and Greg Neale, former Father of the NUJ Chapel at the Times and the founding editor of BBC History magazine. Published by Profile Books at £17.99, it will be on sale at the special price of £10.

The debate is at 7.30 pm on Friday June 15 at the Frontline Club, Paddington. Admission £7.00. The Club is at 13 Norfolk Place, two minutes from Paddington station. Walk up Praed Street towards Edgware Road and Norfolk Place is second on the right.

Places are limited so please book in advance. Go to www.frontlineclub.com

Desperately seeking staff (freelance)

Ilex Press are always on the look out for indexers, thorough proof readers and copy editors, and are very desperately seeking Americanisers, anyone with any experience editing in and converting to American English. If you can do any of these give Adam Juniper a call on 01273 403 124 or e-mail juniper@ilex-press.com.

Ilex is part of the Ivy Group, and produces illustrated books on everything from Digital Photography to Erotic Comics (no, really) - the work is akin to working through magazine spreads, though there tend to be more of them.

Wow wow wow

Like spoilt children you will probably refuse to read any post that doesn't include a prize, so here it is - the last of the prizes piled up in my now very cramped flat.

Two day passes for Senspa at Careys Manor Hotel in Brockenhurst, Hampshire. Winners will be able to relax and use the facilities all day at this New Forest spa and a delicious spa lunch is included, as is a mind and body class. The spa has six thermal rooms, experience showers and swimming pool. Visit www.senspa.com for more information.

A session at the Aveda concept salon Mowgli. Tucked away in Primrose Hill, London, Mowgli is offering an Organic Express treatment which involves a hair spa and blowdry. For those who don't know what a hair spa is (and I get the feeling that will be, ooh, pretty much everyone), oils and proteins are used to put some life, swing and general pizazz back into your locks.
www.mowglihaircutters.com

What, even more prizes?

Yup, we think you lot are great so we've snaffled even more prizes.

First up is a hamper from Jordans. Perfect for the low-GI fanatic who enjoys breakfast thanks to the numerous packets of porridges and cereals, and a special, luxury muesli. All housed in a recyclable, happy cardboard box with waterbased ink. Makes you feel good in the morning.

Next up is something that is not even worth telling you about as I plan to buy all the tickets so I can win this. But here are the details anyway so you can see what you are missing out on. It's one set of the five shortlisted novels and the winner of this year's Independent Foreign Fiction Prize with a bottle of Champagne Taittinger Brut Reserve Non Vintage. The winning novel is The Book of Chameleons by the Angolan author José Eduardo Agualusa, and his translator Daniel Hahn.

Next, a bit of booze. We have been given two bottles of limited edition Apsinthion Absinthe. The bottles are rather handsome and apparently the liquid inside is also rather lovely. The Apsinthion Grand De Luxe Absinthe won 'Best in Class' at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in 2005 with it's De Luxe variant and 2007 sees the launch of the super-premium Apsinthion Grand De Luxe, of which only 1000 bottles per year available - we've got two so start saving your pennies for the raffle tickets.

Free food for starving hacks

I feel slightly uncomfortable perching above throbbing gristle, but here it goes anyway, it's the next update on prizes for the summer party.

This post is dedicated to all the rather nice restaurant people who have offered us meals for the raffle.

Thai-ed to London?
Then get down to The Mango Tree who is offering a free meal for two as one of the prizes. The award-winning Thai restaurant is also giving the winner a bottle of house wine with the meal. Having just looked at the website and recognised the interior, I can confirm that the food is indeed rather fab, having been there only two months ago. Dishes include Pla Pow, a grilled fillet of sea bass wrapped in banana leaf and fresh lemon grass served with spicy lime sauce and Larb Pla Tuna, a north-eastern-style tuna salad with dry chilli and lemon grass. Yum.
It is very close to Victoria station, ideal for all you commuters. www.mangotree.org.uk

Hop along to Oblong
Oblong has singlehandedly elevated the status of George St in Hove from culinary desert to foodie heaven since opening earlier this year. Owned by the quiff-sporting Mark, Oblong has a funky cooking-style while sticking to local, seasonal ingredients. The prize is a two-course meal for two, and if you are lucky there might be a spare table on the fabulous roof terrace. Typical dishes include wild salmon pink pepper crusted wild salmon steak with spring onion, maple syrup and griddled pickles and rump of lamb with feta and roasted vine cherry tomato salad.
www.oblongrestaurant.com

Dorset for the evening
The Dorset is an old favourite in the North Laine of Brighton. The continental bar/restaurant is always crowded at the weekend with folk able to sit outside, sip a beer and watch passers-by struggle with their bags of empowering crystals. The restaurant is popular with families and couples alike thanks to its generous portions of French bistro-style food. Manager Thomas is giving the NUJ a meal up to the price of £30 as a prize. Dishes include aubergine stuffed with gruyere, oregano and wild mushroom risotto served with tomato salsa and roasted pine nuts, and whole roasted seasbass crammed with lemon and thyme and served with parmesan rocket salad.
www.thedorset.co.uk

Throbbing Gristle

This is not a pornographic post.

I have two tickets for avant-garde industrial noise merchants Throbbing Gristle show on Saturday at the Tate where they play along to Derek Jarman films.

