Any good publication needs to have a personality, a bit of wit and plenty of swagger. The Journalist should be helping members feel proud of their membership and the benefits it brings.
Phil Creighton would make The Journalist a mixture of news, columns and features with a particular emphasis on the following:
How the union can help members starting out
Journalism attracts hundreds of new entrants every year. The Union should be a place where we can encourage those at the start of their careers.
There will be much they will want to know, including things we have not thought about for many years. But we have the benefit of experience and can share our knowledge.
Benefits of being in the union including chapels and how they work
Phil Creighton says in all the years he has been a member of the NUJ, he has had little contact with it, and his chapel. He cannot be the only one.
The Journalist is the top way members – and those thinking of joining – can feel connected and understand more about the way in which the NUJ can help them. The magazine can also help people understand the union’s structures and processes.
As such, a revamp would give some priority to sharing updates from the union and chapels to help build a better union.
Skills sharing – how I wish I’d known / writing tips / interview tips / phone masterclasses
With the industry changing at a rapid pace, some of us who started with just a pen and a notepad will feel creating journalism via a mobile phone is a form of witchcraft.
We can help each other sharpen their skills and learn new things with regular skill sharing sessions.
A good example of this is a Tweet shared by Marc Blank-Settle explaining the kit used by BBC correspondents reporting on the election declarations: they were issues with a kit that allowed them to live stream the results as they happened. His short explainer showed what was used to do this.
Skills sharing enables all of us to become better at our craft.
The best journalism books past, present and future
All good journalists have a copy of Harold Evans’ Essential English on their shelves, but what else should we be reading?
Phil Creighton has a large library of journalism books and always looks out for new items to add to his collection.
He would be happy to share some of these recommendations through the pages of The Journalist and look at some of the newest titles.
These include Alex Morrison’s There’s Someone In Reception, a witty look back at walk-ins: people who came to newspaper offices with stories they wanted told in the paper.
The best online resources to help journalists with their careers
As part of the ongoing continual knowledge – based very much of the Reithian ethos of educating, entertaining and informing – The Journalist should not be afraid of sharing resources to help every journalist sharpen their skillset.
Five-minute primers on different aspects of journalism – such as the lobby, the press conference, doorstepping
Like skills sharing, there are many aspects of journalism and publishing that will be mystifying if you don’t work in that particular branch.
Consumer journalists may not understand how the lobby works, while a national columnist may never have had to undertake a death knock. A print journalist will look at television journalists kit in wonder … and wonder how it works.
And those working in PR and publishing can help share ways in which we can all work together.
By carving out some space to offer primers, we can help each other understand what we do to help tell compelling stories.
Advice from the old curmudgeon at the back of the newsroom
With centralised subbing hubs and offices closed, the days of a newsroom having a wide mixture of people have long gone.
Years ago, the lads mag FHM used to feature an advice column featuring wisdom from four men who were all 100-years-old. Insightful and inspiring, it was a popular slot.
The advice from those who know, who have been there, seen it and done it, is invaluable.
What can they teach us about journalism today?
Looking to the future: highlighting the work of new members
The Journalist should not be backward looking … it needs to look to the up-and-coming talent within its ranks.
Space can be created to allow members to showcase some of their best work and explain how it came together.
It could be a scoop, a picture, a television report, or a great critique. Whatever it is, we can celebrate and nurture our members.
Thank goodness for my press card … a chance for members to share tales of how that small rectangle has opened doors for the best scoops
Every good journalist knows the value of our press cards.
They open doors, smooth issues and prove we are bona fide journalists.
Many of us will have stories to tell about how that small rectangle has helped or hindered us. By sharing them, we can help encourage members and non-members alike to cherish their card.