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NUJ admits first 'full-time blogger'

The National Union for Journalists (NUJ) has admitted its first full-time freelance professional blogger as a member.

Conrad Quilty-Harper, who blogs for technology blog Engadget, had his application for membership approved at a meeting of the NUJ’s London Freelance branch last night, Tim Gopsill, editor of The Journalist, confirmed to Journalism.co.uk.

Harper was invited to attend the freelance meeting where his application was passed after he was initially rejected by the union for being a student on a non-media course.

While his application was not officially cleared until last night, the union's general secretary Jeremy Dear had hinted at its approval.

In a blog post dated November 8, Dear said the organisation had 'approved the application of the first NUJ member who has blogger as their job title'.

"Whilst we have hundreds, if not thousands of members who write blogs, this is the first person who earns their entire living solely from freelance blogging," wrote Dear.

Writing on his personal blog, Quilty-Harper said he was surprised that he was the first 'full-time blogger' to join the union and that an 'archaic application process' could be putting off other applicants.

"I may be the first person to apply as a new member with the vast majority of my experience being at a blog — that has always been a blog, and will always be a blog - but that doesn't mean I'm the first blogger member of the NUJ," wrote Quilty-Harper.

He added that his blog's affiliation with a mainstream media company - Engadget is a member of the AOL-owned Weblogs, Inc. network - could have been a contributing factor to the NUJ approving his application

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