TG's lead singer Genesis P Orridge was a bloke, now he's a bird. Possibly the weirdest man/woman on the planet. I met him once in a Shaftesbury Avenue kebab shop in 1985 where he was accompanied by lesbian novelist Kathy Acker and he gave me his autograph and she gave me hers. It was my first brush with a superstar.

More here: http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/thelongweekend2007/9027.htm

Tickets are free - can't make the show cos I'm playing cricket.

Beach Barbie brill prize No3

It was a dump 20 years but now Birmingham's brill. Apparently.

And we've got a guide book to the concrete citadel as one of our barbecue special prizes. Maybe not as special as Rachael's goodies (see below) but it's hard to top them.

Worth at least a tenner and after spending three nights there at last month's ADM it has to be admitted - Brum's on the up.

NUJ ePetition - Newsquest's Scottish titles need your support

The NUJ ePetition is calling on Gannett/Newsquest to abide by the assurances they provided to the Competition Commission in 2003 on the transfer of The Herald, Sunday Herald and Evening Times and stop cutting jobs in these titles. Those assurances included their stated intention to maintain the quality and level of coverage of Scottish issues and opinions. For the third year in a row profits have increased at Newsquest (Herald & Times) and for the third year in row management have demanded job cuts across the board.

The Herald's position as a national newspaper is seriously under threat.
The Sunday Herald's role as an award-winning quality Sunday title is at risk.
The ability of Evening Times journalists to sustain the high profile campaigning identity of the paper is being dramatically undermined.
The real danger to these prestigious Scottish titles comes directly from Newsquest's demand for job cuts in each of the last three years.
Their profitable return on investment has been over 35% during this period. This is more than double the average company performance in the UK (14.8%)
Profits from the three titles more than doubled last year to almost £20million.
Parent company Gannett has a current operating revenue of $8033 million.
Now Chief Executive Tim Blott is demanding up to £3million savings from staff.

The Scottish public and civic society must stand up for these newspapers, which are much more important to this country than aspirations and demands of Newsquest shareholders. We need your support to protect titles which are an essential part of Scottish cultural, political and civic life.

Write to the company expressing your concerns and sign the petition.
Tim Blott, Chief Executive, Newsquest (Herald and Times) Limited, 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow G2 3QB.
Click here to sign the NUJ ePetition @ http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/heraldandtimes/

Free Press

Copies of the March/April edition of Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom's mag available. We can chuck em in the post if you email nujbrighton@gmail.com

Beach barbie and ken - get the look

Who needs books when you can have perfect skin? For those journalists who are bored of trying to look clever and want to add a bit of fun and frivolity to their lives, we have some pretty prizes for you in the summer raffle. First up is the Elemis Dream Journey Vanity Case worth £85, generously donated by Elemis.

















For the blokes Biodroga has rather fabulously donated a set of grooming products worth more than £100, including Facial Wash, 24hr Moisturizer, Morning Fit gel, and Vitalizing shower Gel.

And finally, for those whose hands are a mess of ripped cuticles and shredded nails, we have a manicure kit from www.GlossOnline.co.uk containing French Manicure duo, Mini Avoplex Lotion and Essie Crystal Nail File & Polish Set. All Brighton&Mid-Sussex NUJ members can get 10% when ordering online at www.GlossOnline.co.uk, contact Rachael at rachael_glazier@yahoo.co.uk for more info.

More prizes to be announced soon...

Educate...Agitate...Integrate

5 May, London - One-day conference on integration
The Guardian's Michael White and The Telegraph's Chi Chan will lead a discussion about the impact of the convergence and integration of media technologies on the role of journalists. Standards, ethics, staffing levels and much more will be discussed at this important round table discussion. If you would like to attend please contact campaigns@nuj.org.uk as soon as possible. Find out more about the conference by going to www.nuj.org.uk/inner.php?docid=1686.

Beach barbie grand draw Prize No1

You may have read recently that the union has been infiltrated by rootin', tootin', neocon-shootin' lefties and that civilisation is under threat etc etc.

Well here's further proof. Prize No1 for our summer beach barbie raffle is the Fidel Castro handbook, written by none other than that bloke off the telly, George Galloway. Worth a nominal £15. It is indeed written by Mr Galloway Respect MP for Bethnal Green and Bow.

400+plus pages but maybe half feature pictures of some bloke with a beard and of course an obligatory one of George embracing said fungus face. It's quite a breezy, if somewhat hagiographic, read. I thought it was bloody excellent. Published by MG Publications, other subjects in the series include Elvis, Che, cartoonist R Crumb, Jackie Onassis and Muhammad Ali. An eclectic bunch! Wonder if George wrote them too.

We're having a raffle at the barbie at the end of June to raise money for NUJ extra, which is the charity that helps impoverished journos down on their luck by topping up meagre pensions, for example, or making grants.

And don't worry, bear with us as we whip up the excitement to a feverish froth of unbearable expectation by announcing, weekly, prizes at the do. We do hav other stuff which is even better than this. Stay tuned to this site for the next one, which is definitely not two copies of the Fidel Castro handbook.

May Searchlight

May edition of the anti-fascist magazine Searchlight available - out in time for the May local elections, and features an item on efforts to in Bognor to counter far-right candidates.

Rover returns

At a recent meeting someone told one of us: "You should get a war correspondent to come and speak." Allah be praised, there's one in town next week, straight outta Baghdad, although we can't claim any credit for his visit.

