Jim Acosta joins the NUJ Brighton branch

3 December 2018

The Brighton and Sussex branch is preparing to toast its latest member - CNN correspondent and scourge of Donald Trump’s White House Jim Acosta.

There will be an empty chair in the front row of the next Brighton and Sussex branch meeting - and the members are delighted. That seat is now reserved for CNN’s Jim Acosta, the journalist who was stripped of his White House press pass by Donald Trump and then succeeded in having the decision overturned in court.

Branch secretary Brian Williams explains:

"Like journalists everywhere, we were appalled by the dispute between Trump and a highly respected member of the White House press corps.

"What sort of president thinks it’s okay to call a correspondent a 'rude, terrible person' simply because he’s been asked a difficult question?

"Then Trump’s press secretary, Sarah Sanders, shared a video that appears to have been doctored in an attempt to show Jim reacting aggressively to the intern who tried to take the microphone from him during the press conference. And if all that wasn’t bad enough, Jim’s press pass was revoked - a decision that was later overturned by a judge.

"It’s easy to shrug your shoulders and think: well, what else do you expect from Trump? But this was far more serious than that - it was part of the US president’s determined and deliberate attack on a free press.

"In Brighton and Sussex we wanted to demonstrate our support for a fellow journalist who found himself at the centre of an issue that affects us all - not least because Jim conducted himself with such dignity, courtesy and professionalism throughout. So we invited him to join our branch as an honorary member.

"As you can imagine, we were thrilled when he accepted and tweeted that we had just recruited a distinguished new member. It went gangbusters! According to Twitter, 100,000 people have seen that tweet. If they all turn up at our next meeting we’re going to need a bigger room.

"On a more sinister note, a few 'fake news' trolls used it as a chance to abuse Jim, which is of course outrageous but sadly an all-too-common problem for journalists no matter where they work. That’s why we all have to stand up for journalism at every available opportunity.

"We do recognise that Jim may have problems getting to every branch meeting - it’s a fair old step from Washington DC to Brighton. But we will reserve a seat for him - which, he tells us, he’s looking forward to taking when he can.

"We see Jim as a role model for every one of our branch members, so we’ll be raising a glass to him at future meetings and at our Christmas party - which is on Tuesday 11 December if you’re free that evening.

"We haven’t decided on the toast yet, but at branch meetings we do our best to keep matters short and to the point. In line with that policy, I’ll be voting for: Jim Acosta - the journalist’s journalist. We salute you."

Story on NUJ site

https://www.nuj.org.uk/news/jim-acosta-brighton/

Christmas Party

We'd like to buy you a drink (and give you a nibble!) - so please join us for the branch Christmas party on Tuesday, December 11. If you enjoyed our summer social, you'll love this.

We've booked an area of Easy Tiger Brighton, which you may know better as The Hampton on Upper North Street, Brighton, from 7pm onwards. What better way to meet fellow NUJ members? And if you know someone who isn't a member but might like to join, bring them along.

To ensure we reserve the right amount of space we need to have an idea of numbers. So if you fancy coming, let us know.

And if that isn't enough excitement for one diary, don't forget we have a regular branch meeting this Thursday (Nov 29) in The Craft Beer Co pub. We gather from 7pm and start the meeting at half-past. It's a packed agenda (including the Johnston Press fall-out, help for freelances and mentoring for young journalists) but we look to be finished by 8.45. Some of us like to socialise afterwards, but it's not compulsory! Hope to see you soon.

Brian Williams
(On behalf of the branch committee)

Next meeting: Thursday, November 29 7pm

The recently revitalised Brighton and Sussex branch is going from strength to strength – which is just as well in these troubled times.

Our next meeting is on Thursday, November 29, and there is much to talk about. How can we best support our colleagues in Johnston Press following the company's controversial sale? How can we help freelances maximise their income? How can we give young journalists starting out on their careers the help and training they deserve? We've got a number of suggestions, but we'd really like to know what you think.

As usual, the idea is to gather at the Craft Beer Co pub in Upper North Street, Brighton, from 7pm, with the meeting itself starting at 7.30.

If you're slightly nervous at the thought of walking into a room full of strangers, don't worry. We're a friendly lot who are more interested in making new friends than debating tedious motions for hours on end. And parents may be interested to note that we are now able to offer a contribution of up to £30 towards childcare costs for those who wouldn’t have been able to get there otherwise.

Hope to see you there.

Brian Williams

(On behalf of the branch committee)

October-fest Branch meeting: Nancy Platts and Chris Wheal

It’s branch meeting time again – and have we got a stellar line-up for you this month!

