Oi, what do you want?

Hi,

I'm currently compiling the Jan newsletter so if anyone has anything they'd like included, please let me know before 5 Jan.

I'd also like to have your views on what would make meetings more appealing. If we were to get some speakers to come along and, well, speak, what sort of person would you find interesting? A journalist/political person/author/local celebrity (Jordan anyone?!)? Any suggestions would be great.

We were thinking of holding a debate at some point in the next year, so are there any topics that would grab you? Would you be willing to join in?

We need ideas on what you want us to do, otherwise we will just keep on guessing and possibly getting it horribly wrong, so any input would be fabulous.

On a more mundane note, are Tuesday or Wednesday evenings better for meetings? And what time would suit?

All replies welcomed, even if it's to tell us what we are doing wrong.

Thanks,

Rachael

Fancy a drink?

Okay, so it's short notice, but there are drinks tonight (Weds 20 Dec) at the Black Horse pub from 8pm. It's organised by Matt Weston of Brighton Cluster, www.businessbricks.co.uk, with Brighton Farm, www.brightonfarm.com.

While it is aimed at freelancers, small business owners and inventors, anyone reading this is welcome to come along for a Christmas beverage or three. Please RVSP to Matt, matt@businessbricks.co.uk.

The Black Horse is on Church St, just down the hill from the Mash Tun and Wagon & Horses, or use this map if you don't know where that is http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=BN1+1UD.

We're going to be in the back room: go into pub and the door at the other end of the room is the door to the back room.

With directions like that there's no excuse for not turning up.

NO2ID

The National Union of Journalists has voted overwhelmingly to affiliate to NO2ID, the UK-wide campaign opposing the government's planned ID card and National Identity Register. Members wishing to take part in the campaign can visit http://www.no2id/index.php

Christmas party

This is upstairs at the Western Front pub next to Churchill Square in Brighton on Wednesday December 13.

We will be there from 7.30pm. We have a budget of about £300 for the night!

Searchlight

Copy of December's Searchlight mag available, detailing latest activities of world's right-wingers and analysing the aftermath of the Nick Griffin trial. Email us nujbrighton@gmail.com and we can chuck it in the post.

ADM delegates

We have broken the 250 membership barrier and that means we can send three people to next year's Annual Delegate Meeting in Birmingham. In the past we've sent two people every year.

If you are interested in being one of those delegates then you need to be nominated and accepted at next month's meeting. In effect it comes down to voting on the night, though of course if there are only three nominations, they all go and there is no vote. So step forward if you fancy the job. The ADM is in mid-April.

Only restriction is that you can't be more than three calendar months in arrears with your subs. I will check but it may be that temporary members are ineligible to serve as delegates.

Journalism Matters

With the new state opening of Parliament the NUJ has re-launched the Journalism Matters campaign. 44 MPs representing all political parties have already signed up to support the campaign. Click here to read the Early Day Motion: http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/284/. If your MP has not signed up then write to them and ask for their support. To email your MP visit http://www.writetothem.com and encourage them to sign EDM 284. Journalism Matters MP postcards, leaflets, mousemats and pens are still available, email campaigns@nuj.org.uk

NUJ training Jan-March timetable

NUJ's courses for January to March are online now. Topics range from podcasting to subediting to pitch and deal workshops.

Find out more at http://www.nujtraining.org.uk/show_courses.phtml?category=calendar. NUJ members are entitled to reduced fees.

If you wish to book on any of these courses, email Tracy Trickett at training@nuj.org.uk or telephone 020 7843 3717.

All courses take place at the NUJ head office, Headland House, 308-312 Grays Inn Road, London. Bookings are treated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Get yourself trained

Ever fancied getting more involved in your union? For those who are new lay reps or have ever thought about becoming one, the NUJ's trade union training programme includes three essential introductory courses as well as sessions on bullying and harassment, health and safety, organising for recruitment and public speaking for trade unionists.

These fully accredited courses are free and have been designed to meet the specific needs of NUJ members. All reasonable travel and accommodation costs are met by the union.

To see the course outlines and calendar visit www.nujtraining.org.uk and look under trade union training in the courses section or email deirdreh@nuj.org.uk telephone 020 7843 3730.

As well as our trade union training courses the union runs a full programme of professional training. See www.nujtraining.org.uk

Urgent Action: Help save the life of brave journalist

Colombian journalist Fredy Munoz Alatamiranda has been arrested by Colombia's notorious secret police after participating in a workshop organised by one of the BBC's US correspondents.

Friends believe his arrest on the grounds of “rebellion” is a result of his recent TV reports on forced displacement in Colombia and links between the government, army and paramilitaries.
This detention follows a pattern of persecution against independent journalists exercising their right to freedom of expression. Colombia is one of the most dangerous countries in the world in which to be a journalist. Few are brave enough to speak out - Fredy Munoz was.

Now he needs us to speak out for him. For further background information and a direct appeal from Fredy Munoz see www.nuj.org.uk/inner.php?docid=1541

Please write letters/emails to the Colombian Ambassador requesting the Colombian government to:
Respect the life and physical and psychological integrity of Fredy Munoz Altamiranda
Respect due process and the right to defence.
Respect the right to freedom of expression.
Send protests to: mail@colombianembassy.co.uk and please copy letters to: info@justiceforcolombia.org

For further information see www.justiceforcolombia.org

Women In Media events

Women In Media - Breakfast Networking and Workshop
Date: Tuesday 28 November 2006
Time: 8.30am - 10am
Place: Walkers Bar, 48 Robertson St, Hastings. Tel: 01424 200230
Cost: £3.50 breakfast only.

At this workshop experienced trainer Hilary Kelsh will be discussing the art of negotiation and how it arises in many areas of our personal and working lives. Be it winning business or planning projects, salary, hours and workload, the ever present politics of promotion, hiring, firing or encouraging teamwork, negotiation is everywhere!

Women In Media Training - Pitching for Digital Media Business
Date: Tuesday 28 November 2006
Time: 10am- 1pm
Place: Hastings Creative Media Centre
Cost: £12.50, including lunch Register

A tough market and increasingly demanding clients can make winning new business a difficult and time consuming process. This half day business training seminar is designed to help local firms, freelancers and sole traders improve their chances of impressing decision makers, avoid common pitching pitfalls and promote their business services more effectively.

Special Deal - Attend both these events AND get lunch and breakfast for only £14!

For more information visit www.womeninmedia.co.uk/events/0611/training.asp, or call 01273 692 888 or email women@wiredsussex.com.

BBC No To Ads campaign

BBC union members are campaigning against plans to place adverts on the BBC News website. The plan to begin placing ads on the international-facing section of the website will lead to the increasing commercialisation of the website, renowned around the world for its independence from commercial concerns. Staff at the website, including many prominent correspondents have presented BBC managers with a petition and lobbied the Director General. The Board of Governors is to take a final decision on the issue shortly. Help back the campaign against creeping commercialisation.
Contact your MP and urge them to sign EDM 226 calling for the axing of plans to place advertisements on the BBC News website. Visit http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/Search.aspx to read the full text of the EDM. Use the link below to send an email to your MP http://www.writetothem.com/
For a full briefing on all the issues see http://www.nuj.org.uk/inner.php?docid=1534

NUJ staffing changes announced

It's all change at the NUJ as some staff leave, others are promoted and another new post is created. Congratulations to all those who have been appointed to their new posts.
If you work in magazines, books or PR in England or Wales your new National Organiser is Sue Harris - who can be contacted on 020 7843 3714.
In the coming weeks Jenny Lennox is to take up the new role of Assistant Organiser (North of England) - she can be contacted in the Manchester Office on 0161 237 5020 or at nujmanchester@nuj.org.uk and Lawrence Shaw is to take up the role of Assistant Organiser (New Media and Wales)
There are currently 3 vacancies to work for the NUJ. Details are below:
Regional Organiser (North England)
Assistant Organiser (Broadcasting)
Assistant Organiser (Magazines, Books and PR) Fixed term 9 month contract
For information on these roles visit http://www.nuj.org.uk/inner.php?docid=1540
Alternatively email info@nuj.org.uk for an application pack.

