Editor of The Journalist: shortlisted candidates
Read application statements from candidates and return your ballot paper by 12 August in the election for editor of the union’s journal for members.
The names of shortlisted applicants are: Sean Bell, Christine Buckley, Tessa Clarke, Phil Creighton, Gerard Cunningham, Helen Parton, Brian Pelan, and Craig Thomas. Statements from their applications are provided in alphabetical order below.
Ballot papers have already been circulated (on 15 July) and the closing date for receipt of ballots is Monday 12 August with an announcement of the result on the following day. Endorsement from the NUJ's National Executive Council is also expected on 13 August.
BELL, Sean Connolly Mackay
Over the course of my 15+ years in professional journalism, I have not only accrued experience across the breadth of the industry – print and online, UK and international, arts and politics, writing, editing and proof-reading, reportage, commentary and critique – but have also faced many of the challenges which continue to threaten our membership and profession: layoffs, dwindling salaries and resources, job insecurity and financial precarity.
I firmly believe that the only hope we have of overcoming these conditions is through the mass-movement that only trade unionism can summon; it is therefore vital that this movement have a voice. As editor, I would be committed to making sure The Journalist fully embodies that voice.
No one knows the often-impossible conditions journalists must struggle through better than journalists themselves, and it is a function of our solidarity that we articulate the truth of that, just as we do in all our work. There are precious few venues for this, making the role of The Journalist all the more necessary.
Though I wish I could speak with greater optimism, I do not anticipate the coming years will be any less challenging for journalism, as the spectres of AI, predatory capital and mass-layoffs grow. However, the threats we face have only served to make journalists across the world more determined and courageous in their efforts to stand up for ourselves, our colleagues and our comrades, as evidenced by the increasing levels of international unionisation and worker organisation within the industry. Those efforts deserve to be recognised, and our magazine should be at the forefront of doing so – The Journalist should stand for all journalists.
I, just as any editor should, would also endeavour to uphold the values of the NUJ, publishing not just a source of high-quality journalism, but a publication which treats those who produce it with the respect they deserve.
Finally, The Journalist would continue to reflect the NUJ’s understanding that it does not exist or act in a vacuum – it fights alongside the wider trade union movement that stands for all workers everywhere, against any injustice and oppression they may face, from London to Glasgow, Paris to New York, Moscow to Gaza.
BUCKLEY, Christine
I’m the current editor of The Journalist and I’m seeking re-election.
I’ve supported unions all my adult life and have worked with them for a large part of my career. Previously, I was Industrial Editor of The Times covering the union movement and industry.
Sadly, union membership is declining - generally and in the NUJ. We need new and enthusiastic members who are going to stay in the union and help it grow, not just join when they have a dispute.
Journalists also face massive changes – job cuts, low pay, the restructuring of business models, the erosion of traditional newsrooms, the isolation of working from home, the proliferation of AI - to name but a few.
I strongly believe that unions should be outward facing, offering members news and debates about their industries as well as highlighting what the union is doing to help them.
The Journalist needs to be a showcase for the NUJ that is relevant and engaging for most of the diverse range of our members.
On top of this, our readership is one of the most discerning possible. They are professional communicators and expect their magazine to display the highest standards – to be balanced, interesting, and objective.
I aim for that quality and strive to deliver stimulating, relevant features and news. And I’m pleased that the magazine is appreciated by many. Last year it was named Best Union Journal of the Year at the TUC communications awards and the year before it was commended in those awards.
I regularly change elements of the magazine to reflect the variety of our members’ work and interests. We run a regional spotlight feature to cover our geographic spread and we highlight new approaches to work and ways of earning money for our growing freelance membership.
I have tried to ensure that The Journalist is a publication that a journalists’ union can be proud of. I would love your vote to continue that.
My NUJ supporters include Dame Jilly Cooper, author and former journalist; Kevin Maguire, Daily Mirror associate editor; Pat Wooding, Daily Star executive editor; Stefan Stern, FT and Guardian columnist; Kristiina Cooper, BBC Westminster; Clive Petty, The Times assistant sports editor; Paul Routledge, Daily Mirror columnist; David Hencke, investigative journalist; Raymond Snoddy, former FT and Times media editor; Barrie Clement, former Independent Labour editor.
CLARKE, Tessa
I stand for election for the post of Editor of The Journalist as a veteran free speech and press freedom campaigner.
