Next Branch meeting

The next meeting will be held at the Fountain Head Pub on North Road, on Tuesday 18 October at 7.30pm.

Map here.

Please try and attend. As you may know Rachael and Adam have both resigned from the committee, leaving Phil Mellows as the only remaining officer. This meeting was going to include the election for a new secretary to take over from Rachael, but this will now be in November as head office is taking over the election.

There is a real threat that the branch may close. This will mean no more local help with strikes and no local officers able to offer advice either in person or via phone/email. It will also mean an end to meetings with other local journos, no more talks such as the ones with Nick Davies, Andrew Crofts and Joanne Mallon, and no more Christmas parties, such as the one with Julie Burchill. Being an officer only takes up a few hours a month at the most, so please consider helping out.

Give Rachael a call on 07939 258 172 if you get lost on the night.

Brighton NUJ summer party

It's time for the Brighton NUJ summer party and we've decided to hold it indoors at The Mesmerist rather than attempt to hold it outside. The party attracts rain most years which is why this year we're not giving it a chance.

So put on your party frock and get ready to mingle with your Sussex colleagues while enjoying the free drinks. It's a great opportunity to network as well as catch up on the gossip.

The party will be kicking off at 7pm on Thursday 25 August in the downstairs bar of The Mesmerist (www.drinkinbrighton.co.uk/mesmerist), which is slap bang in the centre of town. Non-members are also welcome so please bring along any journo friends.

If you need any help finding it on the night, please give Rachael a call on 07939 258 172,

Thanks,

Brighton NUJ

BBC on strike

The picket line outside BBC Radio studios in Queens Road, Brighton. Photo taken by Adam Juniper.

22 June: Organising in New Media

Brighton & Mid-Sussex NUJ
Special open meeting on...

Organising in New Media
Wednesday June 22, 7.30pm
Upstairs at the Quadrant, Queens Road, Brighton
(Near the Clock Tower)
Speaker: Jenny Lennox

NUJ organiser Jenny Lennox is coming down to talk about why journalists working in new media should be in the NUJ. It's a great chance to discuss how we can expand the influence of the National Union of Journalists in Brighton and Hove and defend the jobs and and improve the pay and conditions of the many people here working in digital media and the web.

This meeting is open to non-NUJ members. Please invite anyone you think might be interested in finding out more about the union and what it can do for them.

Phil Mellows
Branch Committee

Next meeting and AGM

The next Brighton and Mid-Sussex NUJ branch meeting will be at 7.30pm on Thursday 14 April in the upstairs room of the Earth and Stars (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Earth-and-Stars/132353693470534). We will be holding our AGM, so if anyone would like to volunteer for any of the officer roles, this is the time to do it. The roles are: secretary, treasurer, chairman, welfare officer and student officer.

After the meeting there will be a talk by Joanne Mallon. Joanne is a freelance journalist and specialist career coach for people in media – her website is at www.MediaLifeCoach.com. She also runs the women in media networking group MediaWomenUK www.MediaWomenUK.com and can be found tweeting @joannemallon and blogging at http://joannemallon.typepad.com/joanne_the_coach/.

Joanne will be talking about negotiating rates, and how we can all get paid more for the work we do. She'll be looking at why talking cash is so tough, even for experienced professionals, and giving practical tips you can use the next time someone asks: "What are your rates?"

Joanne's talks have been extremely popular in the past so please turn up early if you don't want to be disappointed. Non-members are welcome, although they will be asked to donate a bit of change to the NUJ charity, NUJ Extra (http://www.nujextra.org.uk/).

We will also be discussing the summer party and the NUJ annual delegate meeting.

DM - a personal account from a first-timer

The NUJ DM in Southport 8-10 April 2011 was an initially bewildering but ultimately energising experience - 2.5 hard days of relentless speeches and voting. Here is my personal account, as a first-time delegate. I can't wait to get the next Journalist to see what actually was decided!