Latin America 2006

Conference in London organised by Cuba Solidarity Campaign, Justice for Colombia, T&G Latin American Workers Association and Venezuela Information Centre, on Saturday December 2.

Speakers include playwright Harold Pinter, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Frances O'Grady, deputy gen sec of TUC, Tariq Ali and Wayne Smith, former head of US interests section in Havana.

Register by credit card on 0207 263 6452 for a tenner. Event is at Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1.

Last chance for ADM motions

Wednesday's meeting at the Nelson in Trafalgar Street, Brighton, is the last chance for the branch to put forward motions for consideration at next year's annual delegate meeting in Birmingham.

So if you have a burning issue that you want to see debated make sure you make the meeting.

National Pensioners Convention

The NUJ can send up to three delegates to this shindig in Nottingham in June and the branch can nominate you.

If you want to be part of the delegation we can put your name forward and the union's policy committee will consider all nominations and elect the NUJ trio.

The convenion is the foremost campaigning organisation speaking out with the support of the trade union movement speaking out on pensioners and their rights. More at www.npcuk.org or click on the headline

World Poverty action

The NUJ is holding and International Development and Poverty Reduction training weekend next month at Stoke House, near Oxford:

I am John Fray, Deputy General Secretary of the NUJ, and I am writing to you as an NUJ member to invite you to apply for a place on the training session 'International Development and Poverty Reduction'.

This course is designed for the NUJ general membership, lay and professional officers. The training forms part of an NUJ project to raise awareness among members and journalists at large on issues of international development.

The aims of the training are to:

• Explore the concepts of international development and its relationship to the concept of globalisation
• Identify the relevance for us as journalists and trade unionists
• Build understanding of the significance of the Millennium Development Goals
• Share ideas on what we can do to international development as the means by which poverty can be reduced.
• Look at the role of the media in the fight against world poverty.

I hope that you are as keen as I am to play a role in the struggle to make poverty history and I hope that our programme will play a role in helping you to do so.

The course runs from 5pm on Friday December 1 to lunchtime on Sunday December 3. Meals, light refreshment and accommodation will be supplied for the duration of the course but places are limited so if you wish to participate, please register with David Ayrton (davida@nuj.org.uk)

2005/06 accounts

The branch receives 5% of members’ subscriptions to fund running costs and activities. Due to fluctuating numbers of members from one quarter to the next we get different amounts paid into our bank account each quarter. This year we received £1,821.40 and spent £1,166.15.

Not far off half of our expenditure was spent on two social events – the summer barbecue on the beach in Hove in June and the Christmas do at the Cricketers pub in central Brighton.
Both were well attended.

In a nutshell, we started the year (Oct 1, 2005) with £1,536.35 in the bank. That left us, on October 1, 2006 with £2,191.60 – a healthy position and the most we have had in our account since the branch was re-formed in 1998.

The main reason for the increase in amount we have is that several meetings have been cancelled this year due to holidays and a lack of people to run the branch and therefore run meetings. So, fewer monthly newsletters were required and this has saved us money. While we are in a very good financial position, with no one to coming forward to run the branch we are paradoxically close to folding.

INCOME

• Four quarterly payments from NUJ - £1,678.90
• Cheque from V Bridgewater for £77.50 towards cost of ADM accommodation.
• Sundry payment into account - £65

Total - £1,821.40

EXPENDITURE

Branch running costs

• Stamps £324
• Cost of wreath bought for Rowan Dore’s funeral - £45
• Cost of sending an observer (V Bridgewater) to Annual Delegate Meeting £277.50.
  

Total = £646.50

Affiliations and subscriptions

• Trade Union Friends of Searchlight affiliation - £50
• Iraq Union solidarity - £5
• Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom subs 2005/06 - £25

Total = £80

Entertainments

• June barbecue costs £140 – cheque paid to A Colley who bought food and drink
• Christmas party booze bill - £299.65 – cheque to A Colley who paid bill on his debit card.

Total = £439.65

Branch total expenditure for period October 1, 2005 to September 30, 2006 = £1,166.15

A Colley, treasurer

BBC Pensions Campaign

The BBC Broken Promises campaign launches on 1st November. The BBC joint unions are fighting planned changes which will create a two-tier pension scheme with new starters receiving a vastly inferior package. Leaflets have been produced and volunteers are needed to distribute them. If you would like to volunteer please email fightforourbbc@nuj.org.uk or speak to your NUJ rep. For more information visit www.nuj.org.uk/inner.php?docid=1322.

Sean Madden

Independent Writer-Journalist

UK-based American writer-journalist. I write on philosophy, politics/society, and literature. I hold two US master's degrees --in Western and Eastern thought, with an emphasis on philosophy, political and social thought, and classics - and a BBA in Finance. I am a former entrepreneur, strategy management consultant, and senior financial and marketing analyst.

Weblog: iNoodle.com Email: sean@inoodle.com
Tel (UK): 01435 873500
Tel (Int'l): +44 1435 873500

Amanda Wilkins

Amanda Wilkins
Freelance photo-journalist/theatre critic. Specialises in Celebrity Interviews. Seven years District Chief Reporter for Beckett Newspapers.

Freelance commissions include The Tatler, Saga Magazine, My Weekly, Commercial Motor, The Best of British. Author of four non-fiction books including 80 Days At Sea - the True Story of a World Cruise. Can supply digital photos on CD or by email. Will travel anywhere at home or abroad.

Top Flat, 30 South Road, Newhaven BN9 9QJ
07832 265459. email: amanda.wilko@virgin.net

Sussex Action for Peace

Latest message from them - a public meeting tomorrow:

What is the British interest in Afghanistan?
31,000 troops remain 5 years after conflict started- Opium production at all time record levels- Fiercest engagements for 5,200 British soldiers since WWII

Speaker- Chris Nineham (Stop the War)

7.30pm Thursday 2 November
Circus Circus Function Rm
opp. Duke of York cinema, Preston Circus, London Rd, Brighton

Pay in the Media Summit

Places are filling up for the pay in the media events around the country. If you would like to attend or for more information email endlowpay@nuj.org.uk or go to www.nuj.org.uk/inner.php?docid=1485

Saturday 4 November 2006
Cardiff: National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff CF99 1NA (10-1pm)
London: Headland House, 308 Gray's Inn Road, London, WC1X 8DP (1.30-4.30pm)

Saturday 25 November 2006
Manchester: The Mechanics Institute, 103 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 6DD (10-1pm)
Glasgow: Scottish Trades Union Centre, 333 Woodlands Road, Glasgow, G3 6NG (1.30-4.30pm)

Anarchy in the EU

From Hastings member Stuart Christie:

We have launched a new anarchist film channel (both feature and documentary)

This can be viewed on http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid234454000 The films can also be seen on http://www.tvhastings.org/ (ChristieBooks Channel). The player, with all the films, can also be incorporated freely into your own web site of Flash-based application by applying for syndication rights (at absolutely no cost) by creating a Brightcove affiliate account (ie, register on Brightcove.com) and you will be asked to send us the url and a description about your website where the Player will be located.


