FIDE Journalists' Commission (A suivre...)

As the great match in Chennai fades into history (see Carlsen - Anand, Wrapup for my personal closure on the subject) where does this blog go next? I didn't have to look far for an answer. At about the same time the match started, FIDE released the 84th FIDE Congress Executive Board Minutes and Annexes (NB: the page also points to documents for past years).

FIDE is publishing the Minutes and Annexes of the Executive Board meeting that was held in Tallinn, Estonia, 7-8 October 2013.

There are many chess topics in the FIDE PDF documents that I've written about before -- the World Championship (plus qualifying events), ethics, chess in schools, lawsuits, and chess in Africa, to name a few of the most important -- but there is one topic of interest to me as a blogger. I wrote about it last year after the 83rd FIDE Congress: the FIDE Journalists' Commission. Here's what the latest minutes said on the subject.

5.18 Journalists’ Commission. • Mr. G. Makropoulos presented his report (Annex 70).

He said that the Commission was established in Istanbul General Assembly. They started working, with the main aim to help journalists who attend FIDE events, to obtain discounts in hotels etc. Second aim is to create one pool of journalists, accredited with FIDE, who are aware with international Code of Ethics, try to educate some journalists. Now it is difficult as anyone who can write in Internet, calls himself a journalist. There should be lines drawn for everyone who writes about chess events. The report contains analysis and proposals.

The four-page annex is too long to quote in entirety, so I'll just present the main talking points.

Annex 70 • Minutes; Commission of Chess Journalists; Tallinn, Estonia; 5 October 2013

DIRECTIONS:

1) Ethical. Development and implementation of professional standards regarding chess journalists, especially the standards of journalistic ethics and principles. we should follow or make the rules in accordance with Status of Journalists and journalism ethics: IFJ principles [see below]

2) Communicative. Creating opportunities for communication and exchange of information between Commission and chess journalists (journalists, who write about chess, photo-reporters) from different countries, as well as communication between journalists and organizers of chess events. [...]

3) Informative. Opening and operating the Commission's website. [...]

4) Organizational. a. Development of database of chess journalists and chess websites. • b. Development of Chess Journalist ID card (20 euro per years) which simplifies the process of participation in the respective events (accreditation to FIDE events for ID card holders for 1 year). [...] • c. Development of common rules of accreditation for all FIDE events.

5) Legal. Providing informative legal support to the chess journalists, especially in the field of copyright (by informing them how to protect their rights and by helping to protect chess journalists from plagiarism and copyright infringement etc). [...]

6) Controlling. Control and prevention of violations in Media, helping in protection of FIDE copyrights, chess journalists copyrights during and after FIDE and other chess events (by reporting and correcting mistakes, sending letters). [...]

7) Encouraging. The Awards program for chess journalists (for FIDE events only) (both as a submitter and as a Judge for members). [...]

8) Improving. Finding the ways to improve the work of the press centre for FIDE events [...]

The IFJ link given under '1) Ethical' is incorrect. The correct link is Status of Journalists and journalism ethics: IFJ principles. As for the rest, it's a mixed bag. A suivre...