Student members reporting at the National Union of Journalists’ annual delegate meeting (ADM) in Southport did a professional job.

I give them my heartfelt thanks and my congratulations on proving themselves worthy of being called journalists – forget the student bit. They also get thanks from delegates and from the hundreds of members not at ADM who used the website.

Elinor and Kat hard at work

Dynamic duo

But the biggest thanks of all go to managing editors Kat Lay and Elinor Zuke. They spent the entire ADM in our windowless HQ, the “nuclear bunker”. Their fingers were literally on the button, authorising publication challenging, chasing deadlines and cajoling copy to come forward.

Kat and Elinor took the order papers and fringe meeting timetables and organised

• which reporters would be twittering
• who would record the motions for each order paper
• which person would live blog
• who would be doing follow-up interviews, for print, audio and video.

They also authorised publication, checking with me when necessary. They were in at 8.30am and never left before 7pm. They remained calm, and polite (but firm) throughout. They were outstanding.

New media, new NUJ

My best guess is that more than half the delegates to ADM started conference believing blogging, Twitter, putting photos on Flickr and videos on Youtube was not proper journalism. Even as student Lizzie Houghton spoke, early Saturday, a sizeable majority sniggered at the mention of social media.

But by the end of ADM, in just two and half days, I believe the students proved that the media does not dictate the quality. Thorough, thoughtful journalism is as at home on the net as on paper. I hope all at ADM and in the wider NUJ now see that.

The fact that the new editor of The Journalist and the leadership of the NUJ asked to reproduce the student’s material – and rightfully pay the students for their work – is testament to this. The NUJ is the union for those working online as much as it for those broadcasting or in print.

Student stats:

• We had 24 students, half men – half women, three black (12.5%), several others of non-UK or Irish nationality, aged between 20 and 48.
• 6 photographers, 1 TV specialist, 1 radio, several print or multimedia students. Three not studying journalism but working on student media.
• Google Analytics tells us we had more than 1,100 unique visitors during ADM and just after.
• Our Twitter feed alone, which limits reports to 140 characters, produced more than 10,000 words.

Work Experience guidelines

Each student had their full expenses reimbursed and was given a small amount of cash for incidentals. Each is to receive some payment for their work appearing in The Journalist. And each will receive an individual written report on their work experience.

The NUJ has demonstrated that work experience can be professionally managed and prove a valuable learning experience for student journalists.

We have shown that abiding by the NUJ’s work experience guidelines (link opens new window) gives the best experience to students and gets the most out of them.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ)  Annual Delegate Meeting (ADM) heard from the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists Secretary General, Foster Dongozi.

Speaking to delegates at the Southport Convention Centre, Foster expressed his gratitude for the solidarity offered by the NUJ. He said: “I stand before you humbled and honoured by the support the NUJ offers to the ZUJ.”

Journalists in Zimbabwe are working in an environment where the work they carry out is viewed with extreme hostility by the government. In the 2002 Presidential election the newly formed Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) were able to offer a serious challenge to Robert Mugabe’s government.

The Daily News, Zimbabwe’s highest circulation independent daily newspaper was seen as the cause of this opposition and banned in September 2003. He said: “Enemies of the state and running dogs of imperialism were terms regularly used by the government to describe the media”.

Media Attacked

These attacks on the media were followed by a number of newspapers, radio and television stations being forced to shut. The result of this was that “journalists left Zimbabwe in droves” which further weakened their ability to report effectively on the problems within their country.

For those journalists who stayed behind there was a real climate of fear.  Foster said: “Journalists are living in real fear of violence and torture. In 2008 a journalist was assassinated after filming Morgan Tsvangirai being beaten by government forces.”

Some Hope

Recently there have been some small improvements in the situation, although Foster is quick to point out that it is far from perfect. He said: “There was hope that draconian laws would be repealed. Whilst there have been slight glimmers of light, nothing concrete has been formed.”

Many of the problems faced by Zimbabwean journalists are not simply legislative ones. A significant issue is that of a simple lack of resources. Foster said: “A lack of computers and the internet are very prohibitive in telling Zimbabwe’s story.”

NUJ Support

Foster does feel that the continued support of the NUJ is helping to rectify this situation. He said, “Thank you very much for your (NUJ) assistance. Our members are now able to earn a living wage due to the equipment you have sent us.”

He went on to say that, “we seek assistance to better represent our members in a grim environment and we are particularly grateful for the NUJ visit in August. We believe it has opened many doors for us.”

He finished by saying “when people are afraid of their government that’s a Dictatorship. When the government is afraid of its people that’s democracy.” A strong media can make this happen.

Links (open in new windows):

Zimbabwe Union of Journalists