It's dead simple, really! Films currently on the Anarchist films (general) include:
Choisy le Roi, Black YearDelgado y Granado,El Grupo Primero de Mayo, vSalvador Puig Antich.
The following ChristieBooks Channels will also shortly be available: Anarchist Biopics, Exile and Resistance,The Spanish Civil War and RevolutionTalks and Lectures

Single and covered in newsprint?

An online dating service for people in the media http://www.mediadates.com/.

For those of you single and looking for a relationship with someone working in a similar field, now is your opportunity to get signed up!

Sign up for free membership before 1st November 2006 and you'll be upgraded to full membership for absolutely free for 30 days.

2006 Annual Meeting minutes

Brighton and Mid Sussex NUJ Annual Meeting, Wednesday October 18 at Brighthelm Centre, Brighton.

Present: Barbara Wiseman, Rachael Glazier, Adrian Colley, Cath Quinn, Amanda Wilkins, Fred Pipes, Gordon Scott.

1 Apologies received from Jemima Kiss, Carole Benton and Adam Juniper.

2 New members elected - Carina Westling, Katherine Perriam, Ygraine Cadlock, Nicola Tann, Katherine McGlinchey

3 Officers' reports. Treasurer Adrian Colley gave the financial report (to be put up in full on site over weekend). The branch has a healthy £2,191.60 in the bank, as of September 30, 2006.

4 Election of officers. Amanda Wilkins and Cath Quinn were elected co-chairs. Adrian Colley and Rachael Glazier were elected as co-secretaries. Adrian Colley was re-elected treasurer.

5 Correspondence - copies of Searchlight magazine, Free press and Justice for Colombia magazine circulated.

6 No chapel reports

7 Subscriptions - meeting backed re-subscribing to the Justice for Colombia campaign and the Trade Union Friends of Searchlight at a cost £50 each.

8 There were no nominations for the National Executive Committee

9 There were no nominations for the NUJ's industrial councils.

10 Christmas party - meeting was asked for suggestions. Adrian Colley suggested a move away from last year's venue, the Cricketers in Brighton, as the cost of drink was fairly expensive. Caxton, Leo's Lounge and Fitzherberts offered as possible venues to be investigated. Several dates were discussed the preferred options were Wednesday December 13 or 20. Branch secretaries will look to book something by the end of the month.

11 Women's Conference, London, December 2. Free NUJ conference for women at HQ in Gray's Inn Road (more details further down the weblog, see Oct 18 entry): details circulated to meeting.

12 Any other business. Barbara Wiseman, enlarged on a recent hospital stay she endured and which left her less than impressed by the current state of the NHS. She felt the branch should express concern about the local NHS .

She was asked to consider a motion to bring back to next month's meeting for discussion.

She also pointed out that money was about to 'wasted' on the Trident missile system which she felt could be spent on better things.

Brighton Cluster

For the seriously workshy, another group is meeting on Friday (27 Oct) too. It's called the Brighton Cluster and is described as being 'for small business owners and freelancers and independents, and people who want to be those things'. I've never been but heard it's quite good. Below is a message from Matt who runs it.

This is short notice, I knowbut I thought you'd like to know that theBrighton Cluster clusters again this Friday27 Oct, at 10am - this time for coffee, not beer, and at the Mad Hatter cafe, which is on the corner of Western & MontpelierRoads, and plotted for you on a map here http://www.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&lr=&q=mad+hatter+bn1. Can you make it? Let me know y or n. If you've not been before, and don't knowwhat anyone looks like, I'll be mostly wearing a very yellow t-shirt with John &Paul &Ringo &George written on it. Any questions?- ask away.

Matt Weston
http://www.businessbricks.co.uk/

Fish and chips this Friday

There's a group of Brighton freelancers meeting this Friday (27 Oct), 1.30pm at the Regency restaurant (http://www.theregencyrestaurant.co.uk/index.htm) on the seafront. Anyone is welcome to come along, please email Geoff ( ge@geoffreyellis.co.uk) so he can let the restaurant know how many there will be.
Most members are freelance journalists, prs and graphic designers who like to meet up for a drink or two every few weeks. To join email brightonfreelancers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Job-finding service

Unofficial branch job-finding guide ie some ads lifted from the Guardian yesterday.

West Sussex County Council are looking for a media adviser. 27 to 30 grand. First piece of advice should be to tell the illiterate so-and-sos to cap up their name.

And Redhill-based A Place in the Sun is looking for a writer/sub and production/sub-editor.

Freelancers to the rescue

Just a quickie to confirm that we will continue into 2007. Thanks to all who attended the annual meeting, especially Barbara Wiseman, who is 95, and came to her first meeting for 18 months.

The actress who played Reggie Perrin's wife in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin was spotted in the centre shortly before the meeting started - she was attending a do downstairs.

Anyway, Amanda Wilkins and Cath Quinn have been elected co-chairs. Adrian Colley and Rachael Glazier will be co-secretaries. I'll put up the minutes on the site next week.

Next meeting is Wednesday November 15.

NUJ Women's Conference

Past times - future challenges

Headland House (NUJ HQ), Gray's Inn Road, London. Saturday December 2, 10.30am to 4.30p,

Speakers to include:

• Sarah Veale, TUC head of equality and employment rights dept
• Megan Dobney, S East Regional TUC secretary
• Prof Mary Davies, Centre for Trade Union Studies, London Metropolitan University
• Other speakers on international issues and womens' safety to be confirmed.

Meet other like-minded women members and discuss issues that affect you. Conference is free to all NUJ women members. Lunch and refreshments provided.

To book your place email Lena Calvert at lenac@nuj.org.uk

Branches are asked to nominate at least one woman member to attend.

Draft agenda for annual meeting

If you want something added to it, let us know and it can be done.

1 Apologies

2 Officers' reports: secretary, treasurer. Unlikely to be chair's report as Jemima Kiss is unable to make the meeting

3 Election of officers - chair, secretary, treasurer, welfare officer

4 Accounts - annual account (to be put on site this week)

5 Motions for Annual Delegate Meeting in Birmingham. If you have any motions you would like to propose to be discussed at next year's union conference, now's your chance to have it adopted by the branch.

6 Nominations for National Executive Council. If you want to stand on the union's most powerful body you have to be nominated by the branch.

7 Nominations for various NUJ committees, such as the new media council, ethics council

8 Xmas party - any suggestions for venue? How much should we spend?

9 Renewal of subscriptions. Our subs for Trade Union Friends of Searchlight and Justice for Colombia are due.

10 Chapel reports

11 Any other business

Office space to rent

From branch member Nick Morgan (click on the headline to access his website):

I'm a freelance journalist and have just taken on an office right by Hove train station. There is more than enough room for two so I'm offering to share for £120 per month which includes all bills - that's a very good deal.

The journalist should be a successful freelancer who is left of centre and has a GSOH.

Cheers

Nick Morgan
http://www.nickmorgan.com/

Venezuelan knees-up

The branch is not affiliated but I am and I got this in the post.

Members of the Hands Off Venezuelan are invited to its second national conference in Britannia Street London on Saturday November 4.

If you're not a member you can go for a tenner (as a trade union delegate). Contact britain@handsoffvenezuela.org or click on the headline to go through to their site.

Searchlight

Copy of Searchlight mag for October can be put in the post if you want it. Major feature on racism in Northern Ireland in this month's issue.

Annual Meeting - October 18

I have booked a room in the Stanmer room at the Brighthelm Centre in central Brighton for our annual meeting on Wednesday October 18, which starts at 7.30pm.

More details and agenda will be posted here and sent out in the next week. If you have anything you want to be discussed at the meeting, get in touch, we can put it on the agenda.

This meeting is very important to the future of the branch. It looks like we WILL continue for another year as people have come forward to help fill positions that need filling. Thanks very much for interest shown so far.

