NUJ comedy benefit night

It's very hard to get the world to feel sorry for journalists. It's a dirty job, as the cliche goes, but someone's got to do it - all these Michael Jackson cash-in souvenir supplements won't write themselves, you know. We all need to be shown a little love from time to time.

And what with newspaper offices closing, redundancies, and the usual vaguely-worded announcements doing the rounds hinting at darker things to come all over the show, sometimes you've just got to laugh.

So following the success of a similar event in London earlier in the year, a Stand up for journalism gig is to be held this weekend in the North West.

Specifically, the gig, organised by by the National Union of Journalists is taking place in Stockport to support editorial staff at MEN Media, which has removed all the journalists from the local office where the Stockport Express, South Manchester Reporter and Trafford Metro News staff were based.

Organisers say that across Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Lancashire, more than 36 editorial jobs on weekly papers have gone this year, and by October all of the group's local offices will be closed.

Remaining journalists will be based in central Manchester, much depleted and far removed from the patches they are supposed to be covering.

Worth a scoot up the M62, even for a rival paper, sez I.

BBC Radio Manchester presenter Chris Holliday will compere the show, and NUJ member Julia Brosnan from Mish Mash cabaret will perform along with Canadian stand up Wafik Nasralla, and Greg Cook. DJ Barter will be on the decks playing punk and ska beats.

Stand up for journalism takes place at The Baker's Vault, Market Place, Stockport, on Sunday (July 5). Doors open 8pm, tickets £5, with proceeds going to journalists who strike against cuts.

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