About us
Seizing opportunities - recognizing prospects
Part-time journalists, editors and freelancers are finding it increasingly difficult to get a foothold in the media world. The industry is partial to journalists from large and well-known newspapers, TV or radio stations. This is also, if not even more, a problem when it comes to professional journalism organizations and labor unions. Many organizations leave freelancers out in the cold, as membership is often conditional upon full-time employment.
At IAPP, things are different! We want to give everybody a fair chance, because we believe that many freelancers and part-timers produce work that is on par with, if not better than, the work of their full-time colleagues. Freelancers who are denied the benefits of a professional organization all too often find themselves facing closed doors. Becoming an IAPP member is a worthwhile step that will help freelancers make their everyday work a little easier.
A change in thinking is overdue
The image of journalists that was prevalent 20 years ago has long since ceased to exist. While at one time, the staff at newsrooms and publishing houses consisted only of full-time employees, things are changing rapidly. The reason: money! Nowadays, many news organizations are discovering the value in hiring freelance journalists and subcontractors who run their own businesses.
This is where IAPP comes into play. Quality journalistic work shouldn’t be measured by whether a journalist works full time or part time. Unfortunately, this message hasn’t gotten through to many professional organizations and labor unions yet – freelancers still don’t stand a chance with them.
An IAPP membership can change all that. We are an international, independent group representing the interests of journalists, press photographers and media professionals, providing support so they can practice their occupation on a part-time basis. In line with this goal, we offer many useful benefits such as optimized press services and information on media channels, all the while increasing the transparency of journalistic work as a whole.
The press pass - a journalist´s most important tool
A press pass is an essential tool for professional journalists. For those who work full time for a news organization, getting a press pass is no problem. With its help, journalists can gain access to important events and venues to do their job: report the news. Many official agencies require journalists to submit a press pass in order to establish their legitimacy. Without a press pass, journalists are denied access; ergo, they cannot do their job. For a freelancer, that means bankruptcy. This is why we don’t discriminate between permanent employees and part-time journalists who only work a few days a week. The time factor should not be relevant.
A look at the press
The press is often called the “Fourth Estate.” It is a link between the general population and official bodies. Without the press, there would be no television, no radio, no Internet and no newspapers. Representatives of the press report about current events and activities, but also about the internal proceedings of companies, organizations and agencies. To do so, full-time and part-time media professionals are needed. These include editors, journalists, press photographers, camera operators, reporters and many more. They work on site and gather information, which is then edited and disseminated by news organizations (TV, radio, newspapers and online).