But if you can make it, please do. We will be discussing such things as motions for next year's delegate meeting of the NUJ. And where to hold the Christmas party!

After the meeting we will adjourn to one of the pubs across the road for a few drinks (paid for by the branch!).

Free Press

Copies of the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom's mag - Free Press - can be put in the post if you want one.

July/August edition features Tony Benn on whistleblowers and items on the Official Secrets Act and the government's proposed changes to the Freedom of Information Act.

NUJ lawyers' emergency number

Your legal rights guidance, if you're nicked by the police or if they ask to interview you - Call Thompsons emergency 24-hour number is 0800 587 7530.

Annual Delegate Meeting motions

Next year's ADM is in Birmingham's Holiday Inn from April 12-15.

If you want the branch to put forward a motion to be debated by the meeting then this is your chance. The deadline for us to submit motions is November 24. That means we have this month's meeting, and next month's, to come up with something.

If you have anything in mind, please write it down and bring a copy to the October meeting so we can debate it. In the past a couple of our ideas were thrown out because they were ambiguous, so the simpler and more concise the better.

The ADM preliminary agenda is out just before Christmas. We can then submit amendments to motions, if we want. The final agenda will be out on March 5.

Searchlight

September edition of anti-fascist mag available. Email nujbrighton@gmail.com with your address and I can put it in the post.

Feature on halting the rise of the BNP. A supplement commemorates the Spanish Civil War and the Battle of Cable Street.

Message from Jemima: I'm off!

The end is nigh! Well for Jemima anyway.

I've become very fond of our smashing little Brighton branch since I joined three years ago, but I'm finally moving to London this autumn so I'll be leaving the role of chair. I'm sure you all know this, but the branch has been almost entirely dependent on the hard work and dedication of Adrian Colley, our very diligent branch secretary, without whom there would be no Brighton branch.

As it is, we've got a record number of branch members, a very respectable diary of meetings, speakers and parties over the past four years - and now a great opportunity for some fresh blood to take over from both myself and Adrian.

We really want the branch to keep going because the work of the NUJ is more relevant than ever. But it can't happen without your help - the branch can't run by itself! Even if you just fancy posting a few pieces on the branch blog each month, that would be a great help - http://www.nujbrighton.org.uk , just in case you missed it the first 300 times.

I'll still be chair of the NUJ's new media council; we're working hard to try and recruit in an area that is becoming more and more central to all our jobs and there are hundreds of complex issues to unravel; not least the challenges of citizen journalism, web copyright, the demands of increasingly multi-skilled roles. That will all keep me out of trouble.

Work-wise I'm freelance now, still writing about digital publishing and the media industry - mainly for http://www.paidcontent.org if that's of any interest!

My own site is at http://www.jemimakiss.com and you can always email me at jemima@jemimakiss.com if you need my help, and if no-one else can help. And if you can find me. (Or was that the A-team? I forget).

Thanks, anyway, for the fun and support over the past >three years and very best of luck to all Brighton members, both at work and at leisure. And please invite me to the Christmas party.

Jemima

No September meeting

There is no meeting in September as I shall be abroad and Jemima is not around so there is no one to do the mailout or stage the event. The annual meeting, where all posts are up for election, WILL go ahead some time in mid-October.

Ex-Argus man's Iraq talk

Former Evening Argus reporter Rory McCarthy discusses life in Iraq on Tuesday.

He'll be talking about his book on the conflict Nobody Told Us We are Defeated: Stories from the new Iraq, at the Guardian Newsroom, 60 Farringdon Road, London, from 7pm.

Tickets are a fiver and obtainable, if you rush, from reply@guardian.co.uk

Middle East ceasefire march

From Sussex Action for Peace:

TWO WEEKS AGO WELL OVER 500 PEOPLE MARCHED IN BRIGHTON AGAINSTISRAELI WAR CRIMES IN PALESTINE AND LEBANON - WE MUST KEEP UP THE PRESSURE ON THE WARMAKERS. IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE IN LEBANON NOW!

Saturday August 19, Palmeira Square Hove 1 pm. March to Brighton Pier via seafront. For more information contact 07854 188565

August Searchlight

August copy of anti-fascist mag Searchlight available. Includes articles on England fans at World Cup in Germany - and how there's nothing to be complacent about.

Next meeting

Just a reminder that there's no August meeting. Next meeting in mid-September. Date yet to be fixed. No minutes from July meeting as it was inquorate!

Justice for Colombia

Issue 10 of the campaign's mag arrived in the post. If you want it get in touch. Our subscription to this has lapsed. Proposal to reaffiliate, at a cost of 50 quid, is on the agenda for next week's meeting.

July meeting

This month's meeting, to be followed by participation in the pub quiz, is at the Nelson pub in Trafalgar Street, Brighton, from 7.30pm on Tuesday July 18.

July searchlight

Copy of this month's Searchlight magazine has arrived, a little late. If you want it email nujbrighton"gmail.com

Iraq deportations protest campaign

A conference calling for the end of deportations to Iraq is being held in London.

It's on Saturday 24 June at The Peel Centre, Percy Circus, London WC1X 9EYNearest station: King's Cross (Tube and Rail) from 10.30am.

In the first session, John McDonnell MP will speak. The conference will discuss possible national demonstration against deportations. Dashty Jamal: (International Federation of IraqiRefugees) will outline the situation in Iraq, why people should not be deported to Iraq Sawsan Salim: (Kurdistan Refugee Women's Organisation) will talk about Kurdish women and deportation.

Jean Lambert MEP and Jeremy Corbyn MP will also be speaking.

More information: Sarah Parker at sarahp107@hotmail.com or DashtyJamal (International Federation of Iraqi Refugees) at d.jamal@ntlworld.com.

Barbi pics

Beautiful evening - better weather than last year and a really good turn out. Even a shoal of mackerel showed up. Adrian turned out to be a far better equipped chef than me - he brought half his kitchen down to the beach.


Wells Coates' Embassy Court looking stunning after her refurb.








(That's the lovely Esme, Bip Mistry's little girl. That's why he's been so quiet!)

Beach party - NEXT WEDNESDAY!

This month’s meeting is the summer beach party at Hove on Wednesday June 7 from 7.30pm. The venue is the groyne just to the left (if you are looking at the sea) of the Meeting Place café on the seafront. It’s the same place as last year, if you attended in 2005.

Postal address for the café is Kings Road, Hove BN1 1NA. The café is next to the Peace Statue. The barbecue/party is on the long groyne between 50 and 100 yards to the left of the café. If you have any doubts on the day call Adrian Colley on 0791 966 5818.

If it’s wet, don’t despair, we’ll adjourn to a nearby pub. Please try to make it – we will be providing plenty of free food and wine or beer. Bring some friends, sun tan lotion and an umbrella, to cover all eventualities.

If you're coming from outside Brighton and Hove, the nearest train station is Hove.

Iraq unions film

Iraq Union Solidarity holds a public meeting at the Marchmont Street Community Centre Marchmont St., WC1 (Nearest tube Russell Square) in London on Tuesday June 6 at 7:30pm where it will show two new short films about the Iraqi trade union movement.

The first is about the Iraq Freedom Congress, and includes extensive footage of workers' struggles inIraq and a 2005 strike where Basra's students protested against murderous attacks carried out by Islamist militias against fellow students.

The second shows six senior Iraqi trade union leaders touring the US, visiting 25 cities and speaking to several thousand trade unionists, peace activists, and others about their fight. The meeting will be held at Marchmont Street CommunityCentre, Marchmont St., WC1 (Nearest tube Russell Square).

