A debate erupted earlier this week about the National Union of Journalists' (NUJ) approach to social media and its engagement with bloggers.

While members and non-members, digital and non-digital journalists discussed the issue, union members at Johnston Press and Newsquest titles in Leeds and York continued to use social media tools to boost their campaigns.

NUJ members at the Yorkshire Post, Yorkshire Evening Post and Leeds Weekly News announced further industrial action yesterday over 18 planned job cuts and union journalists at the York Press and Gazette&Herald titles have staged redundancy walkouts.

The groups are using chapel blogs, Facebook groups, YouTube, online petitions, text messaging and email to gather support and report on the action.

Speaking to Journalism.co.uk, Adam Christie, NUJ national executive council member who is primarily in charge of the NUJ Yorkshire blog, said using these tools is about tapping into as many networks of support as possible.

"You must work whatever network you have got - whether it is unconventional, technological or beer-related," he said, stressing the importance of offline networks between journalists who trained or previously worked together in gathering support.

By publicising and reporting on the situation in this way, the chapel is offering 'a wake up call' to Johnston Press executives, who should see the online spread of the campaign as a significant PR problem, said Christie.

The current blog campaigning format grew out of an initial site set up last May, when NUJ members at York Press staged a walkout.

The chapel has expanded into new channels of communication, but according to Christie has received most messages via text and email.

The number of hits to the NUJ York blog has dropped off recently, he said, and added that 'the level of support from the digital community' had been disappointing.

Despite the drop in blog users, the overall success of the chapel's online and social media presence is now being used as a model for other branches, he said. In particular, NUJ members at the Derry Journal are learning from York, he added.