16.11.09
UPDATED
18.11.09 Further
updates
Former Times journalist Christine Buckley was to-day elected by members
of the national union of journalists to be the new editor of the Journalist
magazine.
In a field of eight candidates, Michael Cross – a freelance who
writes for The Guardian – and Mark Watts – journalist,
broadcaster and FOIA Centre co-ordinator – came in second and third
respect-ively.
Richard Simcox, who was unveiled in the Watts e-mail circular
to NUJ members as the candidate of the political group inspired by the SWP,
“NUJ Left”, came in seventh.
It means that candidates who were, primarily, journalists filled the
top three placings. With 27,712 eligible voters, 4,809 ballots were counted.
Buckley’s election to take over from Tim Gopsill as editor of
the union’s magazine was formally confirmed by the NUJ’s national
executive council on November 18.
Watts said: “I am delighted that someone who is, in essence,
a journalist won the election. Christine, the former industrial editor of
The Times, won the most first preferences, and picked up the most
second preferences as each of six candidates were eliminated. She was the
clear choice of NUJ members.
“Christine is a journalist with a good reputation in the industrial
sector. She is embarking on a very challenging job, and I wish her the best
of luck.
“I hope she will ensure that the Journalist is independent
of the NUJ leadership, of ‘NUJ Left’, and serves only NUJ members.
I also look forward to the day when the magazine has a proper website.
“I am also really delighted that my campaign stopped members
simply allowing the ‘NUJ Left’ to usher in their choice of candidate
into the job without declaring properly to the electorate that he was their
candidate. The turnout was reasonable, and much better than initially expected.
“I hope that NUJ members will be vigilant in future elections,
and will avoid voting on a superficial basis.”
The result was particularly good news for the FOIA Centre because it
means that we will not be losing our co-ordinator.
The results were: 1st Christine Buckley, 2nd Michael Cross, 3rd Mark
Watts, 4th Frank Morgan, 5th Steve Usher, 6th Tim Arnold, 7th Richard Simcox,
8th Dave Tilley.
Comment
on this article
Socialist Worker
backs ‘NUJ Left’ candidate
‘NUJ Left’
NEC candidates ‘failed to declare’
Why Greenslade was wrong
about ‘NUJ Left’
Revealed: SWP helped to
re-launch ‘NUJ Left’
‘Hanky panky’
in NUJ election revealed
Union staff campaign for ‘NUJ
Left’ candidate
NUJ extends voting period
following request
Four election candidates
seek vote extension
NUJ peer raises election issue
in parliament
Watts unmasks ‘NUJ
Left’ candidate in circular
C4 News anchor Jon
Snow backs Watts for editor
Former BBC political
reporter supports Watts
Top journalists back
Watts election campaign
More journalists
support election bid by Watts
Watts campaigns for independent
Journalist
FOIA
specialist in election for Journalist editorship
Journalistic background
of Mark Watts
Comments
on Journalist election (7)
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