By-law

Preamble

Journalists and media and press workers in the Republic of Lebanon established a Union which head office is in Beirut named the “Union of Journalists in Lebanon”.

The vision of the Union is that the union media solidarity and togetherness ensures protection for all the male and female workers in the media sector in Lebanon.

The Union includes media workers of various categories and specialties, as journalists, journalist photographers, journalist technicians, journalist field coordinators (fixers), whether independent (freelancers) or contracted with media institutions, in print, audio visual, and digital media.

The Union’s scope of specialty includes, as well, the task of defending the rights of the non-Lebanese journalists residing in Lebanon.

The Union relies on the Lebanese journalists working abroad, as an echo of the voice of their colleagues residing in Lebanon and as a force of influence and pressure from abroad to protect press freedoms in Lebanon.

The Union aims at protecting the journalists and media workers in Lebanon and defending their rights from the violations and the abuses they are exposed to and which affect:

– Their right to decent wages and benefits that ensure a dignified life.
– Their right to protection from arbitrary dismissal.
– The freedom of their media work and their right to access information.
– Their right to protection from security and judicial summons and arrests which are contrary to laws.
– Their right to protection from physical assaults and digital smear campaigns.
– Their right to a safe work environment free from political pressures and sexual harassment.
– Their right to freedom of work and union struggle.

The Union adopts the text of the Global Charter of Ethics for Journalists issued on June 12, 2019 in Tunisia and considers it a compass for independent and free press work which respects the right of the people to access information enshrined in article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in particular the principles:

– To respect the truth and the right of the public to access information and to adopt integrity in the collection and dissemination of such information.
– To defend the principles of freedom, in the forefront, the freedom of opinion and expression and the freedom of the press, to reject any interference or censorship or pressure which restricts the professional independence or withholds information from the public opinion.
– To abstain from publishing or promoting any content which includes hate speech or incitement to violence or discrimination based on race, sect, religion, gender, sexual orientation, opinion or any other form of discrimination.
– To abstain from fabricating facts or distorting or using information out of their context with the intention to mislead and to respect the rules of verification and accuracy in reporting the news.
– To respect the privacy and dignity of individuals, in particular the vulnerable or marginalized categories, and to abstain from using images or information which violate their rights or expose them to risk or stigmatization.
– To protect the confidentiality of the press sources and to preserve their identities and to refuse to disclose them or to expose them to risk.

The founders and the institutions have agreed on what follows as a by-law of the Union:

Article 1: The Definitions

– Union: is the “Union of Journalists in Lebanon”, an independent union framework, which head office is in Beirut; it includes male and female media workers of various categories and specialties and it aims at protecting and defending their professional and social rights.
– Member: is each person who meets the conditions of affiliation stipulated in this by-law and who practices the profession of journalism or a media activity primarily and regularly related to it, whether independent or contracted with a media institution, whether Lebanese or non-Lebanese residing in Lebanon, and who obtained his/her membership based on the agreement of the administrative body after fulfilling the conditions and paying the annual subscriptions.
– General body: is the highest authority in the Union; it consists of all the members who are actually affiliated, i.e. who paid their annual subscriptions, and it practices its powers in accordance with the provisions of the by-law.
– Administrative body: is the committee elected by the general body and consists of nine members; it undertakes the management of the executive, regulatory and financial affairs of the Union and represents the Union before external parties, in accordance with the powers stipulated in this by-law.
– President: is the member elected by the administrative body to undertake the presidency of the Union; he/she officially represents the Union, presides over the meetings of the administrative and general bodies, supervises the progress of work and signs the correspondence and financial transfers in coordination with the secretary and the treasurer.

Chapter One: The Membership

Article 2: The Conditions of Affiliation and Membership

Any new male/female member must agree on the founding statement and the by-law and must meet the following conditions:

1. To be a journalist; the journalist is each person who practices a media activity primarily and regularly and who derives the largest part of his/her resources from this work, in return for a wage or a fee, or for his/her own account, in one or more medial institution(s), i.e. those that manage print, radio, television or various electronic means.

The term “journalist” includes all journalists, press photographers, technicians and media field coordinators and everyone whose main professional activity is closely and primarily connected to media work, the workers in Lebanon and the Lebanese amongst them abroad.