Press freedom is a democratic value for journalists. We need support for press freedom from wider society. Today the advancement of press freedom involves campaigning for the rights of all journalists at a time when freedom of expression has become a key right to defend. Currently cancel culture and the increase in restrictions on what is said online means that as journalists we have to decide what our role in a democracy is. Is it to accept increasing restrictions on free thought and exchange? Or it is to defend our role in a democracy to
As Editor of The Journalist I would advance the values of press freedom for NUJ membership by including news, features, legal summaries and interviews about this. I would advertise The Journalists’ ground-breaking coverage via social media. The Journalist would host online debates with leading journalists and experts so that NUJ members can get a chance to hear and engage with the debates – with no topic off limits.
Above all The Journalist under my editorship would become a magazine where NUJ members can engage with each other, even if they disagree. The Journalist would encourage NUJ journalists to swap stories about what it’s like to report in 2024 and share what’s happening in our local communities and the world. It would encourage competitions for young journalists on issues of the day.
The Journalist would aim to become known as a must-read magazine for all the NUJ membership.
CREIGHTON, Phil
The Journalist is a vital tool in sharing Union activities, and showing how beneficial membership can be.
In an age where newsrooms are shrinking and technology is blurring the distinctions between writers, editors, photographers and videographers, it is vital there is a strong publication that can unpack issues, cheerlead or run a critical eye over new developments and explain how the union can help members.
My focus would be to make the magazine a mixture of news, columns and features with a particular emphasis on:
- How the union can help members starting out
- Benefits of being in the union including chapels and how they work
- Skills sharing – how I wish I’d known / writing tips / interview tips / phone masterclasses
- The best journalism books past, present and future
- The best online resources to help journalists with their careers
- Five-minute primers on different aspects of journalism – eg the lobby, the press conference, doorstepping
- Advice from the old curmudgeon at the back of the newsroom
- Looking to the future: highlighting the work of new members
- Thank goodness for my press card … a chance for members to share tales of how that small rectangle has opened doors for the best scoops.
Any good publication needs to have a personality, a bit of wit and plenty of swagger. The Journalist should be helping members feel proud of their membership and the benefits it brings.
In all the years I have belonged to the Union, I have had very little contact with it – it’s been so long since my chapel and I have been in touch. I cannot be the only one in that situation, so The Journalist has a key role in helping people understand more about the NUJ, its structures and its processes. I would want to explore how The Journalist can better encourage chapel activity, especially with recruitment for new members.
Having a printed copy mailed out to all members is also, I think, an essential especially when it comes to sharing with non-members. If the magazine’s size was reduced to A5, it could go at standard letter rate and reduce costs. It would also fit better in kit bags.
Some of the material would need to go online rather than in print, but given the fast-moving nature of news, even journalist news, that isn’t an issue.
CUNNINGHAM, Gerard
I have always believed in the power of communication.
The Journalist is a magazine not just for the union but our industry. It should be easily and widely accessible to all our members, making the most of every avenue for distribution.
While many members appreciate print copies, there are ways in which our messaging could be improved. A PDF is a useful format to distribute information electronically, but to be used to best effect requires either printing to paper, or a large computer screen. Print distribution also imposes time lags.
New technologies allow for more immediate communication, through newsletter distribution by email and web. This allows The Journalist to reach more of our audience where they get most of their news, on the phones in every journalist’s pocket.
In running the Freelance Forum for the last decade and a half, my aim has always been to improve conditions for journalists, build collegiality, and promote our work. The Journalist offers the perfect opportunity to extend that mission.
I took on the Freelance Forum in 2010, to reach freelance journalists and students, and promote recruitment. Over the years, the Forum has held events covering a variety of topics from opportunities in print, broadcast and online, to newer opportunities in areas from mobile journalism to podcasting. Keynote speakers at Forum events have included two NUJ presidents, and all three holders of the office of Irish Press Ombudsman. Speakers have included serving and former national newspaper editors, commissioning editors, journalists, broadcasters, authors, producers, academics, and publishers sharing their insights and experience.
When Covid led to last minute cancellation in 2020, we adapted to online seminars and podcasts, and continue producing original monthly podcasts. In Autumn 2023 we returned to pre-Covid numbers, with over 60 attendees in the Gresham Hotel, Dublin addressed by NUJ president Natasha Hirst. The Forum is the culmination of work arranging publicity, in addition to which I set up online ticketing and registration systems, working with the Dublin Freelance branch treasurer to book venues and catering. I also produce an annual proposal to obtain funding from Coimisiún na Meán (formerly the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland). The 2024 grant funding comes to just under €8000, supplemented by funding from our branch and nominal fees charged to attendees. So far this year, one live event and seven podcasts have been produced, with a second live event and additional podcasts planned.