You may have already spotted this on the Brighton Festival calendar but former Argus journalist Rory McCarthy is one of the starring attractions next week and some of us remember him as a callow youth, covering the transport beat with commendable vigour. It's on Sunday May 6 at the Old Market in Hove. Rory is the Guardian's Baghdad correspondent and last year wrote a book on the country and how its people are coping with war. He is joined by BBC film-maker Sean McAllister who made the film Liberace in Baghdad, which will be screened at the venue. It will be followed by a round-table debate on Iraq's continuing crisis.

Tickets - call Brighton 709709. Booking fee a despicable £2 but not if you buy direct at the festival box office. Tickets still available on Tuesday!

Job - Culture vulture wanted

Former branch member Jon Pratty is looking for a ‘middle-level journo’ with experience of online working to run Icons Online website. Deadline, Tuesday May 8. Five weeks holiday a year, 37.5 hours a week for £17,500 (we suggest you ask for a wage rise on your first day if you get it). Closing date Tuesday May 8.

ICONS, a major online project funded by Culture Online, is coming under the editorial supervision of the 24 Hour Museum. The job will be an interesting mix of tasks, from sifting nominations for ICON status and answering email enquiries, to researching and writing articles and features for new ICON entries, sourcing pictures and editing and uploading content.

The mix of skills, initiative and judgement needed to do the job successfully means we are seeking a qualified journalist (to NCTJ standard) with recent experience and a self-starting and positive attitude. A willingness to travel around the UK to research information and an interest in culture is essential. Duties include:

• Research and write articles, features and news stories for ICONS / 24HM website.

• Take responsibility for maintenance of the ICONS site. Maintain scrutiny of specific site sections and ensure they are accurate and up-to-date.

• Assist in maintaining a contacts book and story diary

• Liaise with contacts, press officers and PR agencies as necessary.

Plus any other duties that are seen to be appropriate to the post.

Contact Jon Pratty at editor@24hourmuseum.org.uk for an application form or we can forward a pdf on to you!

Crofts original

Cracking effort this evening - more than 20 people turned out for the talk on ghostwriting and freelancing by author Andrew Crofts who had some titillating tales about the likes of Gillian Taylforth and Lady Buck, courtesan (or should that be gold-digger?).

Even the gate-crasher ("I came in here looking for a talk on nuclear power.") hung around for an hour to enjoy the event. She didn't seem particularly interested in joining though.

VIGIL FOR ALAN JOHNSTON - 25 APRIL @ 12.30PM

The NUJ is calling on members to show their support at a vigil for kidnapped BBC correspondent and union member Alan Johnston.

The union, with the support of the International Federation of Journalists, is to stage a vigil for Alan Johnston outside the Palestinian General Delegation office (5 Galena Road, Hammersmith, London W6 0LT) on Wednesday 25 April between 12.30pm and 1.30pm. Members who can are urged to attend to show your solidarity with Alan and efforts to secure his release.

After visiting the NUJ conference last weekend IFJ General Secretary Aidan White arrived in Gaza last night. As an NUJ member Aidan is carrying a message from me on behalf of the NUJ to representatives of the Palestinian Authority demanding action against those who have kidnapped Alan. He is also taking with him a letter demanding Alan's release signed by 177 MEPs - the result of last Monday's day of action in Brussels organised by the IFJ with the support of the NUJ. The NUJ has also organised a day of action in Dublin today.

The US journalists union has also now taken up the campaign after its President Linda Foley attended the NUJ conference and met with NUJ officials.

A report of the trade union meetings with the Palestinian Authorities over Alan's kidnap taking place over the next few days will be given at the vigil. We will hand in a letter demanding further resources and effort be devoted to trying to secure Alan's release and provide information to his family, friends and colleagues.

This latest move comes after meetings and correspondence between the union and UK and Palestinian government representatives over the past few weeks, as well as vital work with the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate to keep up the profile of Alan's plight . All our efforts have been to bring pressure to bear on the authorities, not only to work hard to secure Alan's safety and release but to address the threats to all journalists in the region and to enable them to work free from the threat of kidnap, intimidation and threats.

Please join us at the vigil if you can.
Jeremy Dear
General Secretary

Editorial assistant job

Brighton-based Journalism.co.uk is recruiting an editorial assistant. The news and recruitment website requires someone for web-based marketing research, data input and general admin. This is not a journalistic role but there will be an opportunity to write content for the site.

For more information go to http://www.journalism.co.uk/jobs/3331

Safety of Journalists - Join us in Parliament

You are invited to a discussion to be held in the Wilson Room, Portcullis House, House of Commons on the International News Safety Institute's report Killing the Messenger: The Deadly Price of News, which has as one of its main findings that 1,000 journalists have been killed - many of them murdered - over the last decade. The meeting will be held on Wednesday 25th April from 2pm - 3.30pm. All welcome.

Day 4 - Revenge of the Nerds

Day fur in the Big Brootha House, er, sorry ADM, and top of the viewers’ voting were two former Brighton branch stalwarts. Step forward Helene Mulholland and Jemima Kiss.

They were elected by delegates to the new union body – the Commission on Multi Media Working (Motion 90 – you can read it in full at the main NUJ website). It aims to conduct an intensive study into all union-related aspects of multimedia working – and will look at issues like training, health and safety, use of freelances, wages etc.

