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Union mag celebrates its century

A magazine for and about members of the NUJ has celebrated its 100th birthday.

The first issue of the Union Journal was published in November 1908.

Now called ‘Journalist’, it will be getting its own companion website from the end of November and is switching from ten issues to six per year, believed to be saving the National Union of Journalists £90,000.

Current editor Tim Gopsill is also marking 20 years in the job this year.

He said: “I have done a special centenary edition and from the end of the month we will be running our own website.

“Breaking news about the union will still go on the main website but union news and features will go on the new site – it’s all about convergence.

“For example, I’ve just interviewed the general secretary of the Zimbabwean Union of Journalists who is London at the moment.”

In April the NUJ experimented with putting the Journalist online only for one month to gauge members’ reactions.

thejournalist.org.uk features an archive of back copies in PDF format which are uploaded after the print edition has landed on members’ doormats.

No extra staff will be taken on under the revamp with Tim continuing to tap into a vast bank of freelancers and contributors.

  • In a separate development, former northern organiser Miles Barter is returning to the NUJ to work as a campaigns officer at the London HQ. Miles was previously editor of the Bromsgrove Advertiser and a reporter for the Bury Times and Stourbridge News as well as doing freelance PR for Lancashire County Council.