Star of the show is suffragette and trade union activist Clementina Black – friend of Eleanor Marx and the first person to move a resolution at the TUC calling for equal gender pay. Sadly, Clementina can’t be there in person owing to the unfortunate fact she died in 1922. But her memory will be honoured by Brighton & Hove City councillor Nancy Platts, who is spearheading a campaign to have a blue plaque put up outside the house in Ship Street where she was born. A small NUJ contribution towards the cost will be proposed.

Also on the bill, and very much alive, is Chris Wheal – a driving force behind the union’s charity, NUJ Active. Chris has some incredible stories to tell of fellow journalists who have fallen on hard times, and how they have then been helped by NUJ Active. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and – if Chris is on his usual form – you’ll willingly put your hand in your pocket when he’s finished.

There are some branch affairs to attend to as well, not least giving some thought to our Christmas social and how we can best take the show on the road to places such as Worthing, Eastbourne and Lewes. But once that’s done we can get down to the serious business of gossiping, networking and making new friends.

So, make a note in your diary now. The branch meeting is on Thursday, October 25. As usual, the idea is to gather at the Craft Beer Co pub in Upper North Street, Brighton, from 7pm, with the meeting itself starting at 7.30. And parents may be interested to note that, following our last get-together, we are now able to offer a contribution of up to £30 towards childcare costs for those who wouldn’t have been able to get there otherwise.

If you can’t make it to the meeting, but would like to know more, drop us a line. And don’t forget that branch officers are able to help, advise and represent you where there is no chapel official to do so (which, sadly, is just about the case everywhere in the branch at present).

We hope to see you on Thursday, October 25.

Best wishes

Brian Williams (on behalf of the branch committee)

http://www.thecraftbeerco.com/brighton/

Tomorrow's meeting: AGM and Wetherspoons strike

Wetherspoons' staff in Brighton are planning to go on strike. Find out why, when and how we can support them from their union reps at this week's NUJ branch meeting.

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/16610332.brighton-wetherspoons-staff-threaten-strike-action-over-poverty-wages/

You'll also get the chance to meet Richard Palmer, the man who represents this area on the union’s NEC. He wants to know what the NUJ can do for you.

This will be our annual general meeting – at which the branch officers for the coming year will be elected. Posts up for election include Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. We also need an enthusiastic and energetic committee. If you’re interested in taking a more active role, or simply want to know more, contact acting branch secretary Brian Williams using this email address.

The meeting is on Thursday 27 September in the Craft Beer Company pub (22-23 Upper North Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 3FG), starting at 7pm. And if you've never been to a branch meeting before, don't worry. We like to keep it all as informal as possible and are much keener on making new friends than passing tedious motions. It would be great to see you there!

Draft agenda

1. Attendance sheet
2. Introduce guests (Richard Palmer and Wetherspoons striker)
3. Wetherspoons speaker
4. Minutes of last meeting
5. Matters arising not covered elsewhere in the agenda
6. Motion: The branch agrees that this meeting shall be the AGM for 2018
7. Election of officers
8. Election of new members
9. Richard Palmer Q&A
10. Motion by BW: This branch agrees to cover the childcare costs of members attending properly constituted meetings organised by us up to a maximum of £20
11. Ideas about promoting the branch
12. Correspondence
13. Chapel reports
14. Next meeting(s) date and location
15. AOB

AGM 2018

Our annual general meeting – at which the branch officers for the coming year will be elected – is on Thursday 27 September in the Craft Beer Co pub (22-23 Upper North Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 3FG), starting at 7pm.

Posts up for election include Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. We also need an enthusiastic and active committee. Are you interested in equality? Or disability issues? Maybe you'd like to help increase the training opportunities for journalists in our area. Whatever it is you'd like to become involved with, we'd like to hear about it. Simply contact acting branch secretary Brian Williams, using this email address.

We will also be considering ways that the branch can best help NUJ members throughout Sussex. If you've got any thoughts on that, again we'd love to hear them – either by email or, better still if you can make it, at the meeting itself.

And if you've never been to a branch meeting before, don't worry. We like to keep it all as informal as possible and are much keener on making new friends than passing tedious motions. It would be great to see you there!

Summer Social

The branch summer social is this week. It's in the Fortune of War pub on Brighton seafront on Wednesday, August 22, starting at 6pm. Join fellow NUJ members (and those who are thinking of signing up) for a drink and a bite to eat. Networking is permitted, but you are perfectly at liberty to simply have a good time if you prefer.

 The next branch meeting will be on September 27 in the Craft Beer Company pub (22-23 Upper North Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 3FG), starting at 7.30pm. At this meeting we will elect the branch officers for the coming year.

 The posts up for election are Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. We also need an enthusiastic and active committee. If you'd like to take on any of these roles, or know someone else who would, send your nominations to acting branch secretary Brian Williams, using  nujbrighton@gmail.com.