Up for grabs

Bag some swag that's come through in the post. I have:

• Hands Off Venezuela spring magazine. It publicises the campaign of solidarity with the Venezuelan revolution
• June's Searchlight, detailing the distressing BNP successes in the May local elections
• Several copies of the Hastings Trawler magazine
• Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom's bi-monthly mag, Free Press
• The Zimbabwean

Email nujbrighton@gmail.com

Open forum

Brighton and Hove email issues forum is holding a meeting on May 9.

Come to an open evening and find out about an exciting project to debate local Brighton issues on the internet. Have your say, have a free glass of wine, sign up to join the free project!

The steering group of the Brighton and Hove email issues forum meets on Tuesday, 9 May, at 6pm-7.30pm, in the fifth floor meeting room at Community Base, Queens Road, Brighton. Full directions are at:http://www.communitybase.org/whereweare/index.htm and follow the on-screen instructions.

Topics discussed in the past few months have included park and EDO Protests against arms trade- Recycling.

If you can't be at the meeting, you are still welcome to join the forumand signing up couldn't be easier. Simply go to http://www.e-democracy.org/brightonhove and follow the on-screen instructions.

Hastings Rock against Racism

Worth bearing in mind if you're voting today. Click on the headline

Jemima's new contact details

Should anyone be interested, I've left journalism.co.uk and I'm now freelance. I'll be working for paidContent.org among other things. That means my old contact details are defunct, so you can now get me on jemima @ jemimakiss.com - removing the spaces, of course. More blurb on my site at jemimakiss.com.

Iran protest

Sussex Action for Peace is plugging a Don't attack Iran protest on Saturday 6 May in Churchill Square , Brighton, 2pm.

It is the international day of action against an attack on Iran. As US reporter Seymour Hersh reported this week, the countdown to an attack on Iran has started. The Pentagon is considering the use of tactical nuclear weapons against Iran's nuclear processing centres. Around the UK, anti-war groups will hold lunchtime protests in the centre of towns and cities.

April meeting - Tue April 25

We nearly always meet on the third Tuesday of the month. But if you were expecting us to meet this week - be warned! Jemima and myself would have found it hard to make the 18th so it's going to be 25th April at the Nelson. Newsletter should be in the post on April 18th.

Up for grabs

Goodies available to any member who emails me are:

1. April's Searchlight
2. Hastings Trawler - latest edition
3. The Zimbabwean - last four issues
4. CPBF quarterly newsletter

Run the NUJ!

The General Secretary is now in his last year of the five year term of office and is therefore subject to re-election.

The timetable for the election:

Closing date for receipt of applications: 18th May
Shortlisting at NEC: 19/20th May
Ballot papers go out : 8th June
Ballot closes: 13th July
NEC report of election: 21/22nd July

The post is elected/re-elected by ballot of the membership every five years. The General Secretary is the chief officer of the union and performs such duties as he/she is required by law or NUJ rules to perform and shall be engaged in furthering the objectives of the union as directed by ADM and the NEC.

To be short-listed to stand, applicants must:

· Be a member of the union with five years continuous membership and contributions paid up.

· Have trade union experience as a full time official and/or lay officer for a minimum of three years.

· Sign a declaration that you accept the terms and conditions of the post.

· Be based in Headland House and live or be prepared to move to within a reasonable distance of London.

The ballot will be run by Electoral Reform Services. Sarah Veale from the TUC, will act as the Electoral Presiding Officer to adjudicate in the event of any matters of dispute regarding the conduct of the ballot. The winner will be in office for five years.

Contact HQ for more details!

Web writing training, anyone?

In from training HQ:

>>> Writing for the web training

Tuesday 25 April
Thursday 18 May
Tuesday 13 June
(subject to sufficient demand)

The course is run over one day and there's a course outline on the training website. The cost of the course for NUJ members is £105 and for non-members £225.

Course will be held at the NUJ Head Office, Headland House, 308-312 Grays Inn Road, London, WC1X 8DP from 10am to 5pm. To apply, email training@nuj.org.uk or phone Tracy on 020 7843 3717.

New president Morley champions quality journalism

I've met Chris at the last two ADMs and can confirm he's a bloody nice bloke. Here's the official release from HQ:

>>> Midlands industry writer Chris Morley has taken the helm at the National Union of Journalists.

Chris was installed as president of the 40,000-strong union at its annual delegate meeting in Liverpool.

He was Father of Chapel at the Birmingham Post & Mail for 14 years, successfully winning back recognition for the union at the company in 2001.

Currently chair of the Trinity Mirror Group Chapel, he has served on the union's National Executive Council for more than four years putting the fight against low pay and job cuts at the heart of his campaigning.

The 44-year-old takes on the 12-month role at a critical time in the media industry with a wave of massive job cuts sweeping across all sectors, from newspapers and magazines to television, radio and books.

He will be at the head of the NUJ's campaign aimed at stemming the tide of redundancies which threaten to destroy the quality of journalism in the UK and Ireland.


Journalism Matters will seek to unite readers, viewers and listeners in communities against the damaging effects of swingeing editorial cutbacks by rich and powerful media companies.

Chris said: "The union's members have bestowed an incredible honour on me and I want to use this position to campaign against the corporate greed which is wrecking our journalism.

"I want to involve our members in newsrooms up and down the country in our efforts to defend the quality and standards of journalism in their workplaces.

"This is a battle about defining the place that journalism holds in our society and democracy itself and it is not one we can afford to lose."

Chris takes on the NUJ presidency as the union prepares to celebrate its centenary, having been founded with its first national meeting at the former Acorn Hotel in Temple Street, Birmingham in 1907.

He will chair the centenary Annual Delegate Meeting at Birmingham's Holiday Inn, in Queensway Circus next April where up to 350 journalists are expected to gather.


Dartford-born, Chris went to school in Chester and Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, and gained a degree from Liverpool University. The father-of-two now lives in Halesowen, in the West Midlands, and is industrial correspondent for the Birmingham Mail.

Brum events

In from the Birmingham branch. If any Brighton members happen to be there I'm sure you'd be welcome, but otherwise does anyone have any ideas for a fundraising event we could do ourselves?

>>> 1. West Bromwich Building Society is presenting £1,000 to NUJ charities at Utopia, Church Street, Snow Hill, Brum between 4:00 and 7:00pm on Thursday, 6th April. Free food & booze. This is All Ticket. See branch officers.

2. Birmingham Press Club has free drinks for working journalists a The Old Royal, Church Street, Snow Hill, Brum between 5:30 & 7:30 pm on Thursday, 6th April.

Email Chris Youett on chris_youett@yahoo.co.uk for more info.

Anti-war demo

This is from the hyperactive Bristol branch. Is anyone doing anything similar in Brighton? Outside Churchill Square, if at all...

>>> PROTEST AGAINST BBC IGNORING MARCH 18th DEMONSTRATION
TUESDAY 4th APRIL 2006 1PM

The BBC and Stop the War have been inundated with complaints about its decision not to cover the March 18 national demonstration, at which tens of thousands protested against the war in Iraq, as part of an international day of action, which saw protests in over 250 cities and towns worldwide. Stop the War Coalition is calling for protests outside BBC studios and offices across the country at lunchtime on Tuesday 4th April. This is to respond to the BBC's failure to cover the huge troops home demonstration on March 18 on national news but also to protest the general pro-government bias of much of their reporting on the war.

Stop the War groups across the country will hold protests at every BBC office.

In Bristol, the protest will be at Broadcasting House, Whiteladies Road at 1pm.. We will be leafleting the offices with a copy of a letter addressed to Mark Thompson, a copy of which you can see here.

If you live, work or study near the BBC in Bristol please try to come along. Tell your friends, colleagues, neighbours. Bring placards. Perhaps gags to symbolize BBC censorship. The BBC cannot be allowed to continue to under-report or mis-report the opinions of the anti-war movement, which is the voice of the vast majority of people in Britain that has always opposed the war.

