BENEFIT FROM CHANCES. RECOGNISE PERSPECTIVES.
As an international career organisation, the European Press Federation (EPF) also represents the interests of part-time representatives of the media - no matter whether they have fixed employment or are freelance. Good journalism is mostly delivered by journalists who either work on a part-time basis or are freelance. The aim of the association is therefore to also represent the rightful interest of part-time representatives of the media of publishers, authorities or established institutions. A Successful, practical work by  the association will therefore decisively increase your chance of being competitive as a journalist – and opens doors - an important factor in the often hard fought media world. Membership of the EPF is therefore one of the best decisions that you can make as a journalist and representative of the media.

 European Press Federation

International experience exchange.

As one of the few organisations and career associations, the EPF e.V. also provides a press card to part-time journalists and representatives of the media. Why? To present a full-time journalistic occupation as the dogmatic example is no longer up to date due to the constant turbulence within the media landscape. After all, a part-time journalist or representative of the media exercises the same functions as a full-time colleague. It is often seen in practice that it is exactly those journalists who do not have fixed employment who deliver more effective work with a better price to performance ratio.

Apart from that a full-time journalistic function does not have anything to do with the quality of the work. It is not right to measure a high degree of quality by whether or not someone goes about their job part or full-time.

But it is often journalist trade unions who lay much value on this difference and often close their doors to part-time representatives of the media: membership is not possible because only those who earn their living principally with journalistic work, and can prove it, are allowed entrance and get a trade union press card. On the other hand, the European Press Federation sees itself as an international and independent representative of interests for journalists, press photographers and representatives of the media who can, of course, work part-time. In this context the EPF promotes an international information and experience exchange.


Freelancer: chances in the new media market

A chain of structural changes within the media and press landscape is leading to increased outsourcing of editorial services. Journalists and representatives of the media are therefore forced to think in a more business-like manner because numerous regular jobs are being turned into freelance working relationships. 

Working on your own account has its risks of course but for committed newcomers there are interesting perspectives. No matter whether the move to a self-employed career is planned as full or part-time: part-time active journalists, reporters, people responsible for PR, press photographers or representatives of the media, find an ideal alternative with the EPF. The EPF offers useful services for example to help you win clients, to optimise your own press services, to channel information or to make your journalistic results comprehensible.


The press – what is that exactly?


The press which is often referred to as the fourth estate (next to the Lords Spiritual, Lords Temporal and elected representatives), has an important effect in a democratic society on the opinions of the people you address and on political decisions. Journalists, representatives of the media and press photographers are active for the press, for example, newspapers, magazines or periodicals and their offshoots such as news agencies, press services, public radio and television stations and the internet (new media).

Thereby photojournalists and journalists are on equal terms. The spectrum is complemented for example by the processing of in-house information from companies, associations and authorities. A press card is issued to those who are active editorially and who carry out activities as a journalist for the public interest, no matter whether they do it full or part-time.