For membership renewal, please click here.
HKJA Membership Application Guidelines
A) Membership categories
I) Full Members: Those earning the majority of their income from journalistic work. Journalistic work for this purpose is defined as employment as a journalist or photographer or artist on newspapers, periodicals, domestic and international news agencies, radio, television or digital news platforms; as a full time freelancer; or as a person employed in the pre-service and in-service training of journalists, in Hong Kong.
Rights: i) Stand for Executive Committee election; ii) Have the right to vote; iii) Participate in the benefits provided by the union; iv) Only Full members can apply for HKJA press cards and IFJ press cards.
Documents required for application:
- Your business card and a passport photo (soft or hard-copy).
- For full-time freelancers, please provide copies of your published articles in the latest 12 months. Printed version, photocopy version or link will be fine.
- If necessary, applicants may be required to provide income proof.
II) PR Members: Those employed in public relations and information services.
Rights: i) Stand for Executive Committee election (limitation to no more than one representative on the Executive Committee); ii) Have the right to vote; iii) Participate in the benefits provided by the union.
Documents required for application:
- Your business card and a passport photo (soft or hard-copy).
III) Associate Members: Those who do not earn the majority of their income from journalism or as a journalist.
Rights: i) Stand for Executive Committee election (limitation to no more than one representative on the Executive Committee); ii) Have the right to vote; iii) Participate in the benefits provided by the union.
Documents required for application:
- Your business card and a passport photo (soft or hard-copy).
- For freelance journalists, please provide copies of your published articles in the latest 12 months. Printed version, photocopy version or link will be fine.
IV) Trainee Members: Those training in journalism or serving a form of apprenticeship.
Rights: i) Stand for Executive Committee election (limitation to no more than one representative on the Executive Committee); ii) Have the right to vote; iii) Participate in the benefits provided by the union.
Documents required for application:
- A passport photo (soft or hard-copy).
- Please provide a photocopy of your student card.
- When submitting the application form, applicant should have the endorsement of one HKJA member as sponsor.
V) Retired Members: A voting member who retires from the occupation on account of age or ill-health may, subject to the decision of the Executive Committee, become a retired member.
Rights: Participate in the benefits provided by the union.
Document required for application:
- A passport photo (soft or hard-copy)
B) Membership year and 2022-23 Membership Fee
- Membership last for one year.
- For Full / Associate / PR member applicant, the membership fee for 2022-23 is HK$250 (including entrance fee of HK$50 and yearly subscription HK$200).
- After the first year, the yearly subscription is HK$200.
- Student membership fee for 2022-23 is HK$50 for full year, entrance fee waived.
- Please pay the membership fee only after the application is approved.
C) Membership Application Procedures
- Members should abide by the rules set out in the HKJA constitution.
- Applicants please provide the documents required (refer to item A of this Guidelines) when submitting the application form. Otherwise, HKJA may not consider the application.
- An applicant for membership must have the endorsement of at least one HKJA member.
- The approval of an application shall require a simple majority vote of the Members of the Executive Committee. HKJA reserves the right to reject any application for membership, HKJA Press Card and/ or IFJ Press Card for any or no reason.
Filling the application form
Applicants may scroll below to fill the online application form.
Or you may click here to download the membership application form, and post the completed form to: Hong Kong Journalists Association, Flat A, 15/F., Henfa Comm. Building 348-350 Lockhart Road Wanchai, Hong Kong.
D) Press Card
- Only Full Member can apply for the HKJA Press Card and IFJ Press Card. The Executive Committee will consider and examine each application according to the job duties and journalistic work requirements of the applicant. Applicants may be required to provide additional information and documents to prove their working needs for a press card.
- For HKJA Press Card, the application fee is HK$50 and a JPEG format digital photograph is required. Please contact us for the application form.
- For IFJ Press Card, the application fee is HK$600. Please submit a JPEG format digital photograph and your HKID Card photocopy together with the application form. Please contact us for the form.
Membership Application Form
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(Please complete in English BLOCK letters)