EDITORIAL – IFJ Newsletter - July 2015

“This card saved my life. I was on my way to interview a Minister when I was arrested by the police. They checked me for ages and were getting increasingly nervous until I had the bright idea to take out my card. They turned it upside down, really impressed by the document and eventually let me go.” The African colleague who told me the story came to Brussels at the beginning of the year and took advantage to renew his card at the IFJ headquarters. He added at the time that he wanted to state how proud he was to bear witness to the relevance of the red card, created in 1927 at the IFJ Congress held in Dijon (France). To be a journalist means to be accountable to the public at large. But to hold the IFJ International Press Card is a commitment to abide by the IFJ ethical values (HERE) adopted in 1954 and amended in 1986 the principles of which are recognised the world over. The International Press Card is also a symbol of solidarity with all media workers and as unveiled in the daily news it is not an empty word. IFJ affiliates and members throughout the world are urged to join our campaign to promote the International Press Card under the slogan ! “It gets you where the story takes you.” Anthony Bellanger IFJ Deputy GS