Map here

Anyone up for Photoshop?

In from NUJ Training...

>>> We are running the Photoshop course on Sat/Sun 8/9 April 2006, 10am - 5pm on the Saturday and 10.30am-4.30pm on the Sunday The course will take place at the NUJ Head office, 308-312 Grays Inn Road, London, WC1X 8DP. The cost of the course is £225 for NUJ members and £375 for non-members. The course is also open to NUJ students who can receive up to a 75% discount off the course fees.

I have attached below the course outline, which tells you who the course is aimed
at. If you are interested, respond to training@nuj.org.uk or telephone 020 7843 3717 to reserve a space. There limited spaces available, so bookings will be treated on a first come first served basis.

Please click on the link below to view course outline.
http://www.nujtraining.org.uk/page.phtml?id=133&category=outline&finds=0&string=&strand=


Tracy Trickett

Stonking ADM

ADM was hard work this year - guiding along the first ADM student blog following only the second ever student member conference. But it's work hard play hard at ADM and I didn't get to bed before 3AM all weekend!

On Sunday morning I asked conference to remember Rowan Dore - one of our most committed, experienced members and a much-admired friend to many of us.

Picture by Dave Rotchelle of the London Freelance Branch.

Colombian activist to speak in Hove

Dear Supporters,

Colombian trade union activist Hernando Hernandez has just been released from prison in Colombia and is now in the UK as a guest of Justice for Colombia. Hernando, who is also an indigenous leader, will be speaking at a public meeting at Hove Town Hall at 7pm on April 6th. Attached is a flyer for the event.

We very much hope you can come to the event – Hernando has a very interesting story to tell and is currently one of the most threatened trade unionists in Colombia. If you could also circulate the details to anyone else that you think might be interested it would be very helpful.

Thanks a lot and please do try to make the meeting.

Kind regards,

Liam Craig-Best
Justice for Colombia
Tel: 020 7794 3644
Email: liam@justiceforcolombia.org

Cracking student team to blog conference 2006

>>> The formal bit

A crack team of student journalists will be covering the 2006 National Union of Journalists conference live from Liverpool, showcasing the work of student members on a dedicated new website.

The union's new media council and the professional training committee have teamed up for the project, helping local students cover the event with text, video and photos.

Members are encouraged to join in and support the project by visiting the site, reading and commenting on stories and spreading news about the site. The organisers hope that the project will help promote the union of students and new media journalists.

"We have a huge challenge in recruiting the thousands of writers, designers and content producers that work in the digital media industry without the support of a union," said Jemima Kiss, new media council chair.

"We have a responsibility to promote what we do and show that we are engaging with this new audience, many of whom work and read news entirely on the internet. Working with our enthusiastic and blog-savvy student team to cover our main annual event live and online is the least we can do to publicise our work to the online community."

Check out the ADM 2006 student blog at http://www.nujstudents.org.uk

>>> The informal bit

Please support the project and encourage out students by reading the site and commenting on their coverage. We can't do it alone! Thanks!

Please support strikers at The Independent

From Molly Cooper on the NUJ Reps email list...

>>> NUJ members at The Independent / Independent on Sunday have rejected a new offer from management and will strike on Budget Day in a dispute over pay.

Journalists voted for strike action after the breakdown of pay talks at a union meeting on Monday. Following further talks over the past 24 hours a new offer was tabled by management. NUJ members have rejected the new offer as “inadequate” and confirmed plans for the Budget Day walkout.

The chapel at the Independent would really appreciate messages of support from fellow NUJ members, to boost their efforts when the take strike action on Budget Day, the 22nd March.

Messages of support can be sent to the MOC Kate Simon. Her email address is k.simon@independent.co.uk.

One for the ladies

From HQ:

Last year the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) carried out an investigation into how pregnant women are treated at work. They found that around 30,000 women suffered from pregnancy discrimination. Now we want to know your experiences at work when you became pregnant, the good stories as well as the bad. Each question has a space for further details.

The more women that answer this questionnaire, the better - we need to know how we can help you. Your response will be treated in the strictest confidence and you do not have to give your name if you don't want to.

We will use the information gained to improve the support we give pregnant NUJ members at work.

We would also like to use the information to produce a maternity guide for other members and we may use comments made by you to illustrate that booklet. These will remain completely anonymous and you can be assured that we will treat the information you have provided sensitively. However if you object to your response being used in this way please ensure that you answer 'No' to the final question of the survey.

To complete the survey, go to http://www.nujtraining.org.uk/poll.phtml.

The deadline for completing the survey is Friday, 14th April. If you would like to provide more details or expand upon your experiences, then please email equality@nuj.org.uk.

Pub quiz at the Nelly

Aka the March meeting - at the Nelson pub in Trafalgar Street, Brighton, from 7pm. Emails and mailout now sorted!

Demo outside The Guardian...

The Guardian chapel is organising a public show of support to our MEN colleagues outside the Guardian building - 119 Farringdon - tomorrow (Tuesday) at 1.15.

The chapel is trying to organise as much support as possible, so if you are anywhere nearby do go along...

NUJ Training update- FREE courses

This just in from the union's training department:

We are running the following courses in April 2006 - Journalism an Introduction for Freelances & Others on Thursday 6th April from 10am - 4.30pm. Cost for NUJ members is £65 and non-members is £105. Introduction to QuarkXpress and Photoshop both 2-day courses on Saturday/Sunday 8th-9th April from 10am-5pm on the Saturday and 10.30am-4.30pm on the Sunday. The cost of each course is £225 for members and £375 for non-members. The above courses are taking place in London at the NUJ head office.

There are still spaces available on the above courses and I have attached below the links to each course outline, which tells you who the courses are aimed at and who should attend.

Journalism: an Introduction for Freelances & Others

Introduction to QuarkXpress

Photoshop CS

Also below, I have attached the link to the current course calendar so that you can see what we have to offer up until the middle of July 2006. If you are interested in attending any of the above courses or any other course, then please respond by return email to training@nuj.org.uk or telephone 020 7843 3717.

Training Course Calendar March - July 2006

The professional training department is now also arranging the trade union training. Chapel and branch officers who have not attended any trade union courses should consider doing so. These courses are FREE to members and all reasonable travel and accommodation expenses will be covered. These courses have been designed specifically for NUJ needs by the GFTU and they are all accredited. The following dates have been organised:-

6/7 April - Basic Officers, Manchester
27/28 April - Negotiating Skills, Headland House
29/30 June - Basic Officers, Headland House
1/2 July - Representing Members, Headland House
13/14 July -Negotiating Skills, Headland House

You can view any other course outlines on the training website at www.nujtraining.org.uk
in the courses section. Email training@nuj.org.uk for more information or call 020 7843 3717.

Getting started as a freelance - Bristol session

This came in today - it's from the Bristol branch, but if anyone's interested we could either ask if we can send a Brighton contingent, or set up a similar event for Brighton. Anyone up for it?

>>> SPECIAL EVENT

In view of the fact that so many members have left the Post and Press in the last few months, NUJ Bristol Branch are putting on a special one-hour session about freelance working.

Everyone's welcome. Whether you've been freelance for years, months or just days, or even if you're not freelance but think one day you might be, do come along - the NUJ can do a lot to help you, and this will be a useful info session to get started!

If you know of colleagues who have recently left and might not yet be connected to this list from home, please be kind, spread the word and let them know. Thanks!

GETTING STARTED AS A FREELANCE

WEDNESDAY 15 MARCH
CAFE HALO, 141 GLOUCESTER ROAD, 7.00 P.M.

