Laura takes over reins at Union

NUJ national broadcasting organiser Laura Davison has been elected as the Union’s next general secretary at what she called, “a critical time for the organised voice of working journalists to be heard.”

Following a ballot of members, Laura (pictured) will take over from outgoing general secretary Michelle Stanistreet, who announced in July she was stepping down after three terms.

A full-time official of the Union since 2007, Laura was NUJ national organiser for newspapers and news agencies for ten years until this summer when she took over the broadcasting brief.

She said: “I’m delighted to be elected as the new general secretary of our incredible Union. I take heart every day from the crucial collective work we do to stand up for journalism, show solidarity and win improvements for our members. 

“At a critical time for the organised voice of working journalists to be heard, I want us to grow and strengthen our union, maximising new opportunities created by legislative change and our legal, policy and industrial work. Every one of us has the power to encourage and support others to get involved and be part of something bigger than themselves,” she added.

Laura, who started her journalistic career as a BBC trainee, paid tribute to her predecessor, saying that Michelle’s outstanding leadership had steered the NUJ over the last 13 years.