Michelle Stanistreet (born 1974) is an English trade unionist and journalist, now General Secretary of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ). She is the first woman to hold the post at the NUJ – she was previously deputy secretary.NU
NUJ General Secretary biography and information
/ref> She replaced Jeremy Dear in July 2011.Roy Greenslade
"Michelle Stanistreet: The NUJ will punch above its weight"
''The Guardian'' (blog), 25 April 2011.

Early life

Born and raised in Liverpool, the daughter of a police officer, she gained a scholarship to Merchant Taylors' School in Crosby, and graduated with a degree in English and History from Liverpool University.

Journalism career

Stanistreet worked as a journalist for ten years at the '' Sunday Express'' newspaper as feature writer and books editor. She was elected the NUJ Mother of the Chapel at Express Newspapers, almost immediately after

Richard Desmond Richard Clive Desmond (born 8 December 1951) is a British publisher, businessman, and former Pornography, pornographer. According to the 2021 ''Sunday Times Rich List'', Desmond was the 107th richest person in the United Kingdom. He is the fo ...

took over in 2000 and campaigned successfully for recognition at the newspapers.Donnacha DeLon
Why I’m supporting Michelle Stanistreet
''The Revolution Will Be Streamed'' (blog), 21 April 2008 Under her leadership, the NUJ Chapel twice reported their own newspaper to the

Press Complaints Commission The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) was a voluntary regulatory body for British printed newspapers and magazines, consisting of representatives of the major publishers. The PCC closed on Monday 8 September 2014, and was replaced by the Ind ...

–- in 2001 over coverage of

asylum seekers An asylum seeker is a person who leaves their country of residence, enters another country, and makes in that other country a formal application for the right of asylum according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 14. A pers ...

and, in 2004, over coverage of

Romani People {{Infobox ethnic group , group = Romani people , image = , image_caption = , flag = Roma flag.svg , flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress , po ...

, unsuccessfully on both occasions.

NUJ positions

Stanistreet also served as the national representative for newspapers and agencies on the NUJ's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC). In 2006, she was elected vice-president of the NUJ and in 2007–08 served as the union's president. She was the first woman deputy general secretary, elected in 2008, and became the first woman in the NUJ's history to be elected as general secretary in April 2011.

Politics

In February 2013, in line with the NUJ, Stanistreet was among those who gave their support to the People's Assembly in a letter published by ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' newspaper.People's Assembly opening lette
"People's Assembly Against Austerity"
''The Guardian'', 5 February 2013.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stanistreet, Michelle 1974 births Alumni of the University of Liverpool English women journalists General secretaries of the National Union of Journalists Journalists from Liverpool Living people Members of the General Council of the Trades Union Congress People educated at Merchant Taylors' Girls' School Presidents of the National Union of Journalists Trade unionists from Liverpool