2. To obtain a recommendation from two members of the general body, provided the administrative body approves the application for membership after reviewing the submitted file or interviewing him/her when necessary.
3. To agree on the Universal Declaration of Professional Ethics for Journalists issued on June 12, 2019 in Tunisia.
4. To pay his/her annual subscriptions regularly when due annually.

Article 3: The Suspension of Membership

The membership is considered as definitely suspended in the following cases:

– The membership of the journalists who are business owners or owners or founders or chief executive officers from among the members, if there is a complaint before the Arbitral Labor Council against the institution they own or they work in its interest.
– Each one accused of harassment or breach of trust or any infamous misdemeanour, until a final decision is issued by the administrative body or the court of jurisdiction in the matter.

Article 4: The Resignation from Membership

1. Each member who loses one of the conditions of affiliation or who abstains without a legitimate excuse from attending four consecutive meetings of the general assembly or from paying the due membership fees one month after his/her receipt of a written warning in that regard, shall be considered as definitely resigned from the membership of the Union. These provisions shall apply to all the members, including the members of the administrative body.
2. Each member who abstains from attending three consecutive meetings of the administrative body without a legitimate excuse after he/she is warned in writing shall be considered as definitely resigned from the administrative body.
3. Any member of the administrative body can resign from it or from the committees by virtue of a letter of resignation addressed to

the administrative body which can accept or reject it within one month term, otherwise, its silence is considered as definitely an acceptance and the resigned member does not lose his/her membership in the general body unless he/she expresses his/her explicit desire in that in the letter of resignation.

Article 5: The Regulatory Procedures

If a member commits an act which may cause moral or physical damage to the Union or exceeds his/her powers or violates any of the principles of the Union or the Universal Declaration of Professional Ethics for Journalists issued on June 12, 2019, he/she will be referred, based on a decision by the administrative body, to an investigation committee made up of the members of the administrative body to consider the violation and the consequent regulatory procedures and to prepare a proposal on that to the administrative body. The administrative body decides on the report with the agreement of the majority of its members on the taken regulatory procedure.

If the defaulting member wants to challenge the resolution of the administrative body, he/she has the right to present the file at the first upcoming meeting of the general body or to challenge before the judge of summary proceedings within a term of two days as of the issue of the resolution.

Chapter Two: The General Body

Article 6: The General Body

The general body is made up of all the members who are actually affiliated with the Union, i.e. those who paid their subscriptions; it has the final say and its resolutions are not subject to revision except for what is specified in this by-law.

Article 7: The Meetings of the General Body

The general body holds its periodical meetings annually. It may hold exceptional meetings based on a convocation by the chairman if requested to do so by the administrative body or based on a request from at least twenty percent of the members of the general body.

The legal quorum of the general body is met by the meeting of one half of its members plus one and if the quorum is not met and a second convocation is addressed, it is met with any attendees.

The resolutions of the general body are taken with unanimity of one half of the present members plus one, except for the amendment of the present by-law which is made in accordance with article 21 thereof and with unanimity of two thirds of the present members.

Article 8: The Powers of the General Body

1. To elect the administrative body by secret ballot.
2. To listen to the reports submitted by the administrative body and to discuss the accomplished works and the projects prepared for implementation, provided the latter is to be voted if this is requested by more than twenty percent of the members of the general body present at the meeting.
3. To approve the budget of the Union and the final account of the past year.
4. To amend the Union’s by-law.
5. To make a vote of confidence in the administrative body, provided the committee is considered as resigned if confidence is withdrawn and it shall limit its duties to conducting the administrative works and calling for the election of a new administrative body within 10 days in accordance with article 10 of this by-law.
6. To discuss and to vote on proposed projects within the agenda, and in case of positive (affirmative) vote, to charge the administrative body to execute them.

