Belarusian Union of Journalists was founded in 1958, administering six state-level unions of journalists. Its members are practitioners working in publishing, printing, news, communication, radio, television and online blogs among other industries. Its managing bodies, the Council and the Secretariat, are elected by the Assembly for a term of five years.
The main purpose of the Belarusian Union of Journalists is to protect the economic interests, rights of creation, copyrights, reputation and dignity of member journalists. The Union has over 2,200 members mainly from various forms of Belarusian media organizations, including newspapers and magazines, radio and television, news service centers and networks. Annually, 60-70 journalists apply to join the Union, most of whom are young journalists.
With special focus on the youth, Belarusian Union of Journalists is the co-founder and organizer of the Young Journalists Forum, which centers on the development of modern journalism. The Union has also founded a school for young journalists to help the career development of young practitioners. Preeminent Belarusian and Russian journalists are invited to teach at the school. Annually, students register to attend training and obtain certificates after passing the exam.
For senior media workers, the Union hosts various seminars and workshops to touch upon heatedly-discussed topics concerning social media and media integration among others.
The Belarusian Union of Journalists annually presents two awards: the “Golden Pen Award” and the “Newcomer Award” especially for young journalists.