An eight-cornered contest is to take place for the position of editor of The Journalist in succession to Tim Gopsill who is retiring after two decades in the role.

The National Union of Journalists’ executive council has now completed the shortlisting process for the job of managing its monthly magazine.

Now union mmembers are to be balloted on the choice, with the election taking place between Tuesday 6 October and Friday 6 November.

The candidates are:

Tim Arnold
Christine Buckley
Michael Cross
Frank Morgan
Richard Simcox
Stephen David Tilley
Steven Usher
Mark Watts

All candidates have been invited to a hustings meeting starting at 7pm on Wednesday 7 October, at the union’s headquarters in Grays Inn Road, London. The NUJ says all members are welcome to attend and ask questions.

The union is requesting that branches and chapels that wish to organise hustings elsewhere should contact head office on [email protected] to ensure there are no clashes and that all candidates are invited.

Comments

Onlooker (30/09/2009 14:26:58)
I hope none of them are like the old myopic lefties that the NUJ leadership used to comprise, urgently sending members’ funds to one-legged Peruvian hamster breeders and pledging solidarity with transgendered beagles.

Walter (30/09/2009 16:35:08)
Could we have some more info about the candidates please? Is that available – such as where they work right now…..or are they all ex-local press sub editors who didn’t want to travel 90 miles a day to a regionalised subbing operation???????

Colin (01/10/2009 09:34:24)
It would be nice to think one of these candidates will offer up a Journalist magazine which is more that just a propaganda rag. Perhaps one which seeks to tell the whole story, rather than just a twisted truth which it hopes will anger local members into taking action which suits the NUJ leadership’s agenda. The NUJ keeps telling us it is standing up for journalism, but then fails to apply journalistic standards to its own work. The Journalist magazine could be a great way for members to hold both management of newspapers and the NUJ leadership to account but this involves the NUJ loosening the grip a bit. We’re journalists, and we know where we’re reading one-sided tripe.

Ex-JP employee (01/10/2009 10:03:44)
As a one-legged Peruvian hamster breeder and a member of the NUJ I take offense at the first comment.
I would not have had to start breeding one-legged Peruvain hamsters were it not for JP’s cost-cutting madness… ;o)

stewart perkins (01/10/2009 10:35:21)
Phew! I didn’t know a simple election for an editor (that rarity in newspaper vacancies) would unleash such pent up Freudian fury and acerbic wit! It’s a bit like I imagined old Monday Club meetings might be. Guys, guys…..

Richard Simcox (01/10/2009 11:25:42)
I haven’t tried hamster breeding yet.
But the low pay at Newsquest forced me into PR!
Here’s my campaign website:
http://richsimcox.co.uk/

Putupon (01/10/2009 12:12:18)
Good to see one of the candidates actually recognising the importance of digital communication, Rich. I hope such enlightened thinking doesn’t cost you the job!

Beagle (01/10/2009 14:24:12)
I find some of the comments on this site doggist and sexist, not to say transgenderist. Keep up the good work.’Woof !’

Donnacha DeLong (01/10/2009 14:26:39)
I’d like to assure everyone that I’ve only ever seen Rich with two-or-more-legged Peruvian hamsters. He’s also a (fairly) young activist with lots of experience doing union communications both online and in print. I’m supporting him as are many other prominent NUJ activists. And, finally, @Colin – I’d be very happy for the editor of the Journalist to hold me and other NEC members to account and I’m confident Rich would do that.

Frank Morgan (01/10/2009 14:26:44)
I’m one of the eight candidates. I’m a news sub on a national tabloid, The Daily Record. I’m standing because I want to make The Journalist
a) bloody good read that will be a credit to the NUJ while still
b) getting the message across.
I regret to say I know no one who breeds hamsters, Peruvian or otherwise.

Tom Davies (01/10/2009 14:32:31)
I’m a bit concerned about this backlash against one-legged Peruvian hamsters, and I hope whoever wins strikes a balance between the needs of both one and two-legged Peruvian hamsters. We need a more nuanced line on Bolivian guinea pigs too.
The person I do hope wins, though, is Richard – as a young(ish), engaged, capable journalist and excellent, thoughtful activist.

Kevin Cahill (06/10/2009 13:31:07)
There is every chance that the Journalist can become both the flagship for good, or even great journalism, and still champion the NUJ. Indeed in the present media climate the need for someone who can do both is paramount. Only one of the 8 candidates has that combination of editorial experience, proven success as a real front rank investigative reporter – the reason most of us went into journalism in the 1st place- and a decent current media profile in TV .That is Mark Watts. His ambitions are high. His past is examplary as an NUJ member and as a journalist and most important, his programme for the Journalist is crystal clear. I believe he can deliver on it. I saw him at work on Arms for Iraq, Aitken and other real stories.
And as for hamsters !!! They are best done rare and eaten raw.
Kevin Cahill, former Secretary NUJ London Freelance Branch

BIll Goodwin (06/10/2009 13:40:10)
I agree with Kevin, we need someone with Mark’s experience who will stand up for journalism and the NUJ. He has very clear ideas of what he wants to do with the Journalist.

Tony Collins (06/10/2009 16:42:13)
I agree with Kevin and Bill.
The great Sir Harold Evans told Guardian journalists on 1 October: “Peeling the onion, peeling the onion. That’s what’s being lost. The vital stuff of placing things on the record, of challenging the official account. These monsters who have taken over papers in America today have lost sight of it. We have to keep doing it. Not in a partisan way – just let’s find out what the bloody facts are.”
That’s Mark’s strength. And as he says, he’s not a union hack. I for one wouldn’t want to read a journal about union politics. I strongly recommend Mark for the job.