And they’re definitely the right people for the job though of course with all the candidates in front of us, we were spoilt for choice. Anyone who knows Jemima is aware of her evangelistic zeal for new media in her former role at Brighton-based journalism.co.uk. And Helene - known to many of us as ‘Len’ when she was secretary in the late 90s and a key figure in the branch’s resurrection – works on the Guardian website. Both were speakers at a fringe meeting on ‘Convergence’ the evening before. Jemima is the recent former chair, now a resident of west London, is also on the union’s new media council. She also works on the Guardian website.

Of particular interest today was the motion on Newsquest, which is the owner of the Brighton Argus. In Glasgow, as publisher of the Herald, Sunday Herald and Evening Times, it has fallen foul of journos. Managers even had the audacity to ask the staff how to save £3m – this, following a £19m profit last year. “Oi, help us make you redundant!” Anyone who has worked for Newsquest would recognise this attitude.

Bradford rep Bob Smith condemned the ‘rapacious greed’ of the Newsquest. He said: “We are looking to attend the Gannett group annual meeting in the US next year (Gannett own Newsquest) to tell them about what is happening on their papers in the UK. We have got to attack them.” The ADM instructed the National Executive Council to support the joint chapels’ campaign to remove the threat of further cuts.

Motions 150 to 175 were on the agenda. Some decisions arising from them:

* There will be 10 issues of the Journalist not nine, published next year. One was to have been dropped but that has been opposed.
* A motion urging the Journalist editor Tom Gopsill to seek to ensure a balanced and fair coverage of Middle East issues was passed.
* Ways to enable an NUJ-hosted email list to allow for ‘sharing of best practice and defence of members’ rights’ will be looked at.
* A union pensioners’ organisation is to be set up.
* The National Executive is to step up its anti-racist campaigning specifically against Islamophobia and support membes prepared to take industrial action to oppose racism.

More contentiously the union will soon have a new code of conduct which is ‘tighter’. See Motion 172 on the main site. The paragraph which mentioned not mentioning a person’s age, gender, race, colour, creed, legal status etc etc has been ditched and sparked a healthy debate with several speakers on both sides.

The one who stood out though was Yorkshire Post reporter Pete Lazenby (star of last week’s Press Gazette NUJ pullout). Basically I’m telescoping his quotes here – He said: “If, after making the morning calls on the newspaper I wrote a story about someone dying in a road crash and left out all the information supplied by the various emergency services (and all of it relevant to what the reader would want to know), I wouldn’t be able to write a story if I take on board what the code of conduct says I should leave out. So instead of a news story revealing all about what had happened and that someone had died in a car crash and who that someone was etc. I’d be left with the story “It is dead.”

And now, thankfully, after the vote so is that part of the code of conduct.

Day 3 of ADM

Day 3
Finance was the first issue of the day. The union, for the first time in a while, has a deficit, so subs have been increased. The maximum increase is £9.60 over the year and will cover funds needed for campaigns such as Journalism Matters as well as training. Student membership has increased from £10 to £25 for the entirety of their course, and with this they are now entitled to a 25% discount on their first full year of membership, providing they join within 12 months of graduating.

Max Clifford and Esther Rantzen are apparently up for grabs if we'd like them to help us raise funds for a welfare campaign. Any suggestions as to how we could use them on a postcard to the usual address please, try to refrain from sending pictures of oddly shaped vegetables at the same time.

The motion to appoint a Photographers' Organiser was remitted. This means the national exec council will investigate the proposal as part of a wider investigation into union staffing over the next 12 months. It was felt that staffing needs to be dealt with in a strategic way to prevent money and time being wasted.

John McDonnell MP gave a talk about the role of journalism in this country, commenting that many MPs only pay lip service to free press. He predicted a future where the media is controlled solely by monopolies and trans-atlantic media barons and urged members to act when Blair finally steps down and the leadership contest begins (as is looking likely). "We should intervene in hustings, asking 'What is your position on free press?', 'What is your position on low pay in journalism?' The free press is fundamental to the future of democracy."

Conference briefly felt like a school playground when the seemingly uncontentious motion to set up virtual branches for those unable to get hold face-to-face meetings was discussed. This motion is especially important for those overseas or disabled as it allows them to debate and choose delegates from their virtual branch so they are represented at ADM. The namecalling started with one delegate opposing the motion calling computer types nerds. Inevitably this was followed by a proposer calling out Luddite from the other corner. Jemima Kiss, ex-chair of this branch, declared herself proud to be a nerd. The opposers, one of whom recommended virtual branches should only be allowed when the "bugs in the email system are sorted out", won the close vote. This branch has been reliably informed that the New Media Industrial Council is considering renaming itself the Nerd Media Industrial Council.

Under government policy there was a call for the extradition of those responsible for the death of ITN reporter Terry Lloyd. It was noted that journalists in Northern Ireland are not receiving adequate protection from the government.

Action was called for amendments to the Freedom of Information Act to speed up the process, as well as to reduce the number of refusals. An American reporter said she was shocked at how difficult it is in the UK to get information, unlike in the USA.

A motion was carried instructing the NEC to encourage disabled members to declare their disability, whether hidden or not, on the understanding that the more members who declare they are disabled, the less disability will be viewed as something that only affects a minority of workers.

