# International Organization of Journalists

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/International_Organization_of_Journalists
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/International_Organization_of_Journalists.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Organization_of_Journalists
> Source revision: 1316112510
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Soviet-era press organisation

Not to be confused with [International Federation of Journalists](/source/International_Federation_of_Journalists).

Logotype of the IOJ

The **International Organization of Journalists** (**IOJ**, [French](/source/French_language): *Organisation internationale des journalistes*) was an international press workers' organization based in [Prague](/source/Prague), [Czechoslovakia](/source/Czechoslovakia), during the [Cold War](/source/Cold_War). It was one of dozens of [front organizations](/source/Front_organization) launched by the Soviet Union in the late 1940s and early 1950s.[1][2] It was controlled in Prague by the Central Committee of the [Czechoslovak Communist Party](/source/Czechoslovak_Communist_Party), with the assistance of [KGB](/source/KGB) agents.[3] It was described by the U.S. [Central Intelligence Agency](/source/Central_Intelligence_Agency) as "an instrumentality of Soviet propaganda".[4]

## History

The International Organization of Journalists was formed at a congress held in [Copenhagen](/source/Copenhagen) in June 1946. At this meeting, the [International Federation of Journalists](/source/International_Federation_of_Journalists) and the International Federation of Journalists of the Allied and Free Countries merged into the new organization and for a time the new organization was broadly representative of the journalists of the world. However, by 1950 the IOJ had become dominated by communists and the non-communist member organizations had withdrawn. These would re-launch the International Federation of Journalists in 1952.[5]

A declassified Central Intelligence Agency document from 1955, described the IOJ as "an instrumentality of Soviet propaganda".[4] In a 2009 interview with the newspaper *[Helsingin Sanomat](/source/Helsingin_Sanomat)*, the Finnish professor [Kaarle Nordenstreng](/source/Kaarle_Nordenstreng) who was the chairman of the IOJ 1976–1990, acknowledged that they took orders from the [Kremlin](/source/Moscow_Kremlin) but maintained that their operations were far from straightforwardly following their directives.[6]

## Organization

The decision-making body of the IOJ was Congress, which met every four years. Members of the IOJ, and delegations representing groups that had less than 20 members, had a voice, but no vote in the deliberation. Congress elected the Executive Committee, whose members could be nominated either by member federations or by the Congress itself. The Executive Committee met once a year. The IOJ Bureau was also elected by the Congress and consisted of the President, Secretary-General and a number of Vice-Presidents and met as required. Members of the Bureau were ex-officio members of the Executive Committee. The General Secretariat handled day-to-day administration of the IOJ and was headed by the General Secretary under the direction of the Bureau.[7] Originally headquartered in London, in June 1947, the IOJ moved to Opletalova 5, [Prague](/source/Prague) [II](/source/Prague_2),[8] and in 1966, to Vinohradska 3, [Prague 1](/source/Prague_1),[9] and by 1978, to Parizska 9, 11001 Prague 1.[10]

### Congresses

The IOJ held the following Congresses:[11]

- Copenhagen, June 1946

- Prague, June 1947

- [Helsinki](/source/Helsinki), September 1950

- [Bucharest](/source/Bucharest), May 1956

- [Budapest](/source/Budapest), August 1962

- [East Berlin](/source/East_Berlin), October 1966

## Members

In October 1955 the International Organization of Journalists claimed to have 60,000 members in 51 countries: "national organizations" in 14 countries - [Albania](/source/People's_Republic_of_Albania), [Bulgaria](/source/People's_Republic_of_Bulgaria), [People's Republic of China](/source/People's_Republic_of_China), [Czechoslovakia](/source/Communist_Czechoslovakia), [Finland](/source/Finland), [France](/source/Fourth_French_Republic), [German Democratic Republic](/source/German_Democratic_Republic), [Hungary](/source/People's_Republic_of_Hungary), [Democratic People's Republic of Korea](/source/Democratic_People's_Republic_of_Korea), [Mongolia](/source/Mongolian_People's_Republic), [Poland](/source/People's_Republic_of_Poland), [Romania](/source/People's_Republic_of_Romania), [Soviet Union](/source/Union_of_Soviet_Socialist_Republics) and [North Vietnam](/source/Democratic_Republic_of_Vietnam); "national groups" in [Mexico](/source/Mexico) and [Ceylon](/source/Dominion_of_Ceylon). It apparently had individual members in 33 further countries.[12]

