To John, all very fascinating, I’m sure, but it does not exactly answer the questions, does it?
So, has poor Paula lost her ability to type, or are you acting as the generic flak for “NUJ Left” after the last one retired with hurt pom-poms?
Mark
Have you actually met Paula Geraghty? I have.
I've met her, once, and know for a fact that she has worked long, and hard, to promote the interests of Irish members, and particularly photographers, not just in Ireland. She's a thoroughly decent and honourable person.
I freely confess that both Paula and I are members of a devious secret society, 'working away to subvert the NUJ' (as if)...... it's called the NVJ Photo mailing list. A couple of hundred photographers daily swap ideas about how the NUJ can be made more relevant to the interests of NUJ photographer members (this list probably includes some of your supporters).
If it's confession time, I have another.... I'm also in the NUJ Activist's email list (yes - activist members discussing how they can boost the NUJ's membership and relevance in the wider industry), and another, yes, Yorkshire-based freelances also correspond in a separate email list, as do.........NUJ Left. And further on, there are similar lists for freelances, for broadsheet contributors, and probably many more. Perhaps you're one of the few NUJ members who isn't also involved in one of these hideous conspiracies/email lists (delete according to preference).
Mark - as you say, you are a journalist, not an activist, so hopefully you can understand that some of the ways in which today's NUJ members interact may have changed since your days as an activist. Nowadays, many members organise themselves through regular email list contacts. That includes supporters of the 'left' in the NUJ, and many others.
And if you're wondering why the snapper's list is called NVJ Photo - it's because we annoyed key figures in the NUJ hierarchy (many on the 'Left') and lost official endorsement, because of our support for the interests of rank and file
Anyway - hope this helps
John
