Stoking fires at the NUJ conference

I've just got back from the National Union of Journalists annual meeting in Scarborough.

It was my first union conference as a delegate and I found it extremely hard work - three days of listening, studying, debating and voting in conference followed by some non-stop eating and drinking. (OK, that bit wasn't such hard work.)

If you have never been involved or interested in union work, this really is the time to start. Yes, the union will offer you support and representation if you face redundancy, low pay or unfair working conditions. The NUJ was the first to protest about 'industrial butchery' at the BBC as well as job cuts at ITV, Reuters, the Telegraph and many more over the past few months.

But more than that, I was proud and excited to be part of such a committed and dynamic community. It's been a real education meeting so many journalists from so many different fields and with so much experience. I (rather crudely) calculated that there was about 3,000 years of combined professional experience at that conference and that is one hell of a support network.

Perhaps it's inevitable that the union - or at least the conference - consists mostly of middle-aged men in suits, but this is beginning to change. I was keen to promote the fledgling new media council to anyone that would listen, and believe I did manage to convert a few sceptics – or at least make them consider the internet for just a moment.

Thanks also to the excellent Charles Arthur who came along for the Friday night to explain how technology is changing the news profession. We have to keep chipping away until the message gets through...

I won't be reporting on the conference in detail for this site as I was representing the Brighton branch, but NUJ Brighton will be covering the highlights including Mr Arthur's thoughts on the future of journalism, the battle for answers about the seizure of the Indymedia servers last year and the rejection of the proposal for a photographic organiser.

And, of course, a summer of protests against job cuts at the BBC.

As NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear told conference yesterday: "It's going to be a hell of a year. Go forth and multiply."

• The New Media Industrial Council is now officially established. If you are already a member of the NUJ and want to move to the new media sector, email Jenny Lennox at jennyl@nuj.org.uk.

If you are not an NUJ member and would like to join, visit the NUJ website at nuj.org.uk.

The New Media Council's email discussion group is open to all. Sign up at groups.yahoo.com.

• Another niblet of amusement: The results of ballots for officers were called and went something like this:

"Williams - 42
Jenkins - 61
Heinz - 57."

Silly, but it made me laugh.

More news from dotJournalism:
BBC faces strikes over job cuts
NUJ to vote on new photo officer
Home Office under fire over Indymedia raid

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