ADM - Day 2 (Friday)

Tony Benn at 82 might no longer be an MP but his wit is sharp as a needle and he had the conference roaring.

Wheeled in just after lunch to address his first annual delegate meeting in 58 years as a member of the NUJ - the ADM must have been one of the few forums this inveterate public speaker hadn't addressed - he outlined the importance of the union's work.

"Truth will make you free," he said. And he applauded the work of British journalists - even managing to wring laughs about The Sun's treatment of him ('Benn is bonkers') as it urged voters at a by-election in Chesterfield to kick him out in the 80s. He won by 16,000 votes!

A wide ranging speech scanned 600 years of history - quoting the 1401 Heresy Act (only allowing priests to read the Bible - this was why access to information was paramount) and the verdict of the 1830s writer William Cobbett on the 'enslaved and vile' press of the time. You probably had to be there to but it was a hilarious turn.

As for the rest of the day, well there's no point in trying to list every twist and turn of every argument and list every decision taken on all the issues. But here's a few things that stood out for me (ie I didn't know about them, or they sparked the most debate)

1 General Secretary Jeremy Dear said November 5 will be a huge and vocal protest - a day of action by journalists. Activities will be arranged to coincide with the Society of Editors conference in Manchester.

2 Conference voted narrowly in favour of boycotting Israel goods

3 The BBC reps announced that despite the job cuts at the corporation in the recent turmoil, there had not been a single compulsory redundancy - union activity had succeeded in making great inroads into the degree of suffering of staff as a result.

4 Outsourcing jobs abroad is an increasing concern. David Crouch of the FT said that despite making journalists redundant the FT had recently announced they were creating 'lowly production jobs' in Manila. He warned: "Our members are paying for jobs that are moving to Manila."

5 Former Daily Mail reporter Hal Austin, who is black, said that the number of ethnic minority journalists represented in newsrooms was far too low - and the situation was worse than it was 20 years ago. He urged a 'conversation' to encourage more black representation in newsrooms, pointing out that South London Press which covers Brixton, had no ethnic minority reporters.

6 Freelancer Tim Lezard, formerly of the Gloucester Citizen, said local newspapers were beginning to fail the towns they served. The Citizen had withdrawn its three reporters from the city, moving them to Cheltenham in a bid to cut costs. Inevitably this resulted in good stories being missed. Conference heard that this sort of action by management was being looked at abroad - similar moves had occurred in Norway where union staff had contacted journalists in Britain to swap information on the issue.

That's it for the mo - the above is from my notes and I can put up more once I've gone through the agenda again.

It wasn't all doom and gloom, Tony Benn ensured that. The level of goodwill and energy of all involved so far is a good sign and ever-inventive journos seem to have plenty of answers for the issues some of us will have to confront in the next few years.

Tomorrow, hopefully, Rachael will be posting here.

ADM - Day 1

Your three reps arrived too late to be able to report from any of the sector conferences, at which members in various sectors - newspapers, new media etc - meet to discuss issues important to them.

But I did manage to make the fringe meeting on Islamophobia. Speakers included David Crouch, FT web news editor, Uzma Hussein from the BBC World Service, the new president of the NUJ Michelle Stanistreet (who works on the Daily Express) and Andrew Murray, chair of the Stop the War Coalition.

David Crouch said that there was too much xenophobic journalism in the coverage of the Middle East - a particular example being the recent hostage crisis in Iran.

Michelle Stanistreet circulated copies of the infamous 'Daily Fatwah' which only abrupt action by the Daily Star's NUJ chapel had halted shortly before the evening deadline on night last year. The Star had been due to run a page of 'jokes' at the expense of Muslims. She talked us through the representations made by staff unhappy about the tone of the page and said that a walkout of staff shortly before the deadline had prompted a rethink and the substitution of a feature instead. "We walked out to the canteen and that in itself got the page pulled."

"I am sure in reality that the management are pretty grateful for what the chapel did. I personally received about 300 messages in the next ten days." She said that the Express/Star's steady diet of gypsy-bashing stories and anti-aslyum seeking items had often resulted in a boost in sales across the titles.

Andrew Murray spoke very effectively on the work of the Stop the War Coalition. He said Britain had been failed by its lobby and parliamentary correspondents in the run-up to the Iraq war. He said: "They have uncritically retailed government spin. Our media has amplified the lies used to justify the war in Iraq. This is happening again with Iran."

NUJ birthday book

If you didn't already know, the NUJ is 100 years old this year and, as you may have read in this month's Journalist, the official history has been written.

It's described on the NUJ's home page as "a 320-page history, with more than 80 photographs, written by Journalist editor Tim Gopsill and Greg Neale, former Father of the NUJ Chapel at the Times and the founding editor of BBC History magazine."


There's a form in your copy of the mag or you'll be able to buy it for £10 from Tuesday via the website (accessible by hitting the headline on this item).

April Searchlight

This month's includes a preview of next month's local elections in which the BNP has high hopes of making an impact. Email nujbrighton@gmail.com and we can put it in the post.

