CHOOSE LANGUAGE

Welcome to the Foreign Press Association

The Foreign Press Association in Denmark consists of foreign and Danish journalists covering Denmark and the other Nordic countries for foreign media. They represent news agencies, daily newspapers, weekly and monthly magazines, journals, radio, television and Internet media. They are correspondents, freelance journalists, photographers, video-journalists and television people. The majority of our members are living in Denmark – permanently or on a temporary basis – while a few members live in Southern Sweden.

In cooperation with Danske Medier, FPA is the issuing authority of the official Danish press card to foreign press in Denmark.

The Foreign Press Association works closely with the International Press Centre and has its office in IPC’s premises. The FPA also has a permanent seat on the Board of IPC. In addition, the FPA has contact to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other ministries and to NGOs, embassies and other authorities, including the police.

In addition to issuing press cards to its members, FPA organises excursions and professional and social events, often in cooperation with IPC.

The Foreign Press Association in Denmark

The Foreign Press Association in Denmark (FPA) was loosely founded in April 1935 by a group of Danish journalists who - in addition to their jobs in the Danish press - occasionally reported to foreign media. Since then, Copenhagen has become an important centre for Nordic news, and the FPA counts among its members a wide range of full- and part-time foreign correspondents, journalists and photographers working for a variety of news agencies, print press, radio and television, Internet media and photo agencies around the world.

The association represents the interests of its members in all media questions. It organises press conferences, field trips and social gatherings and issues the official Danish press cards for foreign journalists in Denmark. The association's member list is available on the website.

FPA has about 60 members.

FPA works closely with the International Press Centre, which is an independent institution under the Danish Foreign Ministry. IPC is located in the heart of Copenhagen and offers working facilities for permanent and visiting foreign journalists. IPC is headed by Peter Krause and organises regular press conferences and other press-related events. IPC’s Board is composed of members of the media, the private sector and public institutions. The chairman of FPA is a member of the IPC Board.
The Foreign Press Association's official language is Danish.

Julian Isherwood

The history of FPA at a Glance

The Foreign Press Association in Denmark (FPA), also known as Den Udenlandske Presseforening (DUP), was founded in April 1935 by a handful of Copenhagen journalists with correspondance to foreign media.

Back then, Scandinavia and the Baltic region were covered from Copenhagen which was described as "a kind of North Cape for the European telex network with the technical centre in Berlin."

But already from the early 1900s there has been a steady flow of news from Denmark to other countries. One of the first Danish journalists to correspond to newspapers abroad may have been A. Kamp. In the early 1900s, he wrote for "foreign magazines" while at the same time working for Møns Dagblad and later Vendsyssel Tidende, Silkeborg Avis, Riget og Hovedstaden.

In 1908, Politiken was hit by strikes. On Saturday, 15 August 1908 it stated in a special edition of newspaper that the strike would end. And, Politiken added, foreign nations had followed the industrial dispute. Page 3 of the special edition said that Norwegian and Swedish papers were “bringing long telegrams of the situation." And German, English and French newspapers also had reports on the dispute. Before World War I, Ritzau was the main provider of Danish news to other countries through cooperation with international new agencies.

Many years later, the Foreign Press Association was founded.

Over the years, the association has evolved into a busy Tower of Babel, from which a steady stream of news is produced in many different languages ​​- Spanish, English, German, Estonian, Serbo-Croatian, French, Turkish, Arabic, Finnish, Basque, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Icelandic, etc.

Today, members of the association are foreign journalists working for news agencies, newspapers, radio and TV stations, magazines, photo agencies, etc. Most of our members are all-round journalists, others are specialized in financial news, for example. Some cover only Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, others cover the entire Nordic region - with or without the Baltics - from their Danish lookout.

The big news agencies - Reuters, Associated Press (AP), Agence France-Presse (AFP), Deutsche Presse Agentur, Bloombergs, AFX -- have their own offices, while the Nordic news agencies - TT, NTB, and FNB / STT - have a common correspondent with his/her office at Ritzau.

A group of our members have their office in the International Press Centre, others have an office at home but use IPC’s facilities. The IPC is also a busy workplace for Danish and foreign press at large international events in Copenhagen.

Jan M. Olsen
Chairman of FPA 1997 - 2002

Become a member of the Foreign Press Association

In recent years, the conditions for membership in the Foreign Press Association have been revised to reflect an updated international media world.

The Board decides whether applicants can be admitted as new members of the FPA. Decisions on acceptance or rejection of membership applications are made solely on the basis of the applicant's qualifications. PR activities are not considered journalistic work.


To be admitted as a journalistic member, you must meet the following conditions:

1. You are a member of a recognized professional journalists association in another country.

or

2. You are a journalist, photographer, videographer or radio or television employee at a foreign or foreign-language media and have regular employment or are working on a freelance basis.

or

3. You are online content producer residing in Denmark and working in a foreign language. In that case, you may, on the discretion of the Board, obtain membership of the Foreign Press Association.


Journalistic members have access to a press card issued by Danske Medier. The card remains the association's property. The annual subscription is 450 kr. and there is a fee of 100 kr. for press cards

Application

Applicants wishing to become journalistic members of the Foreign Press Association must complete our application form. The application should include or refer to the documentation suitable for admission. It may be a letter from an editor confirming your work as a correspondent in Denmark/the Nordic region, or examples of published journalism.


Press card:

If you want a press card, you must email us two (2) new and identical passport photos in high resolution.


Application

After we have received your application, the Board will discuss it and contact you.

Members of the Foreign Press Association

Here is an overview of the members of the Foreign Press Association. The members are listed in alphabetical order, indicating their media and / or areas of interest. The list is revised regularly.

Medlemmer

Organisations

The following is a list of international organisations that have journalism as their primary concern. The list is far from complete, but will be expanded to include national unions of journalists in the various countries around the world.

International Organisations


It is a good idea to remain a member of your journalists’ union in your home country, irrespective of whether you plan a shorter or longer stay abroad. In disputes with your employer – full-time or freelance – these organisations will be able to help you in your home country, while it is near nigh impossible to have your employer listen to a foreign union.

If you plan to travel to one of these countries, you may like to contact the union to ask for information on how to proceed.

Nordic Press Associations

European Press Associations

Board of the Foreign Press Association

The Foreign Press Association is managed by a board of 9 members elected annually by the association's general meeting. The chairman is elected by directly with the rest of the Board being elected among the other candidates.
In addition to the chairman, the Board has a deputy chairman, a treasurer and a secretary. These posts are filled internally by the Board.

The Board meets several times a year to discuss membership applications and approve new members and to organise and prepare the activities of the association and the general meeting.


Members of the Board of the Foreign Press Association

Contact the Foreign Press Association

If you have questions about the Foreign Press Association, feel free to send an email or call the association's chairman or deputy chairman.
For more general questions about working conditions for foreign journalists in Denmark or questions about specific events etc. please contact IPC.



The Foreign Press Association - Den Udenlandske Presseforening i Danmark
c/o IPC
Skindergade 7
1159 København K


Chairman and Membership Secretary: Osama Al − Habahbeh
+45 4051 5623
E-mail: habahbeh@tdcadsl.dk


International Press Centre
+45 3313 1615
E-mail: ipc@umipc.dk
Head of Centre: Peter Krause
Web address: www.ipc.um.dk