First: why DM? Well, that was answered in the very first motion that called for the Delegate Meeting to be made Annual again. Speakers against used the cost card and it was defeated 77 to 63. The discussion went on so long that the rest of the Order Paper was ruled out of time by the SOC (Standing Orders Committee). To understand what is going on we needed a mountain of paperwork: the Final Agenda booklet, the Annual Report and the Order Papers given out each morning and afternoon that outline any composite motions etc worked out by the 'horse trading' going on in back rooms. Any motions out of time were mopped up at the end of later sessions, and nothing was left out by the end.

In between motions we were treated to various presentations, including Members of Honour awards and an emotive address from Columbian journalist Claudia Julieta Duque. Most motions were carried unanimously; some spectacularly failed. One was a tie, the first in DM history. It was motion 144, proposed by the Irish Executive Council and calling for the workings of the Editorial Advisory Board of The Journalist to be reviewed. After a recount it was announced that under Standing Orders, the 54-54 tie would fail.

One motion that will directly affect our branch was no. 136 that amends rule 3, so that election to the union be no longer subject to a vote of hands at a branch meeting. All we can do is test that applicants meet the objective membership criteria as outlined by Rule 2 and they are in. Another interesting motion was no. 110 that ensures that only news (or information) gatherers are entitled to hold a press card - and that a new photo should be supplied on renewal. As someone pointed out, in the old days, everyone got a press card - I still get sent one, and the photo on it is ancient. Motion 91 condemning the actions of Newsquest will have relevance to our Argus members.

The 60+ group (I went along to their fringe meeting) was recognised for the first time in motion 69, although an amendment to pay expenses to meetings was defeated. In another motion 139 a plea to reduce the eligibilty for Life Membership to 30 years from 40 failed, again for cost reasons. The figure of £435,000 to implement this was disputed and it was also pointed out that people in the 'retired' category are not allowed to hold Branch offices or attend DM - something that will have to be looked into.

The DM was livened up by the presence of several student members sponsored by various branches, tweeting and making speeches. Internships versus work experience was a hot topic and motion 133 recommended ways we could attract more students into the union. London Freelance Branch's Cashback for interns campaign was praised, and the passing of Motion 128 could make membership easier in that you may only have to show you earn a quarter of your income from journalism, rather than half (subject to consultation). And no. 135 encouraged branches like ours to recruit more internet-related workers into the NUJ.

So, the message is: go out and recruit!

That's a quick round-up. I'll bring the paperwork along to the next meeting if anyone has any other questions.

Some other write-ups:

http://littlemiss-angelabrooks.blogspot.com/

http://londonphotographers.org/2011/04/nuj-delegate-meeting-report/

http://blogs.pressgazette.co.uk/wire/7721

http://www.bristolnuj.org.uk/2011/04/11/dm-2011-what-happened/

Summer party 2010

The NUJ Brighton Branch Summer party at Ohso, 15 July 2010. Well done to Rachael, Su and Cath for organising it.

NUJ Xmas Party

Guest speakers Julie Burchill and Garry Mulholland at the NUJ Xmas Party at the Iron Duke, Hove, 22 December 2009. Photo by Fred Pipes.

Meeting November 12th 2009

This month discussions at The Mitre Tavern – pleasingly quiet in comparison to previous venues – centred on the upcoming Christmas Party, for which you'll be pleased to hear a generous budget has been allocated.

Conversation then switched to the issue of membership, and how we could go about helping to address the national recruitment problems in these days without shop stewards.

Answers on a postcard, or why not just bring them (and potential new members) to the Christmas Party, where Julie Burchill of Guardian fame will be giving us a talk before we enjoy all that hospitality I just mentioned. It's on 22nd of December at The Iron Duke. Free for members, £5 for non-members. See you there.

Labour Party Conference demo

Very poor turnout for the Jobs Education Peace demo on Sunday 27 September. The NUJ banner carriers estimated that about eight NUJ members were on the march, including two from Brighton Branch : Melita Dennett (pictured) and Fred Pipes (who took the picture).