Public meeting - Iraq Freedom Congress

On 2 April (Monday) Houzan Mahmoud, co-founder of the Iraq Freedom Congress, will be talking about the situation in Iraq. She has recently returned from the country and will report on the growing struggles of women and workers to build a secular resistance to both the US occupation and the militant political Islamic groups that are plunging Iraq into civil war. These struggles have included

· supporting workers' strikes (for example those in the oil industry and healthcare)
· supporting the protests of students and of the unemployed
· opposing the imposition of Sharia law and its implications for the oppression of women.
· appealing for international support against the US invasion.

Mahmoud is the representative abroad of both the Organisation of Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI) and the Federation of Workers' Councils and Unions in Iraq (FWCUI).

The IFC is based on popular networks of grass root neighbourhood centres where local people gather and organise their self-defence.

Public Meeting
Monday April 2nd 7.30 p.m.
Brighthelm Centre

SfEP AGM and 18th Annual Conference

The Society for Editors and Proofreaders is holding its AGM and 18th Annual Conference at the University of Sussex. Andrew Franklin, publsher and managing director of the multi-award winning Profile Books, will be giving the Whitcombe Lecture.
Other lectures include David and Helen MacDonald of Prepress Projects talking about typesetting skills for copy-editors, and Gill Davies, senior lecturer at the London College of Communication, will be discussing the challenges of being a commissioning editor. There will also be numerous workshops.
It is running from Monday 3 September to Wednesday 5 September. For more information go to http://www.sfep.org.uk/pub/confs/conf2007_advance.asp

Argus subbing school

Hit the headline for a link to a Press Gazette story on a new subbing school at the Argus

Be a welfare officer

HQ is looking for welfare officers to serve every branch and is holding a special conference on Saturday June 23 this year. We are being urged to send someone - any takers out there?

What do you want to talk about?

This month's meeting is on Wednesday March 21 at The George in Trafalgar Street, Brighton. We're drawing up the agenda over the weekend.

So if you have anything you feel we should talk about or act upon please let us know and we can put whatever topic you like on the agenda.

Annual Delegate Meeting

The final agenda for the meeting is now online at the main NUJ site - www.nuj.org.uk. Follow the links.

This month's meeting is now your only chance to influence union policy. Take a look at it, it's a lengthy read, and if anything gets your goat come to the meeting and state your arguments.

A vote of this month's meeting can instruct the three delegates - Rachael Glazier, Cath Quinn and Adrian Colley - to vote in certain ways on the motions.

For example, one motion asks the NUJ to organise a ballot on affiliating to the Keep the NHS Public campaign. We can be instructed to vote in favour or against this by a simple majority of the March meeting.

There are 191 and 12 late motions on the agenda. Click on the headline to take a look.

Make your own radio show, plus other courses from CSV

Make Your Own Radio Show

The course takes place at CSV Media Clubhouse, in the same building as BBC Southern Counties Radio on Queen’s Road, Brighton. In just 10 weeks you’ll get to grips with:

Radio styles and basic radio theory; Digital audio editing using cool edit pro software; Learning / revisiting how to use minidisk kits; Interviewing; Making a feature; Including music and sound effects; scriptwriting for radio; presenting; Producing and programme scheduling

After 10 weeks you will have developed your own programme and have a show reel for potential employers to hear. Above all it means you will have the creative say-so in your own radio programme. The course will begin on Tuesday 27th March (to be confirmed) and will run every Tuesday evening from 6 – 9 pm, for a total of 10 weeks.

The course fee is just £150, payable up front, which helps CSV continue providing services for all our communities. First come first served basis. Contact Erin Prior or Alex Hawkey on 01273 720 894 or brightonclub@csv.org.uk.


Computer courses

Photoshop - learn the basic. Bring along your digital pictures or even an old photograph and unleash your creativity as you learn to edit, restore and even modify your pictures! Dates: 16th March/ 27th Apr

Microsoft Publisher - desktop-publishing programme enables you to quickly design, and publish, a variety of professional-looking publications like newsletters, posters, flyers, brochures, cards, etc. Dates: 23rd Mar/11th May

Digital Camera Workshop - one-day workshop introduces you to the basic features of digital cameras, shows you how to transfer your photos to a computer and provides tips on how to store, organise, enhance and share your digital photographs.
Bring your digital camera. Dates: 30th Mar/18th May

Dreamweaver - design, create and publish your own web page using Dreamweaver, the leading web development software. Dates: 3rd Apr

Adobe Audition - intuitive, easy-to-use digital audio editor provides the flexible, powerful tools you need to record, mix, edit, and master digital audio to professional standards. Dates: 9th Mar/1st June

All courses are at introductory level and best suited for those with little of no knowledge of the subject. However, a basic knowledge of using computers is essential. For more advanced courses or even beginner/refresher course in computers, please contact CSV Media Clubhouse, BBC Southern Counties Radio, 40 - 42 Queens Road, Brighton. Disabled Access available.

Timing: Fridays 10am to 4pm with lunch and tea/coffee breaks. Please arrive 10 mins. early.

Course Fee: £15 for each of the above courses - except Dreamweaver and Adobe Audition, which cost £20. Discounts available to those in receipt of benefit. The full fee is payable in advance by either cash or cheques in order to secure your place. note: Your fee is refundable only if we are notified of cancellation by 5pm on the Tuesday before your course.