In 1957, representatives of the [French Journalists Union](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=French_Journalists_Union&action=edit&redlink=1) (an affiliated of the [CGT](/source/Conf%C3%A9d%C3%A9ration_g%C3%A9n%C3%A9rale_du_travail)), the [Association of Polish Journalists](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Association_of_Polish_Journalists&action=edit&redlink=1), the [All-China Journalists Association](/source/All-China_Journalists_Association) were mentioned as officers of the IOJ.[13]

In 1970 it declared that it had 150,000 members.[14]

In 1978 the following organizations were affiliated with IOJ:[15]

- [Algeria](/source/Algeria) - [Union of Algerian Journalists](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Union_of_Algerian_Journalists&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [Argentina](/source/Argentina) - [Press Syndicate of Cordoba](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Press_Syndicate_of_Cordoba&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [Argentina](/source/Argentina) - [Association of Journalists of Buenos Aires](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Association_of_Journalists_of_Buenos_Aires&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [Bolivia](/source/Bolivia) - [Democratic Union of Workers of the Bolivian Press](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Democratic_Union_of_Workers_of_the_Bolivian_Press&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [Cameroon](/source/Cameroon) - [National Union of Journalists (Cameroon)](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Union_of_Journalists_(Cameroon)&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [Colombia](/source/Colombia) - [National Collegium of Journalists](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Collegium_of_Journalists&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [Congo](/source/Republic_of_the_Congo) - [National Union of Congolese Journalists](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Union_of_Congolese_Journalists&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [Czechoslovakia](/source/Czechoslovakia) - [Czechoslovak Union of Journalists](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Czechoslovak_Union_of_Journalists&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [Dominican Republic](/source/Dominican_Republic) - [National Syndicate of Professional Journalists](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Syndicate_of_Professional_Journalists&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [El Salvador](/source/El_Salvador) - [National Union of Journalists (El Salvador)](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Union_of_Journalists_(El_Salvador)&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [Gambia](/source/The_Gambia) - [Gambia Journalists' Association](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gambia_Journalists%27_Association&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [Guyana](/source/Guyana) - [Union of Guyanese Journalists](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Union_of_Guyanese_Journalists&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [Japan](/source/Japan) - [Japan Congress of Journalists](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Japan_Congress_of_Journalists&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [Japan](/source/Japan) - [Association of Japanese Journalists](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Association_of_Japanese_Journalists&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [North Korea](/source/North_Korea), [Japan](/source/Japan) - [Association of Korean Journalists and Publishers in Japan](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Association_of_Korean_Journalists_and_Publishers_in_Japan&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [Madagascar](/source/Madagascar) - [Press Syndicate of Madagascar](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Press_Syndicate_of_Madagascar&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [Namibia](/source/Namibia) - [SWAPO](/source/SWAPO), Journalists Branch

- [Nicaragua](/source/Nicaragua) - [National Union of Journalists (Nicaragua)](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Union_of_Journalists_(Nicaragua)&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [Palestine](/source/Palestine) - [General Union of Palestinian Writers and Journalists](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=General_Union_of_Palestinian_Writers_and_Journalists&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [Peru](/source/Peru) - [Federation of Journalists of Peru](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Federation_of_Journalists_of_Peru&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [Romania](/source/Romania) - [Council of Romanian Journalists](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Council_of_Romanian_Journalists&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [South Africa](/source/South_Africa) - [South African Journalists Union](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=South_African_Journalists_Union&action=edit&redlink=1), [African National Congress](/source/African_National_Congress)

- [Syria](/source/Syria) - [Syrian Journalists' Union](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Syrian_Journalists%27_Union&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [Uruguay](/source/Uruguay) - [Association of the Uruguayan Press](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Association_of_the_Uruguayan_Press&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [South Yemen](/source/South_Yemen) - [Democratic Yemeni Journalists Organization](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Democratic_Yemeni_Journalists_Organization&action=edit&redlink=1)

- [Zimbabwe](/source/Zimbabwe) - [Association of Journalists of Zimbabwe](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Association_of_Journalists_of_Zimbabwe&action=edit&redlink=1)