PARTON, Helen
- I have a proven track record in editing a magazine to deadline and to budget and I would like to apply these skills to The Journalist editor role
- I would relish again taking up a leading editorial role for a title that is well-respected within its sector
- I have experience in editing membership magazines (The Journal of the London Society and Property, the NRLA’s magazine ) which will serve me in excellent stead for representing the issues and needs that this particular readership has in an coherent, compassionate way that serves as a rallying cry
- I can generate ideas for all elements of a magazine from NIBs to larger features and can develop meaningful contacts swiftly to fully represent what the issues are within a particular industry
- I have the ability to successfully negotiate with a range of stakeholders including salespeople, marketing personnel and senior leadership teams
- I can adapt to both ‘big picture’ thinking and details-orientated administrative tasks with ease
- I am passionate about journalism as a vocation and it would be an honour to represent my industry in this pivotal position to uphold editorial standards and members’ rights
PELAN, Brian Joseph
I am applying for the position of editor of The Journalist because I believe I am a strong candidate for this position.
I have a background in editing and design and I also believe that I can maintain and enhance the role of The Journalist. As the editor of the social affairs magazine 'VIEW' I have overseen the production and design of numerous editions which examined a range of topics, including domestic abuse, loneliness, homelessness, digital exclusion, housing and racism – www.viewdigital.org
Journalists throughout the UK and Ireland are under pressure on a number of fronts, including the ongoing assaults on wages and conditions and the emerging threat of AI. We also have to contend with the rise in fake news and conspiracy theories. It is more important than ever that journalists organise under the banner of the NUJ.
I believe that effective opposition to job cuts and a worsening of conditions starts with making sure that our chapels and branches are well attended. We must be relevant, especially to young journalists who have just embarked on their career.
The Journalist is an ideal vehicle to promote the values of the NUJ and to make sure that articles and features have quality and purpose embedded in them.
The internet giants; Google, X (formerly Twitter), Meta, etc have been largely unchallenged through proper and rigorous regulation. The ugly language on social media, including hate speech directed at women, has been allowed to pollute our public discourse.
I, If elected, I will strive to cover these topics in The Journalist. I want to engage our members with quality journalism. I want our members to feel that their concerns will be covered. I want our members to submit ideas for stories that should be covered.
I entered the world of journalism in the 1980s. I have worked in news organisations where the NUJ was officially recognised, and I have worked in places where the NUJ was not recognised. Despite the many challenges and obstacles facing me I have always argued for the need of unions to be in the workplace.
Finally, I would ask members to vote for me. I want the stories in The Journalist – online and in print – to be insightful and provocative. Most of all I want the publication to reflect our members' concerns and interests.
THOMAS, Craig
Earning a living as a journalist has never been harder, while the work we do has never been less valued. The future of journalism is not looking rosy.
That means many of us need to think about alternatives, other ways of earning a living from the professional skills that we have built up over years and decades. That could mean changing beats, transitioning to work on more commercial content or using new forms of funding, such as micropayments or online subscriptions offered by the likes of Substack or Patreon.
I’d like to use The Journalist as a kind of ‘hive mind’ for members to share advice and their experiences with others. Publications and websites might be closing, but we have useful, transferrable skills that can serve us well in the coming decade (beyond that, I reckon all bets are off in the accelerated culture we find ourselves in).
The alarming rise of mis- and disinformation in the last decade is also a huge issue facing us as journalists and undermines the professional standards of an independent media. It’s vital that our union’s magazine continues to make the case for the importance of truthful, objective editorial: hopefully, a new incoming government will revive Leveson 2, which is still very much needed.
In the dangerous world in which we now find ourselves, ensuring the protection of journalists in conflict zones and in nation states where press freedom is curtailed or at risk. Again, the role of The Journalist will continue to be vital, highlighting cases in the UK and around the world and helping campaigns for jailed journalists around the world.
I’m an experienced editor with previous experience of producing publications for a membership organisation. I’ve also been a sub, production and managing editor at major employers, including the Press Association and Channel 4, so I have all the technical editorial skills required for the editor’s role, as well as understanding the need to work collaboratively with colleagues.
I’d describe my politics – because I always want to know the politics of a candidate when I vote in a union election – as progressive, leftist and green. I’m not a member of a political party, but I’m very well informed about UK and geopolitical issues (tragically, I’m a something of a politics nerd).
TLDR: I’m a skilled, experienced journalist who aims to enable The Journalist to help members facing a challenging future.