Chapter Three: The Administrative Body

Article 9: The Membership of the Administrative Body

– The administrative body is made up of 9 members elected by the general body every two years by secret ballot.
– The members can run for two consecutive terms and they may not be elected for a third term except after the expiration of a full term.
– The journalists who are business owners or owners or founders or chief executive officers from among the members shall absolutely in no way hold any position or role or function or advisory position in the administrative body or any of the committees, in order to prevent any potential conflict of interests.
– The same applies to each one whose membership has been suspended by virtue of article 3 of the present by-law and each member who holds a professional or partisan or other capacity or role or position which would give rise to ambiguities as regards his/her neutrality on matters that concern the Union, provided the administrative body decides on this matter by the regular majority in case of objection by the concerned person.

Article 10: The Elections

The administrative body is elected each two years.

The attendance of at least one half the members of the general body of the Union is conditioned to complete the quorum of the meeting of election of the administrative body, plus one of the members who have paid their annual subscriptions at least five weeks before the date determined for elections, provided the right to vote is withheld from each one who has paid his/her subscription after that date.

If the quorum is not met in the meeting of election, a meeting is held two weeks later and the voting process is made with any attendees.

The voting process is supervised by the oldest and youngest members from among the present members of the general body who are not candidates.

The election results are declared immediately after the end of counting and the candidate who obtains the highest number of the votes cast is considered the winner.

If two or more candidates have equal number of votes among the winners, the candidate with the oldest affiliation with the Union is considered the winner, and in case they are tied, then, the eldest candidate.

Article 11: Publishing the list of names of male/female voters / Registry lists

The administrative body publishes in the Union’s headquarters one month before the date of election a preliminary list of the names of the male and female voters and accepts objections to it until two weeks before the date of election; it, then, becomes final.

Article 12: Submitting the Candidacy

The application for candidacy is presented to the administrative body which shall review the availability of the required administrative conditions and the absence of the impediments to candidacy in accordance with the articles of the first chapter and article 8 of the present by-law.

The names of the accepted male and female candidates are published at the headquarters of the Union one month before the date of election and objections to them are accepted before the administrative body until two weeks before the day of election; they, then, become final.

The administrative body shall issue a reasoned written resolution rejecting the candidacy and accepting or rejecting the objection to it. The candidates whose objections are rejected may submit an application before the judge of summary proceedings in Beirut to decide on the resolution of the administrative body to reject the objection before it, provided the final judicial decision is accepted whatever would be the deadline before the day of election.

Article 13: The Election of administrative positions in the body

The elected administrative body meets under the chairmanship of the member with the oldest affiliation and elects from among its members a Chairman of the Administrative Body, a Vice-Chairman, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Media Relations Coordinator, an External Relations Coordinator and a Sectoral Committees Coordinator.

If two or more candidates have equal number of votes among the winners, the candidate who obtained the highest number of votes during the election of the general body is considered the winner.

The position of presidency may not be held for more than two consecutive terms and this position can be held again after the expiration of a full term.

Article 14: The vacancies in one or more position(s) in the Administrative Body

If one third of the positions of the administrative body are vacant, successors will be elected for them if more than six

months remain from the term of the administrative body. While if half the number of the members becomes vacant, the administrative body is, then, considered as dissolved and the general body is called to carry out elections for a new administrative body within one month term.

Article 15: The Meetings of the Administrative Body

The Administrative Body holds periodical meetings twice a month; it holds exceptional meetings based on a convocation by the chairman to discuss and decide on the matters determined in the invitation.

Article 16: The Quorum of Meetings and Voting

1. The legal quorum for the meeting of the administrative body is met in the presence of more than one half of the members.
2. The meeting is opened by reading the minutes of the previous meeting to approve it.
3. The resolutions of the administrative body are taken with the agreement of more than one half of the members who are legally present and in case of equal votes again, the vote of the chairman shall be considered the casting vote. Any member of the administrative body who voted against the taken resolution shall retain the right to present the subject to the first general body held after the date of taking the resolution.