In addition to these, there were also "organizations, committees, groups or individuals" who were members in the following states: [Afghanistan](/source/Afghanistan), Albania, [Angola](/source/People's_Republic_of_Angola), [Australia](/source/Australia), [Austria](/source/Austria), [Bangladesh](/source/Bangladesh), [Belgium](/source/Belgium), [Benin](/source/People's_Republic_of_Benin), [Brazil](/source/Brazil), Bulgaria, [Burma](/source/Socialist_Republic_of_the_Union_of_Burma), [Kampuchea](/source/Democratic_Kampuchea), [Canada](/source/Canada), [Chile](/source/Chile_under_Pinochet), [Costa Rica](/source/Costa_Rica), [Cuba](/source/Cuba), [Cyprus](/source/Cyprus), [Denmark](/source/Denmark), [Ecuador](/source/Ecuador), [Egypt](/source/Egypt), [Ethiopia](/source/Derg), Finland, France, [West Germany](/source/Federal_Republic_of_Germany), East Germany, [Ghana](/source/Ghana), [Great Britain](/source/Great_Britain), [Guinea](/source/Guinea), [Guinea-Bissau](/source/Guinea-Bissau), [Honduras](/source/Honduras), [Hong Kong](/source/Hong_Kong_colony), Hungary, [India](/source/India), [Indonesia](/source/Indonesia), [Iran](/source/Empire_of_Iran), [Iraq](/source/Iraq), [Italy](/source/Italy), [Ivory Coast](/source/Ivory_Coast), [Jordan](/source/Jordan), [Kenya](/source/Kenya), North Korea, [Kuwait](/source/Kuwait), [Laos](/source/Laos), [Lebanon](/source/Lebanon), [Libya](/source/Libyan_Arab_Republic), [Luxembourg](/source/Luxembourg), [Malawi](/source/Malawi), [Malaysia](/source/Malaysia), [Mali](/source/Mali), [Mauritania](/source/Mauritania), [Mauritius](/source/Mauritius), Mexico, Mongolia, [Morocco](/source/Morocco), [Mozambique](/source/People's_Republic_of_Mozambique), [Nepal](/source/Kingdom_of_Nepal), [Netherlands](/source/Netherlands), [New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand), [Nigeria](/source/Nigeria), [Norway](/source/Norway), [Pakistan](/source/Pakistan), [Panama](/source/Panama), [Paraguay](/source/Paraguay), Poland, [Puerto Rico](/source/Puerto_Rico), [Senegal](/source/Senegal), [Sierra Leone](/source/Sierra_Leone), [Somalia](/source/Somali_Democratic_Republic), the USSR, [Spain](/source/Spain), [Sri Lanka](/source/Sri_Lanka), [Sudan](/source/Democratic_Republic_of_Sudan), [Sweden](/source/Sweden), [Switzerland](/source/Switzerland), [Tanzania](/source/Tanzania), [Togo](/source/Togo), [Trindiad and Tobago](/source/Trindiad_and_Tobago), [Tunisia](/source/Tunisia), [Turkey](/source/Turkey), [Uganda](/source/Uganda), the [United States](/source/United_States), [Venezuela](/source/Republic_of_Venezuela), [Vietnam](/source/Socialist_Republic_of_Vietnam) and [Zaire](/source/Republic_of_Zaire).[16]

## Publications

The IOJ published a monthly *The Democratic Journalist* in English, French, Spanish, German and Russian.[17] Other publications included *Interpressgrafik*, *Journalists' affairs* and *Afrique mass media.*[18]

[Kaarle Nordenstreng](/source/Kaarle_Nordenstreng) published 3 parts of *Useful Recollections* on the history of IOJ.[19][20][21]

## Affiliated people

### General Secretaries

- 1947: [Jiří Hronek](/source/Ji%C5%99%C3%AD_Hronek)

- 1953: Jaroslav Knobloch

- 1959: Jiři Meisner

- 1966: Jiri Kubka

- 1988: Dusan Ulcak

- 1990: Gerard Gatinot

- 1995: Antonio Nieva

### Presidents

- 1947: Archibald Kenyon

- 1950: Jean-Maurice Hermann

- 1976: [Kaarle Nordenstreng](/source/Kaarle_Nordenstreng)

- 1990: Armando Rollemberg

- Manuel Tomé

- 1995: Suleiman Al-Qudah

### Other people

- [Krassimir Ivandjiiski](/source/Krassimir_Ivandjiiski), Bulgarian journalist

- [Marimuthu Pragalathan Naicker](/source/Marimuthu_Pragalathan_Naicker), South African journalist, communist and anti-apartheid activist

