Thai Journalists Association (TJA) is an independent non-governmental media organization that was established on 2 March 2000 upon a merger between Reporters’ Association of Thailand and Journalist Association of Thailand with an aim to unify and strengthen the free press institution of Thailand, in allowing it to better promote journalistic professionalism and ethics.
TJA is a founding member of Canada-based IFEX (formerly International Freedom of Expression Exchange), a worldwide network of over 100 non-governmental organizations that promotes and defends the rights to freedom of expression as a fundamental human right.
TJA is also a founding member of Bangkok-based Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA), a regional organization promoting media freedom, journalists’ safety and access to information, among others.
Visions
Thai Journalists Association intends to be the core institution of the country in promoting and safeguarding the rights and liberties of media professionals.
Objectives
1. TJA aims to solidify media organizations in Thailand to better defend the interest of members of the press
2. TJA aims to promote honesty, ethics and objectivity in the work of its members
3. TJA aims to promote journalistic professionalism among its members and other media organizations
4. TJA aims to build up relationship and promote collaboration with media professionals and organizations overseas
Management
TJA is governed by a 15-member executive board, with a term of one year. Board members have to be active members of TJA, who are currently working in newspapers or online-news media, and are elected at TJA’s annual general meeting. The executive board is assisted by a secretariat headed by an executive director.
Membership
Reporters’ Association of Thailand, before its merger, accepted membership only from individual journalists working in newspapers – either daily, weekly or monthly. In 1997, a few years before the merger, Reporters’ Association of Thailand began to accept broadcasting journalists as its extraordinary members with no voting rights. After its merger with Journalist Association of Thailand to become Thai Journalists Association, TJA, in November 2017, added online journalists to its ordinary membership. Both ordinary and extraordinary members have to pay Baht 300 for their annual membership fee.
Programs and Activities
TJA organizes its programs and activities in accordance with the four main committees under its executive board.
1. Media rights and reform – promoting and protecting the rights and liberties of media workers, and promoting the rights to know, or access to information under the possession of the public sector, for the general public
2. Media programs and activities – organizing capacity building trainings for journalists, trainings for young journalists, and organizing regular discussion forums on media issues
3. International affairs – developing and maintaining good relationship and collaboration with other media organizations in Southeast Asia and other regions through exchanging visiting programs, conferences and other activities
4. Welfare and membership – providing various benefits to members, including medical and life insurance, educational scholarships for members’ children, and welfare programs for retired journalists