Back to school with the NUJ - new media social event
Come and meet members of the NUJ working in New Media, talk about work issues, bring your colleagues (members of the union or not) and have a few drinks and some nibbles.
We'll also have someone from the
NUJ's training department along to talk about the courses, both professional and trade union, the union will be running.
Date: Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Time: 7:00pm - 11:00pm
Location:
Union Tavern, 52 Lloyd Baker Street, LondonIf you're on Facebook, RSVP at:
http://www.new.facebook.com/event.php?eid=73416705787Labels: national union of journalists, new media, nuj, social events, union tavern
London New Media Social Event
All new media workers in London are invited to a social event next Thursday (24 July) in the Yorkshire Grey pub (upstairs), 46 Langham Street (anyone who was at the previous socials, this is not the same pub as before, it just has the same name).
Map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=46+Langham+Street%2C+London%2C+United+KingdomCome along, bring a friend or two, and have a few drinks and some nibbles (paid for by the NUJ). This is not limited to NUJ members, non-members are welcome to come along and have a chat with colleagues and the union.
Pop in any time between 7 and 11 - and don't feel you have to stay all night, it's up to you.
If you're on Facebook, check it out here:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=18359453348&ref=nfLabels: national union of journalists, new media, nuj, social events
NUJ DGS London hustings video
The four candidates for the post of NUJ Deputy General Secretary took part in a London hustings event on Thursday 29 May. You can watch a series of videos of the event on the London Central Branch website -
http://nujlondoncentral.wordpress.com/ - as all four candidates give their views on issues facing journalism and their suitability for the job.
Labels: Chris Youett, Deputy General Secretary, DGS, John Toner, Michelle Stanistreet, national union of journalists, nuj, Philip Hunt, trade union
Convergence - the final frontier
To the Emirates stadium today for a
government think-tank session on digital convergence. Today's - rather grandly titled "What is Convergence?" - is the first in a series of events where Whitehall will apparently attempt to piece together some sort of coherent government overview on the mysterious future of the digital world.
Many of the great and the good from the media, hi-tech industry and academia were in attendance, with representatives from the Beeb, ITV, Orange, AOL, Five, Channel 4, the CBI, Guardian, Newspaper Society, Sky, O2...etc
Andy Burnham MP, the recently appointed Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport kicked off proceedings with the usual Nu-Labour speak about the importance of "open markets", diversity and putting consumers in charge etc. According to Mr Burnham, it was important that the think tank wasn't just seen as "insiders talking to insiders" and stressed the importance of including young people in the debate.
A surreptitious glance round the room confirmed there was no-one there under the age of 30, so quite where the input of the "born digital" generation will come from is anybody’s guess, a point picked up by the platform.
Oh, and the findings of the think tank "might or might not" form part of new legislation...my guess is that it probably wont unless Murdoch wants some more favours.
First up in the panel session was the chief executive of Ofcom Ed Richards. He felt that the changes brought about by convergence will bring "disruption" - not only to the media industry but to consumers as the wider media tries to adapt to the digital future. Of course, most NUJ reps would argue that this has been going on across the media for years already, with many hard-working journalists trying to make the best of hair-brained and ill-thought-through schemes to move into the online world drawn up by starry-eyed bosses who don't fully understand the technology...
BBC Director General Mark Thompson spoke about the success of the new
iplayer application, with more than two million users since the launch on Christmas Day 2007. However, while evangelising about the brave new world, Thompson also defended radio broadcasting as being central to BBC output and also stressed the need for "outstanding content" as central to digital delivery...
Neil Berkett from Virgin Media told the group that, last Sunday, his broadband customers had downloaded the equivalent of 313 million MP3 tracks in data. Sunday is apparently the busiest day for downloads. (Thus confirming that most UK broadband users are now finally learning to switch off Last of the Summer Wine and instead go on You Tube to rerun that video of
Star Wars Kid...)
Marc Overton of Orange moaned about how relatively cheap fixed term broadband was for consumers in comparison to the actual cost of providing the service and support. Damn us savvy customers for going for the cheapest deals! Presumably Orange will either be upping their prices or pulling out of the broadband market. It could be the latter - as Marc predicted that, at an indeterminate point in the future, there would only be three broadband providers for the UK - most likely BT, Virgin and Sky...
He also, rather depressingly, spoke about the popularity of the
"Buff or Rough" feature on the Orange website as being one of their most popular developments. (Maybe they hadn't been around during the height of the
"Am I Hot Or Not" craze all those years ago...)
The most lucid contribution of the day came from Nick Bertolotti - Investment Fund Managing Director from Credit Suisse. He effectively said what we had all suspected - that the city was "scared of convergence" and that the UK was already "behind the curve". Brands were less important in the online sphere and the established large media companies were under threat from smaller companies, therefore threatening investment etc.
His advice to the media bosses? "Build up the brand. Build up the content side." Ironic that it should be the most overt profiteer on the platform that comes out with what the NUJ has been saying for years about media companies investing in good quality content...
The best contribution of the day came from the floor - Jackie Devereux of the
Community Media Association. She picked up on the theme that had come from the platform all morning - that the "individual" was key to the convergence debate. She challenged the notion that the "born digital" generation (anyone under 23) would forevermore be locked away alone in darkened rooms in front of a screen addicted to the net, noting that peoples priorities change as they get older and we don't all stay aged 16 for ever. Amen.
She also pointed out that just because we could now individualise our media consumption, this would not alter the fact that families would sit down and watch a TV show together...a refreshing antidote to the prevalent idea of the day that we would all become anti-social slaves to our handheld devices in years to come.