Minutes and demonstration

For those of you who aren't yet aware, the Labour Party conference is taking place in Brighton... The NUJ is supporting a demonstration on September 27 on the theme of jobs, education and peace. According to the NUJ website, "Protestors will demand the government spends public money on preserving employment and public services – rather than war and bankers’ bonuses."
Protestors will be assembling at 12.30pm on Sunday 27 September at Madeira Drive, Brighton, with a rally at 2pm at the Peace Statue, Kings Road, Hove Seafront. http://www.nuj.org.uk/innerPagenuj.html?docid=1333

Thanks for all those who attended the last branch meeting. The next meeting will be held on Thursday 12 November at the Mitre Tavern on Baker Street, off London Road.

Minutes 16 September 2009

1. Present: Tim Norman, John Thompson, Alan Pipes, Melita Dennett, Peter Knight, Phil Mellows, Su Quinn, Rachael Glazier

2. New members: Ruth Hayhurst, Rod Addy and Laura Ellis

3. Nicola Tann has resigned as treasurer. Phil Mellows was nominated to take over the post, and the attendees unanimously agreed to this. Action: RG to get account details from Nic and contact the bank to make Phil a signatory and remove Nic.

4. Phil asked if the demonstration on 27 Sept could be advertised. RG to email members along with minutes of meeting.

5. ADM delegates: Phil Mellows and Su Quinn will be going to ADM. The meeting discussed which motions the delegates will be voting on and how they would like them to vote. It was agreed that motion 85 should be voted against by the delegates (RG argued that there are money issues in the NUJ and funds should therefore be spent on journalism), and that 72 be voted for (with an amendment proposed by Phil Mellows: Delete all after "investigate", replace with "how new media and social networking in all its forms might facilitate more active participation, both real and virtual, by members in the work of branches.")
It was also agreed that the branch would pay £370 towards a student going to the ADM, as requested by head office.
RG to send the amendment and delegate forms to head office, and sort out cheque for student delegate.

The next meeting is before the ADM so there will be another chance for members to instruct delegates as to how to vote. To read the preliminary agenda containing the motions, go to: http://www.nuj.org.uk/innerPagenuj.html?docid=1316 and download the file.

6. The next meeting is on Thursday 12 November. It will be held in the Mitre Tavern following complaints that the Eagle is too noisy. The Mitre is easily reached from the main station, has disabled access and, importantly, a good selection of beer.

Is anyone interested in this?

Dear all

Please do forward onto anyone you think may be interested.

Creative Partnerships, Sussex and Surrey is seeking a new Creative Agent to work in East Sussex schools to develop creative learning partnerships between teachers, young people and organisations from the creative and cultural sector.

Creative Agents work as critical friends to schools to support the planning, delivery and review of creative learning programmes over a period of a year. They also have a broader role in supporting and contributing to the overall development of Creative Partnerships.

We are looking for creative thinkers with an understanding of schools, a broad knowledge of creative and cultural practice and a commitment to developing creative learning in education. Experience of partnership working, budget management and excellent negotiations skills will also be of benefit.

Whatever part of the creative industries or education sector you work in, you may be the person we are looking for. Contracts are designed to ensure that you can remain connected to your professional practice.

This contract is for 38.5 days and covers work in two Change Schools (September 09- March 2010) and two Enquiry Schools (September 09 – June 2010). The fee is £225 per day (inclusive of VAT). There is a possibility of further work in West Sussex from April 2010.

For more information and an application pack please email:cpsussexandsurrey@cceengland.org or call: 01424 719634

Website: www.creative-partnerships.com

Application Deadline: Friday 21st August by 5pm

Interviews: Thursday 3 September in Hastings

Please note: Successful applicants would need to attend training on 10 September and be available on 15 September for the launch of the East Sussex Enquiry Schools programme.