Contact: Erin Prior or Alex Hawkey on 01273 720 894 or brightonclub@csv.org.uk

Notes from Joanne Mallon's talk

Those of you who missed Joanne's excellent talk on negotiating rates at last month's NUJ meeting can email her at joanne@medialifecoach.com for a copy of her notes. She will be running a teleclass in the next couple of months on negotiating skills, for more information keep an eye on her website, www.medialifecoach.com, or email her for details.

Iranian asylum-seeker wants experience

An Iranian asylum-seeker Amir, living in the Brighton area is looking for work experience to make use of his journalism skills and possibly gain some new ones. An internet publisher in his home country, he already has experience with web design, Photoshop and Pagemaker and is interested in learning about and working with Quark and Dreamweaver.

He has been denied a work permit but desperately wants to put his experience to good use through voluntary work. His English is very good though he is not fluent. Anyone who can help should contact us at nujbrighton@gmail.com and we can pass on an email for him.

Workplace stress

Stress is one of the biggest health problems NUJ members face. Causes include long hours and shift work, lack of control, lack of job satisfaction, insecurity, fear of violence, bullying, bad relations with other work colleagues, problems with the working environment (such as noise, overcrowding and poor facilities), low pay, boredom and isolation. The NUJ has produced new guidance aimed at tackling stress in the workplace. This can be downloaded here: www.nuj.org.uk

Anarchist films

From Hastings member Stuart Christie:

New films on the ChristieBooks Channel:

An Anarchist's Story
http://www.brightcove.com/title.jsp?title=596410448

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
http://www.brightcove.com/title.jsp?title=572020959

Discovering Treasure: making The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
http://www.brightcove.com/title.jsp?title=570487966

(NB - Please give the streaming videos time to load. If they don't start
playing immediately please be patient and give them a few minutes to load)

http://www.tvhastingschristiebooks.com

March Searchlight

Another brain-bleeding read! March's mag available to first person to email us at nujbrighton@gmail.com

Brighton&Hove Chamber of Commerce AGM

Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce is holding its AGM next Wednesday, 14 March at Fabrica art gallery in Brighton. Nick Lomax, architect of the Jubilee Library, will be speaking and a four-course meal will be served after a Champagne reception. It starts at 7pm and costs £39 for chamber members (£45 for non-members).

The AGM starts at 5.45pm and is free to members, with the reception starting at 7pm. This is a great oppportunity for those wishing to network with local businesses. Discounts are available for those booking a table. For more information go to www.businessinbrighton.org.uk.

Agitate, Educate, Integrate: Shaping the Future

An NUJ conference looking at the impact of convergence and integration on the role of journalists, working practices, training and health and safety will be held on 5 May in London. Book the date in your diary now. For further details email campaigns@nuj.org.uk

Feb meeting - negotiate better rates

Journalist and media career coach Joanne Mallon will be sharing her tips on how to negotiate better rates and terms with commissioning editors. The talk will be held in the upstairs room of the Cricketers Pub on Black Lion Street, Brighton, from 7.30pm, on Tuesday February 27th Feb. Those already freelancing or staffers hoping to earn some money on the side will find this a useful talk packed with practical advice.

Joanne Mallon worked for ten years as a TV producer on shows including GMTV and This Morning, and her media coach work has been featured in The Guardian, The Independent and The Evening Standard. She regularly writes for national newspapers and magazines.

Check out her website at www.MediaLifeCoach.com for more information.

Hope to see you there,

Rachael and Adrian

Sit on regional TUC

The NUJ can appoint five reps to the Southern and Eastern Regional TUC for 2007/8.

The body brings together union reps to campaign and organise on issues like pay. health and safety, racism etc.

If you want to be nominated you need to come forward by noon on March 7.

There are five seats on each of nine councils. They are

Regional Council
Creative and Leisure Industries Committee
Disability Network
International Affairs Commitee
LGBT Network
Race Relations
Women's Rights
Public Services Committee and
Pensioners Network

And there's one seat up for grabs on:
Executive Committee as well as, on the same body,
a reserved women's seat; black, minority seat; disabled seat; youth seat and LGBT seat.

You can get yourself nominated at this month's meeting on Feb 27 at the Cricketers in Brighton.

Black Members' Conference

Confronting cronyism, nepotism and the old boy's network. Saturday 24 February, 10.30am at NUJ Headland House, 308-312 Gray’s Inn Road (nearest tube Kings Cross). Speakers to include Joe Harker, The Guardian; Sonia McKay, Working Lives Research Institute. The day will involve debates, discussion of motions, elections for the Black Members' Council and a buffet lunch. To reserve your place email lenac@nuj.org.uk

Be a mentor

HQ is looking for members to consider becoming NUJ mentors to help support new or inexperienced reps.

So it's looking for experienced members or reps to fill the role - you don't necessarily have to have been a chapel FoC or branch official.

The degree of commitment will vary - it could be training or supporting someone where you work or, at a branch level, being at the end of a phone to help reps.

The union is willing to make training available to any member wanting to be a mentor - if you feel it would be handy. In most cases the arrangement will be more of an informal support mechanism.

We'll be discussing this at the February meeting. So if you feel able to get in touch let us know - we've been asked to forward names of willing candidates to HQ by the end of March.

