recruitment


life membership to acclaimed US photojournalist Chuck Rapoport. In a piece about how we are trying to be more attractive to members and potential joiners, awarding honorary life membership to a US journalist might seem a strange thing to do. In part, it was a reaction to the 60th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster, when we decided to honour Rapoport for his work covering the aftermath of the disaster for Life Magazine. Chuck lived in Aberfan during the


In search of new blood


NUJ activists in Cardiff are making imaginative efforts to attract members. David Nicholson reports


W


hat does an event for student journalists, an award ceremony for a US photojournalist, a salon for freelancers


and a membership survey about the NUJ have in common? They are all part of a masterplan by


the Cardiff and South East Wales branch of the union to find different ways to engage members and meet changing needs. Just six years ago, our branch membership numbered 404 and it has dropped to our current 366. According to head office records, the branch has 310 lapsed members and 219 who have resigned from the union. Looking behind these figures shows


that Media Wales, which is part of the Trinity Mirror Group, has shed 64 jobs in recent years. With redundancies at most Welsh titles, the industry is losing journalists wholesale. PR was a traditional route for journalists leaving the newspaper


8 | theJournalist


industry, but that supply route has dwindled. That seems to have meant more journalists declaring themselves freelance, with PR in the public sector in particular being hit hard by years of austerity. “The world of freelance journalism is expanding as more companies shed staff from newspapers,” explains Cardiff branch rep and NUJ Freelance Industrial Council member Jenny Sims. “Earlier this year, we surveyed members to get an idea of what freelancers want from the union then held a workshop to talk about ideas in more depth,” she says. To make the union more relevant, the branch embarked on a series of events to mix up the traditional monthly after-work gathering to hear reports and conduct union business. The branch has organised Saturday morning salons with invited speakers talking about how they have managed to make a success of becoming sole traders. The branch also awarded honorary


“ ”


The world of freelance journalism is expanding as more companies shed staff from newspapers


difficult months after the disaster at a time when there was suspicion of journalists because of the way some media had covered the disaster. He overcame hostility and suspicion to become accepted by the grieving community. The award ceremony was hosted by the school of journalism at Cardiff University and student journalists were invited to attend, as was the Welsh media.


The branch press release contained details about joining the NUJ and was part of a recruitment attempt as it hit journalists’ desks. The award ceremony itself for Chuck gained media coverage with television and radio interviews. The branch has also held events


specifically for student journalists to increase numbers joining and to get aspiring journalists into the habit of being a union member. Membership events have continued with a summer evening in Cardiff Bay hosted by ITV Wales. Students, journalists and members, many of whom had never attended a union meeting, gathered to hear about avenues into television production and just enjoy a social gathering. When I became a freelance after years


of working for organisations, the thing I missed was the social side and just talking and sharing ideas with colleagues. With more freelance salons, social


gatherings and talks being planned for the autumn and winter, the branch hopes not just to staunch losses but also to grow our membership. • The branch’s next Freelancers’ Salon is on October 27 in the Radisson Blu hotel in Cardiff city centre. The theme is “Succeeding in – and monetising – your online work”. Check the NUJ Training Wales website – www. nujtrainingwales.org – for details.


Freelance photojournalist David Nicholson is a member of the Cardiff and South East Wales branch


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