Thinking of going freelance?
Not sure of the ins and outs – how to set up in business, how to get contacts, what to do next?

NUJ Bristol Branch are holding a one-hour session to get you started. We will take a look at a few key matters across all sectors: where to get information, how to register for tax, how to build a client base, suggestions for marketing yourself, and the outlook for freelancing in the industry now.

We’ll also be joined by some experienced freelances who will be able to explain what they do and how, and answer questions.

There’s a nice bar and everyone’s welcome to stay and chat for as long as it’s open. So do come on down to Halo on Wednesday and see what the NUJ can do for you as a freelance in a tough world.

Bristol Branch NUJ
10-12 Picton Street
Montpelier
BRISTOL
0117 944 6219
mobile 07786 952037

Searchlight

It's that time of the month again. Anti-nazi mag Searchlight available - interesting read in light of Danish cartoon furore.

Also got copies of CPBF's Free Press and The Zimbabwean!

History of the Argus help

We've been approached by a former branch member needing to outline the Argus's history and pedigree to boost their application for a US green card. Can someone help? This info does not appear to be readily available on the Argus's website.

E-democracy invite

Had this through:

The steering group of the Brighton and Hove issues forum is holding an open evening on Thursday March 9, at 6pm-7.30pm, at Community Base, Queens Road, Brighton.

We'd like to invite you to a join an on-line public discussion forum where you can share your views and opinions on Brighton & Hove issues with a growing network of local people.

Developed as part of a national 'e-democracy' project looking at ways to use the internet to boost local democracy, the forum has been running for 12 months and already has over 200 members drawn from all parts of the local community. Members include residents, parents, cyclists, business owners and councillors.

Topics discussed in the past few months have included Park & Ride; bicycles on trains; Gehry development at King Alfred Centre; EDO Protests against arms trade; Recycling.

This is a chance to find out more about an exciting new local project. If you are a member of the Brighton and Hove community, a resident with any local concerns, a politician, business owner, academic, health worker, anybody... come along and find out more over a free glass or two of wine.

If you can't be at the meeting, you are still welcome to join the forum and signing up couldn't be easier.

Simply go to http://www.e-democracy.org/brightonhove and follow the on-screen instructions.

Mark WalkerProject Manager, SCIPCommunity Base, 113 Queens Road, Brighton BN1 3XGW: http://www.scip.org.uk

Guardian Media Summit

Apologies for some of the jargon in this but I've cut and pasted it from an email I've been sent:

You are invited to the MediaGuardian Changing Media Summit 2006, taking place in London on Monday March 27 2006.

If you are concerned about: How will media work in the era of mass-personalisation and the audience-of-one? How can media owners and advertisers adapt and survive to thrive in this new world? How can my organisation benefit from the promise of device convergence? What, if any, are the opportunities for my organisation in social media?...then the MediaGuardian Changing Media Summit is the place to let you hear from a highly influential range of speakers, to get the latest thinking on these, and many more, business-critical issues.

The media world is changing: Circulations ad revenues and audiences are down.Young consumers are texting, listening to their MP3 player, checking their email online: traditional media no longer has their attention.

Meanwhile the man on the street is breaking news with his mobile-phone before any reporter can reach the scene.Savvy media professionals are now looking to adjust their business strategies accordingly. MediaGuardian has leveraged its acknowledged expertise and respected editorial voice to develop a one-day event, the MediaGuardian Changing Media Summit, that asks the key questions:

How do you leverage the impact of user-generated media? What's next after the ad-based revenue model? How do you market to the no logo generation? What is the impact of social media?

Join leading media owners, advertisers, academics and commentators for a meeting of minds and thrash out how your business can turn new paradigms and new platforms into truly lucrative revenue streams. This timely event will consider and debate the strategic challenges for media owners and advertisers in dealing with the new world.
http://Media.Guardian.co.uk/changingmediasummit

January meeting minutes

Present: Jemima Kiss, Virginia Bridgewater, Rachel Glazier, Charles Whitney, Cath Quinn, Andy Tate, Adrian Colley, Adam Juniper.

1 Several new members elected

2 No officers reports

3 Memorial to late Argus journalist and branch stalwart Rowan Dore. Virginia suggested a Brighton/Hove bus be named after him. Jemima suggested a seat at the new Albion stadium could be sponsored. Meeting backed payment of £45 to Adrian Colley for the cost of a wreath sent on behalf of the branch to Rowan's funeral early in January.

4 ADM nominations: it was decided to send Argus journalist Andy Tate and Jemima Kiss to Liverpool to represent the branch at the Annual Delegate Meeting in March. The branch also backed sending two observers - Adam Juniper and Virginia Bridgewater - and agreed it would foot their costs to a maximum of £400 (in total).

5 ADM motions. There were no amendments proposed to the draft ADM agenda.

6 Appeal for help with branch business. Chair Jemima said she could still attend branch meetings and that she was splitting her time between Brighton and the West Country. She urged members to start using the branch website at www.nujbrighton.org.uk by logging on and contributing to it, as a way of increasing interest in the branch and boosting its activities. She said: "It's really easy to log in and it's one way of helping out. The more people that use it the better. It should be the place where we try to communicate with each other and any help with that would be appreciated."

Secretary/treasurerAdrian said his position was unclear and that if he moved to a new job he hoped to get after then he would need help to carry on the secretarial duties, perhaps on a joint basis - treasurer duties are minimal. He reiterated that the branch would not continue if nobody came forward to help as 99% of branch business is carried out by himself and Jemima.
He said there would be no February meeting as he could not do the legwork involved. But, come what may, there would be a March meeting, probably on Tuesday March 21.

Welfare officer Virginia said she was not living in Brighton at the moment - she was based in London.

Charles Whitney, of the Argus, offered to help with production of the branch newsletter. Adam Juniper also indicated a willingness to help out. Via email, Newhaven-based Amanda Wilkins has also indicated she might be able to help. Adrian and Jemima are grateful for the offers and we hope to be able to firm something up in spring.

*Just to update the branch: Adrian can continue as secretary as he is not changing jobs. Many thanks for the offers of help - maybe at the March meeting we can devise ways of getting the new faces more involved in branch work.

7 Any other business: Andy Tate hinted that there were new developments at the Argus. Read more at http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=details&nnewsID=540012

ADM agenda

I have a spare copy of the Annual Delegate Meeting agenda. I can mail it out to someone who emails me at nujbrighton@gmail.com . 72-page document and more than 150 motions in it!

Fancy being on regional TUC?

We can nominate delegates to represent the NUJ on the Southern and Eastern Region TUC - which brings together all unions in the region.

The NUJ is entitled to nominate people to serve on the following:

• Regional council (five delegates)
• Executive committee
• Executive cttee (women's seat)
• Exec cttee (black, minority ethnic seat)
• Exec cttee (disabled seat)
• Exec cttee (youth)
• Exec cttee (Lesbian, Gay)

And we can nominate people for the following committees:

• Race relations
• Women's rights
• Pensioners network
• Creative and leisure industries
• Internation affairs

Nominations to be sent to Tania Caporaso at taniac@nuj.org.uk by March 10. More info on SERTUC via secretary Mick Connolly (I can provide number, don't want to put it up here without his permission - AC). Click on the headline to find out more about SERTUC.

Hastings Trawler

Copies of Hastings Trawler available - one Jan, one Feb edition. Email nujbrighton@gmail.com with your address and I can post it.

Support Manchester journos

Despite making record profits of £32.6m last year, Manchester Evening News bosses are:

• Axing 22% of the workforce
• Getting rid of 27 journalists - including all photographers - leaving the picture desk entirely dependent on freelance and casual staff.
• Making eight clerical staff - such as scanners, librarians, secretaries and messengers - redundant.
• Merging the news and features subbing departments increasing the workload for the remaining staff.
• Forcing the remaining staff to work more shifts between 6am and 11pm will impact on their lives.

