Who's who

Details of the NUJ extra trustees.

NUJ extra's administrator is Leyla Yusuf. Leyla can be contacted at:

Headland House,
72 Acton Street,
London,
WC1X 9NB.

or on 020 7843 3738 or by email: [email protected]

Debbie Cavaldoro
Debbie Cavaldoro
  • Chair
  • NUJ extra

Debbie has a long history of working with both Trade Unions and Communications. Before taking up her current role developing the strategy and campaigning arm of Nautilus, she worked extensively on the Nautilus Telegraph.

Prior to joining Nautilus in 2011, she has worked in various PR roles including for central government, a football club and the NUJ.

She has received various awards over the years for both journalism and campaigning, including the TUC Communications Awards, Transport Journalist of the year, European Association Awards and European Excellence Awards and UK Association Awards.

Chris Frost
Chris Frost
  • Vice-chair
  • NUJ extra

Chris is emeritus professor of Journalism at Liverpool John Moores University where he was head of department for many years. He has been a journalist, editor and journalism educator for more than 45 years working mainly in newspapers before his move into the academy.

He was made a member of honour of the union this year and he sits on the National Executive Committee of the National Union of Journalists and has been chair of the union's Ethics Council for many years.

He is a former President of the National Union of Journalists, a former chair of the Association for Journalism Education and a former member of the UK Press Council.

He has written several books about Journalism: Journalism Ethics and Regulation (now in its fourth edition); Designing for Newspapers and Magazines (now in a second edition); Reporting for Journalists (now in its second edition); and Media Ethics and Self‐Regulation as well as many book chapters and papers on journalism ethics and regulation. He is in the process of writing a new monograph: Privacy and the News Media for Routledge.

As well as publishing academic papers he writes articles on journalism ethics, regulation and law. He gave written and oral evidence to the Leveson Inquiry for the NUJ, has given oral and written evidence to a number of parliamentary select committees and has spoken at conferences or worked as a consultant in much of Eastern Europe, India, Asia and Africa and is a visiting professor at UiTM in Malaysia.

He says that he enjoys being an NUJ Extra trustee as helping those in need is the union’s most important duty.

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John Barsby
John Barsby
  • Trustee
  • NUJ extra

John Barsby, an NUJ Member of Honour and former union president, is the NUJ's Hon General Treasurer and a Trustee of NUJ Extra.

John is one of the longest serving members of the National Executive and a former chair of the Finance Committee and Broadcasting Industrial Council.

With a long career in the BBC, John has represented and helped many union members facing both industrial and personal problems.

He says:

"It's so important and also rewarding to be able to assist those of our colleagues and their dependants when they need help and can turn to NUJ Extra."

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John Brophy NUJ Extra.jpg
John Brophy
  • Trustee | NUJ Extra

Member since 1972. First ADM was Wexford 1974. Treasurer Irish Press chapel (186 members) and Secretary Dublin Branch (500+ members).

Delegate to Dublin Council of Trade Unions. Subsequently secretary Dublin Freelance Branch. I was for many years on the Standing Orders Committee and later on the National Executive Council. I also lectured in journalism at Dublin Institute of Technology. Best time was when I proposed at ADM setting up the system of Welfare Officers.

And I've been known to play clarinet on May Day parades.

Barbara.jpg
Barbara Casassus
  • Trustee
  • NUJ extra

Barbara is a freelance journalist and an NUJ life member. She has been active in the Paris branch for many years, serving as freelance and welfare officer and since March 2023 as vice chair. She was also a member of the Freelance Industrial Council. Taking up the suggestion of becoming a trustee seemed an obvious step when so many journalists are having an increasingly tough time for a number of reasons. The Covid pandemic in particular showed how quickly hardship can hit freelancers and underscored the importance of NUJ and Extra solidarity. 

Starting out as a staffer in the UK, Barbara then worked as a freelance in the Middle East, Japan and France. She has reported for newspapers, periodicals and wire services, including the Financial Times, the Economist, the Journal of Commerce, the Times Educational Supplement and Market News. While on the economic beat, she followed political and economic decision makers around Europe as they drew up a plan to prevent financial speculators from scuppering the euro at launch. As a committed European, she was glad they succeeded. She now covers scientific research, health and the book trade in France.

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Tim Dawson.jpg
Tim Dawson
  • Trustee | NUJ Extra

Tim Dawson is the International Federation of Journalists’ deputy general secretary. He is a former president of the NUJ, of whose executive he has been a member for many years. A newspaper journalist by trade, he worked for The Sunday Times for 20 years.

 

Jonathan Jewell NUJ extra.jpeg
Jonathan Jewell
  • Trustee | NUJ Extra

Jonathan joined the NUJ in 2009. Originally a children's burns nurse, he worked in medical journalism, digital media, and corporate journalism. In roles as editor, investigative reporter, and academic writer, his publications focus on axiology, professional regulation, and knowledge transfer. Jonathan is a reviewer for Elsevier and Wiley.

Jonathan’s twenty years of experience in the union movement - as welfare, safety, learning, equality and environment rep, and officer roles - includes service at local, regional, and national levels. He was Chair of Communications for the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and England (WISE), leading public relations and communication function.

Jonathan is NUJ Ethics Council treasurer, NUJ's Public Relations and Communications (PRC) Branch, and the NUJ’s Health & Safety Committee, and PRC Industrial Council elected member. He is a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

 

Michelle Stanistreet, General Secretary
Michelle Stanistreet
  • Trustee
  • NUJ extra

Michelle is the elected General Secretary of the National Union of Journalists (UK and Ireland). Michelle worked as a journalist for ten years at the Sunday Express newspaper as feature writer and books editor.

Michelle was NUJ mother of the chapel at Express Newspapers, as well as the national representative for newspapers and agencies on the NUJ’s ruling NEC. In 2006, she was elected vice president of the NUJ and in 2007‐8 served as the union's President.

Michelle became the first woman in the NUJ's history to be elected as General Secretary in April 2011 and the first woman Deputy General Secretary elected in 2008. Michelle has been a Trustee of NUJ Extra for 11 years.