International Federation of Journalists, IFJ, is a global union federation of journalists' trade unions—the largest in the world. The organization aims to protect and strengthen the rights and freedoms of journalists. It is also dedicated to working for solidarity, social justice, labor rights, globalization, democracy, human rights, and fighting poverty and corruption.
First founded in Paris in 1926, the federation was relaunched twice in 1946 and in 1952. Today, the IFJ represents around 600,000 members in more than 100 countries. The main office is located in Brussels, Belgium. Its official languages are English, French and Spanish
The IFJ states that "The IFJ is the organisation that speaks for journalists within /.../ the international trade union movement." But it claims that they do "not subscribe to any given political viewpoint".
Full membership is open to journalists' trade unions only. Other national organisations of journalists that are devoted to media freedom may be admitted as associate members. The IFJ has regional groups, such as the Federation of Latin American Journalists (FEPALC),the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) which organizes the Labour Rights Expert Group(LAREG) and the Authors' Rights Experts Group (AREG), and the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ). It has regional offices in Africa, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific Region.
The IFJ is a founding member of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange, a global network non-governmental organisations that monitors press freedom and free expression violations worldwide and defends journalists, writers, Internet users and others who are persecuted for exercising their right to freedom of expression. The IFJ was also a founder in 2003 of the media safety coalition the International News Safety Institute.
The IFJ launched the Ethical Journalism Initiative in 2008, a global campaign to defend standards and to raise awareness of the importance of quality journalism. Furthering quality in journalism is also the aim of a study on media diversity conducted by the Media Diversity Institute in which the IFJ was involved. The study identified "the most significant and/or innovative initiatives taken by or about the media to combat discrimination and/or to promote diversity"
The President of International Federation of Journalists, Mr. Jim Boumelha, is member of the International Advisory Board of the African Press Organization.
Read more about International Federation Of Journalists: Monitoring Journalists Killed Worldwide, Journalists Safety Fund, International News Safety Institute, Expulsion and Readmission of Israeli Journalists
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