The Chartered Institute of Journalists is a professional association for

journalists A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...

and is the senior such body in the UK and the oldest in the world.

History

The ''Chartered Institute of Journalists'' was proposed during a meeting in Manchester and later became known as the National Association of Journalists at a meeting in the Grand Hotel in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

in October 1884, "to promote and advance the common interests of the profession of journalism." It changed its name to the Institute of Journalists in 1888, and received a

Royal Charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...

from

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

in 1890. It petitioned for, and was granted, an additional Royal Charter in 1990, to become the Chartered Institute of Journalists, usually abbreviated as CIoJ. It also operates as a form of

trades union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

for journalists although it is strictly apolitical. It set up a benevolent fund for distressed journalists in 1898, and an orphans fund in 1891, and also operates a pension fund and another for convalescent members.

Unemployment benefits Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is the proportion of people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work d ...

were introduced in 1910 although such benefits, if granted, later became handled by the Benevolent Fund. These charities are all registered with the

Charity Commission The Charity Commission for England and Wales is a non-ministerial department of His Majesty's Government that regulates registered charities in England and Wales and maintains the Central Register of Charities. Its counterparts in Scotland and ...

as number 208176. Disaffected members left in 1910 to form the rival

National Union of Journalists The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) is a trade union supporting journalists in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The NUJ was founded in 1907 and has 20,693 members. It is a member of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Trades ...

, and unsuccessful attempts to merge the two bodies were made in 1921, 1928, 1943, and 1966. The last introduced a period of dual membership, but the experiment ended within 5 years. The CIoJ created the Media Society in 1973, and was a founder member of the International News Safety Institute. Although based in the UK, it also has an international division for members outside the UK. It also includes groups for

freelance ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...

journalists, press photographers, journalists working in

broadcasting Broadcasting is the data distribution, distribution of sound, audio audiovisual content to dispersed audiences via a electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), ...

and press relations.

Journal of the Institute of Journalists

The Journal of the Institute of Journalists .

References

External links

* 1884 establishments in the United Kingdom Organizations established in 1884 United Kingdom journalism organisations Journalism-related professional associations

Journalists A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...

Professional titles and certifications Rotherhithe Trade unions based in Essex {{UK-trade-union-stub

History

Journal of the Institute of Journalists

See also

References

External links