MEDIA ACCREDITATION PROCEDURE

PrepCom 3 Tunis Phase, 19-30 September 2005
Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland

No media badge will be issued by the WSIS Press Office to journalists whose application does not strictly conform to the established procedure.

Applying for media accreditation

The accreditation procedures for WSIS and official WSIS-related meetings are based on those established by the United Nations.

Each journalist ¹ must submit an individual application and is requested to complete the entire Accreditation Form. The Form must be returned with at least one of the following documents:

• Letter of assignment from the Editor-in-Chief (or the News Editor for radio/TV);

• A photocopy of a recognized national/international press card valid through to the end of the year;

• A recent copy of the page of the publication (list of credits for TV/radio) which provides the names of regular editorial staff and contributors and which lists the journalist seeking accreditation;

• Copies of several articles published within the last 6 months, where the journalist is credited.

Accompanying staff (sound engineers, cameramen, support staff, etc.) should also complete a form and return it with a letter of accreditation from the Editor-in-Chief (or News Editor for radio/TV).

Independent film/video production companies can only receive media credentials if officially mandated by a television station by a letter of assignment or if tapes of several aired programmes that credit the requesting production company are submitted.

Fast-track accreditation is granted to journalists accredited to ITU events during the last six months, to the UN Press Corps (with a valid copy of UN press card) and to journalists based and accredited in Tunisia, host country of the second phase of the Summit. Fast-track accreditation means that while the supporting documentation listed above does not need to be resubmitted, the accreditation form must nonetheless be completed and returned to the WSIS Press Office.

The WSIS Press Office must be satisfied that anyone applying for media accreditation, whether through the normal or fast-track procedure, represents bona fide media, and is a professional journalist. The WSIS Press Office reserves the right to request supplementary documentary evidence to be able to establish the status of applicants. Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis and the decisions of the WSIS Press Office are final.

Who can submit press credentials

Only editorial staff of newspapers, magazines, press agencies and online publications as well as press photographers, TV and radio crews may be accredited. All others, such as management, marketing or advertising executives of newspapers/magazines, researchers, book writers, editors of directories, etc. cannot be granted media credentials at WSIS.

Media credentials are granted to journalists from recognized media defined as follows:

• Newspapers and magazines: media available to the general public, published at least 6 times a year by an organization whose principle business activity is publishing and which generally carry paid advertising.

• On-line publications: original, news-oriented material available on the Internet whose entire content is refreshed regularly and entirely at least every two months (rather than simply updating pages) and whose access is public and provided free-of-charge or at a cost that is commensurate with what readers might pay at a newsstand for a newspaper or magazine.

• News wire services: an agency that collects news reports and distributes them electronically to newspapers.

• Broadcast organizations (radio and television): organizations whose news and information programmes are aired to the general public either through terrestrial broadcast or by satellite.

Pre-event accreditation

It is strongly recommended that you register prior to the event in order to avoid unnecessary delays in receiving the badge or in gaining entry to the premises.

Where to send the form

Fax: +41 22 730 5201

The accreditation form is available here.

Contact

WSIS Press Office
International Telecommunication Union