"We work in advertising and have been kidding ourselves for 20 years that we work in the newspaper industry, " says Mark Dodson, regional chief executive of Guardian Media Group who wants to focus his sights on getting more advertising - and not working at increasing the quality of the MEN in order to sell newspapers. He said: "It's futile to try and turn circulation around."

MEN workers unanimously passed the following motion:
"We condemn utterly the proposed programme of redundancies, cuts and resulting decline in quality and editorial content. The inevitable worsening of the terms and conditions for the remaining staff are completely unacceptable.

"The proposal to axe the staff photographers, leaving a major regional newspaper reliant on casuals and freelances makes neither economic nor editorial sense. This chapel has absolutely no confidence in and feels betrayed by the board, the editor and editorial managers.

"We condemn the incompetent and insensitive way management have announced, organised and acted upon the review. Refusing to give us the data on which decisions have been based shows contempt for staff, for the business, for the paper and for the readers.

"Therefore, this chapel has decided to instruct national officers to organise a campaign against the cuts including a ballot for industrial action."

Now we now call upon YOU to support our action.
Send your words of support to the MEN Chapel by logging on to: www.menchapel.org.uk <http://www.menchapel.org.uk>
Send your words of protest to:
Scott Trust chair Liz Forgan - liz.forgan@virgin.net <mailto:liz.forgan@virgin.net>
GMG regional chief executive - mark.dodson@men-news.co.uk <mailto:mark.dodson@men-news.co.uk> And Guardian editor - alan.rusbridger@guardian.co.uk <mailto:alan.rusbridger@guardian.co.uk>

Keep broadcasting public conference

The TUC is hosting a conference next month called Keep Broadcasting Public where media campaigners and trade unionists will discuss the BBC's new charter, to be awarded in December 2006. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber will introduce the event and there will be a presentation about the Government's white paper on how the BBC should be run and funded. The event runs from 9.30am until 4pm on Saturday, March 18, at the TUC Congress Centre in Great Russell Street, London. Registration is open to NUJ members and costs £10, or £7 concs including lunch.

Why did my son die?

From Sussex Action for Peace:

Wednesday 15th February 8pm “Iraq 3 Years on; how many more must die?” at the Friends Meeting House, Ship St, Brighton.

Why did my son die in Iraq? Peter Brierley lost his son Shaun in Iraq and has said "I need to find out why this has happened. I won't stop until I've done everything I can to find out."

Peter Brierley - Military Families against the War
Lindsey German - Convenor Stop the War Coalition
Speakers from Smash EDO and Save Omar Deghayes local campaigns

Searchlight

Copy of February Searchlight available. I can put it in the post. Articles include poignant feature on the death toll of Africans seeking to enter the Canary Islands on boats from Morocco in search of work.

Jan meeting

Just a couple of points to flag up

• Jemima Kiss and Andy Tate chosen to represent branch at Annual Delegate Meeting in Liverpool in March.
• Ideas to commemorate Rowan - have a Brighton and Hove bus named after him. Name a seat at the new Brighton football ground (if it's ever built) in the press box after him.
• And our plea for help has been answered. Charles Whitney from the Argus has offered to organise the next newsletter. And Adam Juniper is also willing to help out.
• Still no meeting next month. The next one is likely to be on March 21. Next newsletter will come out about a week before that meeting.

Possible memorial

It's been suggested that the branch consider some sort of commemorative action in the wake of Rowan Dore's death. However no concrete ideas have emerged. Does anyone have a suggestion to make on an appropriate action we could take? This will be discussed at tomorrow's meeting.

Help!

We desperately need help to keep going. Your three officials – Adrian Colley, Jemima Kiss and Virginia Bridgewater are likely to spend most of this year out of Sussex. We could well need people to fill the role of chair, secretary (or joint secretary) and welfare officer in the next three months. It’s too early to say what the outcome of our various commitments will be but there could be significant personal changes which will affect the branch.

Without people to help fill the first two posts the branch will cease to exist because it’s the secretary and chair who have organised everything for the last four years. In the short term we’ve had to decide that there will be no meeting or mailout in February. We just don’t have the time to do the legwork involved. There WILL be a meeting in March – to discuss the way our ADM reps should vote at the March ADM. Beyond March, who knows?

Unfortunately the situation is critical and we need people to come forward to help out in any way possible. One way might be for people to come forward to act as joint chair with Jemima or joint secretary with me. If no one comes forward the branch is likely to stop operating by the summer. Jemima divides her time between Sussex and the West Country and I may move to a new role in my workplace which will considerably cut the amount of time I can devote to branch business.

Freelance activists' course

You may have spotted this in the latest edition of The Journalist (p18) but I thought it worth putting up as we have so many freelances in the branch.

The NUJ is running its first training course for freelance activists on January 28 (presumably in London, it doesn't say where).

It will cover the role of the freelance rep, the law, representing members, negotiating skills and organising freelances. Details from freelance@nuj.org.uk or phone 0207 843 3703.

Up for grabs

Copies of the following available. Email us and they can be put in the post

1 The Zimbabwean
2 The Hastings Trawler - supplied by branch member Stuart Christie
3 Searchlight - nasty Nazis and their latest exploits. Quite an eye-bleeding read!
4 CPBF's Free Press
5 A DVD from the Working Class Movement Library in Salford. Narrated by Dr Who no less (Chris Ecclestone)

Rowan RIP

A crowd of up to 500 mourners paid their last respects to Rowan Dore who was buried earlier today at St Margarets Church, Rottingdean. The nearby Plough Inn was choc-a-bloc for hours afterwards as his friends and family drank to the doyen of Sussex journalism. Red wine flowed as Rowan would have wanted it to. A wreath from the branch was among the floral tributes sent to the funeral.

Mourners included former Press Association correspondent, the legendary Chris Moncrieff, with whom Rowan once formed part of PA’s Parliamentary team, leading Sussex politicians and dozens, maybe 100-plus, of journalists who attended a lyrical service which vividly evoked an uncannily accurate picture of Rowan and his life’s achievements.

It was almost, for ex-Argus staff, a day out with everyone you’d ever worked with – a sure sign of the respect in which Rowan, who died on December 15, was held. Ex-Argus staffer Chris Baker travelled up from Torbay for the funeral and Guardian employee and former Brighton/Mid Sussex branch secretary Helene Mulholland came down from London. Rowan was widely respected outside journalistic circles – actor Mark Brailsford dedicated Brighton Komedia’s Christmas Treason Show last week to Rowan’s memory – he was a big fan of the satire show.

Once again, the branch offers condolences to Rowan’s family. And spare a thought for Argus staff – as one reporter said: “It’s been like a morgue ever since he died.” That was three weeks ago and Argus journalists have bravely carried on despite the pain. The branch hopes from the heart that the Argus has a happier 2006.

Thanks once again to Karen Hoy for keeping us informed and I understand Phil Mills will be penning a fuller, and better, report in today’s (Thursday’s) edition of the Argus. Click on the headline and you can link through to the Argus site.

And there's a touching few pars from the Roy Greenslade's Telegraph column here http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2005/12/27/ccnote27.xml

ADM motions

The preliminary agenda for the ADM is now available. If you want the branch to propose an amendment to any of the 175 motions then you have to come along to this month's meeting on the 17th and have it accepted and backed by the branch. This will be the only chance you have left to influence union policy as the deadline for amendments to motions is January 23.

So come and make your case. Click on this item's headline to access the NUJ site where you can download the full agenda, if you do not have a copy.