Informed 11


DM2023 DM Peeps


It was good for everyone to be meeting back in person, to have a drink together, enjoy the social side of conference and a trip to London


Ooooh! It reminds me of Strictly Come Dancing, said one delegate. But much more exciting. One of the innovations carried over from the online DM was digital voting, with each delegate making decisions on motions and amendments via a voting pad, and the results were shown on the conference screens in real time. For Pierre Vicary, NUJ president and chair of the proceedings, it was the equivalent of having his own video assistant referee. Say goodbye to having to count waving hands, and the drama of locked doors and card votes. Everyone knows that announcing yourself as a first-time speaker will earn you a clap and hopefully a more sympathetic ear from


conference. For baby Leo it was more of a first-time gurgler – as he came to the speakers’ podium strapped to his mother. Possibly the youngest to be blooded on the Delegate Meeting stage, he seemed to take the proceedings in his stride. And he wasn’t the only one caught having a quick snooze. For those sartorially minded, DM2023 was the year of the hat. Phil Turner, South Yorkshire


branch, and Tony Adams, representing the Black Members’ Council, were both noted sporting jaunty titfers. Even London Magazine’s Alan Gibson was spotted being snapped by the conference photographer Jess Hurd in a trilby. For next year’s DM, we’ll be back up north in Blackpool, so don’t forget to pack your buckets and spades.


Tony Adams


Phil Turner


Cheers to charity


Member of Honour Chris Wheal was bowing out as chair of trustees of the union’s welfare charity NUJ extra, and as part of his swansong he hosted the famous DM raffle in aid of NUJ Extra and the George Viner Memorial Fund which provides bursaries for black and minority ethnic journalism students. Among the prizes were original cartoons by Kipper


Williams, chocolates, book tokens, but mainly bottles of booze. As ever delegates and branches were very generous and £3,600 was raised in donations and pledges.


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