NUJ opens doors to web journalists

Online journalists in the UK can expect more professional support and representation within the industry thanks to a new union body specifically designed to represent new media journalists.

Journalists voted in favour of the new council at the annual meeting of the UK's National Union of Journalists (NUJ), held in Liverpool from 25 to 28 March.

Jenny Lennox, assistant organiser for online journalism at the NUJ, told dotJournalism that the union is keen to recruit people working in web publishing, many of whom might not be aware of the support that union membership can provide.

"There is a whole pool of information we need to get out to these journalists - especially those who don't have a traditional background in journalism," she said.

"There are important industrial issues and campaigns to tackle."

The union has four other councils representing specialist industrial sectors including broadcasting and newspapers. The new council is seen as an important step towards remodelling the union as a broader professional organisation for the whole media industry.

Some union members had expressed various concerns about the viability of a new media council.

"They were worried that the new council would be poaching their members, and also that there might not be enough journalists working in this sector," said Ms Lennox.

Over the next year, representatives will be nominated by NUJ branches around the UK. The council will be fully in place this time next year.

Relevant articles:
http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/story824.shtml
http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/story753.shtml
http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/story744.shtml
http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/story715.shtml
http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/story710.shtml

See also:
http://www.nuj.org.uk

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