Finally exposing the elephant that had sat conspicuously in the corner all morning, Devereux made the most valid point of the day that the digital divide is still huge, with almost 50% of children at some inner city schools not having access to a computer at home, along with the scant availability of quality broadband services in poor areas...one for the powers that be to ponder as they attempt to make sense of the rapidly changing digital environment.
I managed to make the NUJ positions during the "break out" discussion group about the very real dangers facing existing media, particularly for local paper staff and freelances, because of the rush online and the need to train all journalists to work across platforms. I also banged the drum for quality content - and the need for all online news content to be managed and produced by experienced and trained professionals. Whether or not these points are taken into the "final cut", remains to be seen.
Labels: convergence, journalism, journalists, multimedia, national union of journalists
NUJ publishes multimedia report
The long-awaited report of the NUJ's Commission on Multimedia Working, established to investigate the implications of media convergence, has found widespread concern about the impact of new media working on journalistic standards. Three members of the Commission are also members of the union's New Media Industrial Council.
The report, called Shaping the Future, follows months of consultation with journalists working across the industry. It finds that the significant sums that have been spent on new technology haven't been matched by investment in journalism.
The document welcomes the possibilities offered by the internet and media convergence, highlighting their potential to engage new audiences in lively and high quality journalism. However, it also finds that many journalists are worried about the impact they will have on their professional standards.
The report includes numerous examples provided by journalists dealing with these technologies everyday. Trends include demands to produce more content for more outlets without the provision of any extra journalistic resources, which is often felt to have a detrimental effect on quality.
Read the report on the NUJ's redesigned website. Labels: internet, journalism, journalists, multimedia, national union of journalists, nuj, stand up for journalism
NUJ secures key concessions in AOL redundancy negotiations
Members at AOL have been involved in a redundancy process that is seeing the company cut more than half the editorial staff; reducing the number of journalists, designers and photo editors from 38 to just 17.
This is the third restructure of the editorial department in less than 12 months - and now the cuts are accompanied by the outsourcing of much editorial work to India.
Fortunately the NUJ was recognised here a couple of years ago following a tenacious campaign, and the union has able to marshal a strong defence of members' interests during the consultation process -- significantly mitigating the damage.
The union has negotiated a very strong severance package for those members who will be leaving, but our greatest achievement has been securing voluntary redundancies where possible, not just for journalists but across the whole organisation.
We have also successfully gained additional concessions for older colleagues, an extension of redundancy terms for the next year, greater flexibility on retraining allowances and a fairer scoring system for those who will be staying and competing for the remaining jobs.
The union has achieved significant gains which simply would not have been made if the workers had only been represented by the "Employee Forum".
Union reps are still joining members in their meetings with HR as the new organisation is implemented -- but the process has largely been running smoothly and both parties are working together in an attempt to minimise compulsory redundancies.
The whole process has greatly strengthened the chapel at AOL and convinced members of the value of collective representation.
Stacey King, FoC, AOL UK
Labels: AOL, national union of journalists, nuj
Standing up for journalism in the blogosphere
The NUJ inspired Stand Up for Journalism day on November 5 has been generating interest in the blogosphere.
And everyone is taking a different line.
Grimmer Up North concentrates on the BBC.
Labour of Love goes with the Peterloo massacre.
Dave's Part plays it straight.
Brussells Reporter takes the Euro-angle.
PR in a jar says she's taking part.
City of the Dead looks at Liverpool's media.
Stephen Newton wants his press releases re-jigged.
How-do pokes the bonfire.
And
the Guardian does it the old fashioned way.
If you see anything else, please add them to the list by commenting (thanks to Miles Barter for compiling this list so far).
Labels: guy fawkes, national union of journalists, November 5, nuj, stand up for journalism
LinkedIn and Facebook
There's now an NUJ group on LinkedIn,
click here to join.
And NUJ's Facebook group is the biggest union group on Facebook and the union has just had it first Facebook only recruitment, Sushanta Das Gupta, editor of
http://www.e-bangladesh.org/. If you're on Facebook, go
here to join the NUJ group.
Labels: facebook, linkedin, national union of journalists, nuj, socialnetworking
Don't forget - London, 26 July evening - drinks on the NUJ
Less than two weeks to go - if you haven't told your friends already, tell 'em now:
NUJ New Media Social Recruitment EventThe NUJ's London Central Branch is putting on a recruitment social event, so, if you work in new media or do you have friends or colleagues who work in new media and like having a drink in good company in comfortable surroundings - please come along.
This event is planned to start at 7:30 pm on Jul 26, 2007 upstairs at the
Yorkshire Grey pub, Holborn, London.
If you're on Facebook, you can RSVP at:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=2393405298, if not, just turn up.
Labels: national union of journalists, new media, newmedia, NMIC, nuj, socialevents, socialnetworking
Fairer subs for new media
As of Monday 9 July, the union's members working in new media will see a fairer subscription rate, with many paying lower subs. The change follows a decision made at this year's Annual Delegate Meeting.
The ADM motion called for subs for all new media journalists, except for those working alongside other journalists in the more established parts of the media, to be lowered to Grade 1.
Low pay continues to be a problem in many parts of the new media sector and job uncertainty is endemic, factors that made recruitment very difficult with subs for the sector at the highest level. The New Media Industrial Council hopes the new subs rates will lead to a boom in recruitment in the sector at a time when the union most needs it.
The full text of the new rule will be in the new Rule Book, but the breakdown means that all those, except people employed in workplaces defined under Grades 2 and 3, will pay subs at the lowest grade. The others will pay subs as appropriate to their workplace.
As part of the new media recruitment drive following the change in subs, London Central Branch has organised a recruitment event in the city on Thursday July 26 from 7:30. Details below.
Labels: national union of journalists, new media, newmedia, nuj
