International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)

About the network

The IFJ, the world’s largest organisation of journalists, represents 600,000 media professionals from 187 trade unions and associations in more than 140 countries. Established in 1926, the IFJ is the organisation that speaks for journalists at the United Nations system (e.g. International Labour Organization) and within the international trade union movement.

Membership of the IFJ is open to national organisations committed to the principles of independent journalism and press freedom. The IFJ has two categories of members:

• Full members are registered trade unions who actively defend the labour rights and working conditions of journalists as well as their professional interests.
• Associate members are journalists’ organisations which defend and represent the professional interests of journalists.

First established as the Fédération Internationale des Journalistes (FIJ) in 1926 in Paris, it was relaunched as the International Organization of Journalists (IOJ) in 1946, but lost its Western members to the Cold War and re-emerged in its present form in 1952, headquartered in Brussels.

The key activities of IFJ:

• Organises collective action to support journalists’ unions in their fight for fair pay, decent working conditions and in defence of their labour rights.
• Promotes international action to defend press freedom and social justice through strong, free and independent trade unions of journalists.
• Fights for gender equality in all its structures, policies and programmes.
• Opposes discrimination of all kinds and condemns the use of media as propaganda or to promote intolerance and conflict. 
• Believes in freedom of political and cultural expression.

The IFJ supports journalists and their unions whenever they are fighting for their industrial and professional rights and has established an International Safety Fund to provide humanitarian and financial aid for journalists in need who are facing persecution, threats, or exile. It monitors global threats, runs safety and digital security training programs, and publishes annual reports detailing media workers killed in the line of duty.

The organisation does not support any given political viewpoint, but promotes collective action to defend human rights, democracy and media pluralism. The federation supports its affiliates in collective bargaining for fair pay, decent working conditions, and rights for both staff and freelance journalists. It also actively combats censorship, repressive laws, digital surveillance, and impunity for crimes against journalists. The IFJ also issues the International Press Card (IPC), which serves as recognized global accreditation and a crucial door-opener for reporters working in conflict zones.

The IFJ’s Gender Council leads campaigns for equal pay, representation, and safety—particularly combating gender-based violence and harassment against women journalists. The federation upholds the IFJ Declaration of Principles on the Conduct of Journalists, promoting respect for truth, fact-based reporting, and human rights. The organisation also provides training and events.

More about projects, campaigns and working groups, click here.

Website: https://www.ifj.org/

Contact:

https://www.ifj.org/contact and ifj@ifj.org.

If you want to become a member, click here or here if you would sign up for the newsletter.

Contact

Website: https://www.ifj.org/