Article 17: The Executive Powers

First: The Administrative Body

1- To elect the administrative positions by consensus or by ballot.
2- To undertake all the administrative matters for the smooth running of the Union in terms of developing long-term plans and strategies as well as the daily ordinary matters and to supervise the execution of all its works and projects.
3- To develop the media policy of the Union and to draft the statements.
4- To undertake and to supervise the financial management of the Union, to draft the budget, the final account and all the financial reports presented to the general body for approval.
5- To draft the reports submitted to the general body on the accomplished works and works prepared for implementation.
6- To convoke to the meetings of the ordinary general body and to convoke to the meetings of the exceptional general body if the committee deems it necessary or based on a request in writing submitted by 20 percent of the members of the general body.
7- To apply the limited membership to those who meet the conditions of article 4 of the present by-law, to take regulatory procedures in accordance with article 5 thereof, to, as well, decide on the appeals against nominations in accordance with article 11, provided the resolutions issued by it are in writing, reasoned and subject to appeal before the judge of summary proceedings within a term of two days as of their issuance, with the possibility to raise the subject by the concerned member during the meeting of the general body which follows the date of the resolution of the administrative body.

Second: The President

1- To coordinate the work of the Union.
2- To preside over the meeting of the general body and the administrative body and to supervise the works of the committees.
3- To sign all administrative correspondence with the secretary and the financial transfers with the treasurer.
4- He/she has the right to convoke the administrative body and the general body to exceptional meetings according to this by-law.
5- To draft the agenda of the administrative body in coordination with the secretary.

Third: The Vice-President

He/she acts as president in case of the latter’s absence.

He/she follows-up the file of placement of the new members.

Fourth: The Secretary

1. He/she maintains and organises the register of minutes of meetings and the resolutions of the general body and the administrative body.
2. He/she receives the incoming letters of all their forms, including the addition of clauses to the agenda of the administrative body.
3. He/she presents them to the president and then undertakes drafting and sending the response.
4. He/she addresses invitations and communicates the decisions of the Union to the concerned parties.
5. He/she acts as treasurer in case of the latter’s absence.

Fifth: The Treasurer

1. All the immoveable and moveable properties of the Union are entrusted to him/her and he/she shall be responsible for them.
2. He/she undertakes the collection of the fees from the members by virtue of receipts.
3. He/she is considered a permanent member of the financial committee.

Sixth: The Media Coordinator

1. He/she undertakes the management and development of the media relations of the Union.
2. He/she represents the Union and speaks in its name before the media based on an assignment by the administrative body.
3. He/she is considered a permanent member of the media committee.

Seventh: The Sectoral Committees Coordinator

1. To coordinate communication with sectoral committees after their formation of the various professional sectors without having the right to vote inside these committees if he/she is convoked to attend their meetings.
2. To submit periodical reports on their works to the administrative body.

Article 18: The Sectoral Committees

1. Sectoral committees are established joined to them the members of the
Union; they include – for example and not for limitation – the sectors: visual and audio, print and electronic press, field reporters, photographers, technicians, designers, freelance journalists (freelancers), administrators, expatriates and foreign press.
2. The journalists who are business owners or owners or founders or chief executive officers from among the members may form a committee which represents them and addresses the general body.
3. Each sectoral committee elects its own coordinator who undertakes convening the committee to a meeting and coordinating with the coordinator of the sectoral committees.
4. The membership of the committees is opened to all the members working in the same sector and the member shall have the right to join more than one committee.
5. The president of the Union and/or the coordinator of the committees shall have the right to convoke the committees to meet when necessary.
6. Each committee shall study and follow-up the conditions and challenges of the sector it represents and shall submit recommendations and proposals on the basis thereof to the administrative body.
7. Each committee undertakes within its competence drafting a study of the projects it submits or which are referred to it and it works on their implementation after they are approved by the administrative body.

Chapter Four: The Financial Affairs

Article 19: Determining the annual subscription

The annual subscription fee is determined based on a resolution taken by the administrative body and announced in February of each year.

Article 20: The Financial Management

1. No amount of the Union’s funds is disbursed except by virtue of a resolution taken by the administrative body.
2. The treasurer does not have the right to pay any amount of the Union’s funds except by virtue of an order signed by the president and indicated in it the method and the reason of disbursement.
3. No member of the administrative body shall have the right to receive any fees from the Union unless the general body with half of its present members according to the quorum specified in article 7 of the present by-law resolves otherwise.
4. The general body approves the expenses during its periodical meetings.

Chapter Five: Miscellaneous Provisions

Article 21: Amending the By-law

The general body may by majority of two-thirds of its members according to the quorum specified in article 7 amend this by-law based on a proposal by the administrative body or one-third of the members of the general body.