Best wishes

Kristina Sekyere

Programme Coordinator

Creative Partnerships, Sussex and Surrey

12 Claremont

Hastings

TN34 1HA

T 01424 719634

F 01424 719345

E kristina.sekyere@cceengland.org

W www.creative-partnerships.com

Jobs summit - London

Just got this and thought it ought to be shared:

Interest in the summit has far exceeded the capacity of NUJ headquarters, so it will now take place at:

The School of Pharmacy
29-39 Brunswick Square
London
WC1N 1AX

You can download a map at:
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=530349&Y=182356&A=Y&Z=110

It is about five minutes walk from the NUJ’s offices. The nearest tube stations are Russell Square, Euston and Kings Cross.

The event will start at 11am on Saturday, with coffee and registration available from 10.30am. A full agenda for the day is now available here:
http://www.nuj.org.uk/innerPagenuj.html?docid=1037

Your place at the summit is confirmed and I'm looking forward to seeing you there.

If any of your friends who are NUJ members want to attend they can register by emailing campaigns@nuj.org.uk or just by turning up on the day.

There will be forms available for people to join up on the day.

Miles Barter

An opportunity for East Sussex / Brighton based writers

Creative Partners required at Eastbourne Technology College, Brodrick Road, Eastbourne, BN22 9RQ (www.etc.sch.com)
Under the umbrella theme of raising confidence and standards through creative learning, ETC is looking for creative practitioners to work alongside staff in the planning and delivery of two projects. We are looking for exciting and innovative responses to these deliberately open, challenging briefs.
Can you contribute to this process and support staff and students in the challenges of developing a more creative curriculum? Do you have the skills and vision to develop these ideas?
Project 1 will involve a creative practitioner working with one or two teachers to plan and deliver a cross-curricular project with a group of Year 7 students which will serve as an opportunity to explore ideas and techniques in preparation for the proposed re-design of the entire Key Stage 3 curriculum, in line with a more project-based, creative model of curriculum delivery. Practitioners in all artforms are invited to respond to this brief.
Project 2 initially involves a media arts practitioner working with teachers of Media, ICT and Technology to develop the creative use of technology within the school. It is envisaged that the focus of this work would be the creation of a web-based resource, focussed on the local community, which has the potential to serve as an archive of student work as well as providing cross-curricular teaching resources. Early ideas for this include an interactive map of Eastbourne seafront which could incorporate elements of History, Art, Geography, English etc.
Both projects are due to commence by late February /early March and completed by July 2009. The commitment is in the region of 15 days, to be negotiated with the school. The fee is £200 per day.
How to apply
Please respond in writing, stating what attracts you to the brief and how it relates to your skills and experience to Julia Roberts (See details below). Examples of your work (signposts to websites etc) would also be appreciated.
Enquiries
Please contact Julia should you have any queries relating to this brief.
Julia Roberts, Creative Agent, 33 Stanmer Park Road, Brighton BN1 7JL
Email: juliarobertsbrighton@yahoo.co.uk Tel: 07808 317603
Deadline for submissions: Thursday 22nd January 2009 , 5pm
Interviews at Eastbourne Technology College: Wednesday 28th January 2009

Maria Reveals Publishing Secrets

Three cheers for author, Maria McCarthy, who gave the Brighton NUJ a truly inspirational speech on book publishing this October. Maria, who wrote A Girls’ Guide to Losing Her ‘L’ Plates (a very funny read, and recommended stocking filler for any learner driver), braved Brighton seaside hurricanes to speak at the Iron Duke, where she spilled the magic beans on the publishing industry.

What is the mysterious secret winking language authors must learn to win a publishing contract? Do agents really spontaneously combust in sunlight? Which way should authors turn at the reeking swamp, or should they brave the rotten bridge and proceed directly to the lair of Pantone Hair, the cover elf?

Maria revealed all these secrets and more, and also gave us a sneak preview of her new title out this year: A Girls’ Guide to Driving. For this insider knowledge, and for being a truly fascinating and funny guest, we thank her. Come back again any time, Maria, you will be most welcome!