Attended the Paul Foot Awards last night at the Media and Spin Bar at Millbank - an excellent event which showcased some great journalism. Despite all the cuts, all the problems there are still committed journalists doing great investigations of which Paul Foot would have been proud.
As Ian Hislop mentioned Paul Foot had already predicted the current banking crisis when the building societies were demutualised - but then he was written off by many as a mad Trotskyist.
Paul, in particular, would have been proud of those like the South Yorkshire Newspapers team from Rossington (all NUJ members!) who showed that good local journalism is still possible and can get the the local community involved in campaigning and build support for the local paper.
As Ian Hislop mentioned Paul Foot had already predicted the current banking crisis when the building societies were demutualised - but then he was written off by many as a mad Trotskyist.
Outside of glitzy parties with the great and the good i've been tied up with National Executive Council business.
The NEC met all day on Friday discussing the union's financial situation, the jobs situation in the industry, recruitment strategies, important industrial disputes at ITV, Johnston Press, our lobbying over photographers' rights, pensions and a lot else, including that BBC row!
The NEC also took time to say thank you to Linda York who retires at the end of the year after more than 30 years service at the NUJ.
Despite the hefty agenda we finished on Friday night, giving me an unexpected break on Saturday. I love it when that happens!
On Friday I also met with Meic Birtwistle the NEC member for Wales to discuss the union's work there.
Yesterday I wrote my monthly Tribune column - it's sad to hear that it is again facing a real financial struggle to survive - and started trying to get all the work done that flowed from the NEC.
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