Chartered Institute of Journalists

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Chartered Institute of Journalists is a professional body for journalists. It was founded as the National Association of Journalists at a meeting at the Grand Hotel in Birmingham in October 1884, to 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 from Queen Victoria in 1890.

It also operates as a form of trades union for journalists. It set up a benevolent fund for distressed journalists in 1898, and an orphans fund in 1891, and also operates a pension fund and a widows fund. Unemployment benefits were introduced in 1910. Disaffected members left in 1910 to form the rival National Union of Journalists, 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. It 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 journalists and press photographers.