Freedom of Information Act

Press Gazette is campaigning against Government proposals to place drastic curbs on the Freedom of Information Act. The Freedom of Information Act has shed light on countless stories that would have remained shrouded in secrecy without it. Please lend your support to their campaign by signing their petition at www.pressgazette.co.uk/article/180107/journalism_press_gazette_freedom_of_information_

Sign up for the Photographers' Conference

The first NUJ Photographers' Conference takes places on 27 February and will include an exhibition of NUJ photographers' work. Admission is free to members and £50 to non-members. Numbers are limited to 200 on a strictly first-come, first-served basis. If you wish to register to attend, contact the Freelance Office freelance@nuj.org.uk or see: http://www.nuj.org.uk/inner.php?docid=1539 for details.

February Searchlight

Copy of the latest edition of Searchlight has arrived slightly early. Includes a supplement on the white supremacist hate rock that has evolved on the far right over the years. If you want the mag I can put it in the post. Email nujbrighton@gmail.com

CPBF newsletters

Couple of copies of the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom's Nov/Dec arrived today. Available at tomorrow's meeting or I can put one in the post if you contact nujbrighton@gmail.com

Benn speaks

Tony Benn argues the the case for a socialist labour government at Lewes Town Hall tomorrow (Friday) at a meeting organised by Lewes and District Trades Union Council, and the town's Labour Party.

It starts at 7.30pm. Further details: www.lewesdistricttuc.org

January newsletter

PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU'D PREFER TO RECEIVE AN EMAILED NEWSLETTER RATHER THAN A HARD COPY. FIRST TEN PEOPLE TO DO THIS WILL RECEIVE A FREE DRINK AT THE NEXT MEETING THEY ATTEND!


1 This month’s meeting is in the George Pub on Trafalgar Street in Brighton, in the non-smoking section - we have a table booked – on Wednesday, January 24 from 7.30pm. If you are coming from outside Brighton via the train station, walk under the bridge outside the station. This is Trafalgar Street, the same street that our old meeting place, the Nelson, is on. The George is the veggie pub at the end on your right. If you have any problems finding it call Rachael Glazier on 07939 258172 or Adrian Colley on 07944 566728 on the day.


2 This month's meeting is your chance to represent the branch at the 2007 Annual Delegate Meeting at the Holiday Inn in Birmingham, April 12 to 15. Our current record-breaking numbers (more than 250) mean that this year we can send three delegates instead of the measly two of previous years. So if you are interested in representing the branch then put your name forward either at the meeting or, if you can't attend, via email. If there are more than three candidates, the representatives will be decided by a vote on the night. You must be fully paid-up on the subs front to be a delegate.


3 The preliminary agenda for the ADM has been sent to us. We have two copies. If you want one, we can put it in the post asap. There are 190 or so motions, covering everything from an increase in subscriptions to a motion asking the ADM to condemn the Israeli conflict in Lebanon last year. You can download a copy of the agenda from the bottom of the page at http://www.nuj.org.uk/inner.php?docid=1072


If you want to propose an amendment to any of the motions then you need to come along this month and have it adopted, by a vote of the meeting, by the branch. If you can't make it, then email us and we can consider your request at the meeting. This is the only remaining chance you will have to influence the ADM. In March, we should have the final agenda and that meeting is the chance to influence and propose a branch stance on how our three delegates should vote on any motion. That is, the March meeting can instruct our delegates to vote a certain way on any of the ADM motions.


4 Thanks so much to everyone who responded to our email asking what you'd like from your branch. Among the various suggestions was a request to hold meetings outside of Brighton occasionally. Please let us know if you think this is a good idea, and if so, which town would be best.


We've also received plenty of ideas for talks: how to make more money as a freelancer; how to make it in book publishing; what editors really get up to; and lots of suggestions of potential speakers to approach. More ideas are welcome, including what would entice you to the occasional meeting. Answers on a postcard to nujbrighton@gmail.com or 6a Chatham Place, Brighton, BN1 3TP.


5 And thanks to everyone who turned up a the Christmas do last month. About 30 people attended and we just broke the 200 quid barrier when it came to totting up the booze bill at the end of the evening. If you have any pix we can put them up on the site.


6 We have copies of January's Searchlight, with in-depth assessment of the BNP’s 'successful' 2006 and what can be done to ensure they don't have a good 2007, Justice for Colombia mag and a small pamphlet from Working Class Movement library in Salford. Email nujbrighton@gmail.com and we'll bung them in the post to you.


7 Keep an eye on the branch website at www.nujbrighton.org.uk as it has the latest updates on NUJ campaigns, freelance meetings and general information on Brighton happenings. Feel free to add your own posts, just email nujbrighton@gmail.com to join in.


8 In case you missed it at the top, we'd love to cut down on the number of newsletters sent by post. Please let us know if you would like us to email the newsletter in future.

Annual Delegate Meeting agenda

We have two copies of the Annual Delegate Meeting agenda. Only 190 motions! If you want one we can put it in the post. Or if you go to the NUJ national site - you can download a copy there.

Contact nujbrighton@gmail.com if you want it.

Up for grabs

Email nujbrighton@gmail.com if you want any of the following:

1. January Searchlight, with in-depth assessment of BNP 'successful' 2006 and what can be done to ensure they don't have a good 2007.
2. Justice for Colombia mag.
3. Small pamphlet from Working Class Trade Union library in Salford.

I can chuck them in the post no problem.

January meeting

This month's meeting, we decided today, is on Wednesday January 24. Haven't fixed up a venue yet.