- [Don Rojas](/source/Don_Rojas), worked in the Prague office

## See also

- [Journalism portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Journalism)

- [World Federation of Scientific Workers](/source/World_Federation_of_Scientific_Workers)

- [Committee to Protect Journalists](/source/Committee_to_Protect_Journalists)

- [Reporters Without Borders](/source/Reporters_Without_Borders)

- [The Coalition For Women In Journalism](/source/The_Coalition_For_Women_In_Journalism)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Jeffrey T. Richelson (1997). *A century of spies: intelligence in the twentieth century*. p. 252.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Ralph And Brown Fred R. Sanders (2008). *National Security Management: Global Psychological Conflict*. p. 31.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Political posters in Central and Eastern Europe, 1945-95: signs of the times. James Aulich, Marta Sylvestrová. p. 66

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-TNR_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-TNR_4-1) Hettena, Seth (2020-03-09). ["Is Zero Hedge a Russian Trojan Horse?"](https://newrepublic.com/article/156788/zero-hedge-russian-trojan-horse). *The New Republic*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0028-6583](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0028-6583). Retrieved 2020-03-09. Ivandjiiski also proudly informed me of his membership, since 1974, in the International Organization of Journalists, a front organization that a declassified CIA study described as 'an instrumentality of Soviet propaganda.'

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** *[Facts about international Communist front organisations](https://archive.org/details/frontorgs)* p. 73

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Räikkä, Jyri (27 May 2009). ["Myötäjuoksija vaihtaa vapaalle"](http://www.hs.fi/paivanlehti/arkisto/My%C3%B6t%C3%A4juoksija+vaihtaa+vapaalle/aaHS20090527SI1KU01tzx?src=haku&ref=arkisto%2F). *[Helsingin Sanomat](/source/Helsingin_Sanomat)* (in Finnish). Retrieved 15 June 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Hoover Institution](/source/Hoover_Institution) *[Yearbook on International Communist Affairs](/source/Yearbook_on_International_Communist_Affairs) 1966* Stanford, Calif., Hoover Institution Press. pp.503-4

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** *Facts about international Communist front organisations* p. 73

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** [Hoover Institution](/source/Hoover_Institution) *[Yearbook on International Communist Affairs](/source/Yearbook_on_International_Communist_Affairs) 1966* Stanford, Calif., Hoover Institution Press. p.503

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** [Coldrick, A. Percy](/source/A._Percy_Coldrick) and [Jones, Philip](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philip_James_Jones&action=edit&redlink=1). *The international directory of the trade union movement* New York : Facts on File, [1978] p.189

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** [Hoover Institution](/source/Hoover_Institution) *[Yearbook on International Communist Affairs](/source/Yearbook_on_International_Communist_Affairs) 1966* Stanford, Calif., Hoover Institution Press. p.503

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** *Facts about international Communist front organisations* p. 74

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** *Facts about international Communist front organisations* pp. 73-4

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Hazan, Barukh (1976). [*Soviet propaganda: a case study of the Middle East conflict*](https://archive.org/details/sovietpropaganda0000haza). New York: Wiley. p. 112 – via Internet Archive.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Coldrick and Jones pp.190-1

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Coldrick and Jones p.191

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** *Facts about international Communist front organisations* p. 74

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** Coldrick and Jones p.190

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** Kubka, Jiri; Nordenstreng, Kaarle (1986-08-15). [*Useful Recollections Part I: Excursion Into the History of the International Movement of Journalists*](https://books.google.com/books?id=k5NxuwEACAAJ). International Organization of Journalists.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** Nordenstreng, Kaarle; Kubka, Jiri (1988-09-15). [*Useful Recollections Part II: Excursion Into the History of the International Movement of Journalists*](https://books.google.com/books?id=Bq3SAwAAQBAJ). International Organization of Journalists.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** ["The Rise and Fall of the International Organization of Journalists Based in Prague 1946–2016 - Karolinum"](https://karolinum.cz/en/books/nordenstreng-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-international-organization-of-journalists-based-in-prague-1946-2016-24056). *karolinum.cz*. Retrieved 2023-06-07.

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND National United States France BnF data Czech Republic Portugal Norway Sweden Poland Israel Academics CiNii Other IdRef Yale LUX

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [International Organization of Journalists](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Organization_of_Journalists) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Organization_of_Journalists?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.