European Journalists Network
The European Journalists Network is an ethical association of journalists in northern Europe. Its main activities are to represent its members vis-à-vis press organizations and institutions, and to organize meetings and travel.
Membership is open to active journalists working in Baltic Rim countries. Public affairs professionals may join as associates.
Throughout the year, meetings and press conferences are organized for EJN members by government departments, associations and companies.
Activities in 2012
The annual general meeting 2012 of the EJN was held at the International Press Centre in Katajanokka, Helsinki on Tuesday 14 February.
Adrián Soto was elected president. Pat Humphreys, John Pagni and Fran Weaver were elected to the executive committee. Claudius Technau and Thomas Romantschuk were appointed as auditor and deputy auditor.
The membership fee for the year was set at 25 euros.
In the middle of April, a group of ten went to Tallinn to attend the opening of the Hard Currency Bar at Viru Hotel, which had closed more than two decades earlier, when Estonia's annexation by the USSR ended. At the bar's reinauguration, payment was accepted in (imitation) roubles, ironically as this was the currency not accepted in the old bar. Some members also visited the recently reopened television tower. Others spent their free time more conventionally and convivially in the Travellers' Club.
Activities in 2011
The annual general meeting 2011 of the EJN was held at the International Press Centre in Katajanokka, Helsinki on Tuesday 8 February.
The membership fee for the year was set at 25 euros.
Adrián Soto was elected president. Simona Drevensek, Pat Humphreys, John Pagni and Fran Weaver were elected to the executive committee. Claudius Technau and Thomas Romantschuk were appointed as auditor and deputy auditor.
In May the Association was invited by Linda Line shipping company to take part in its maiden voyage to Saarenmaa. In Kuressaar, EJN members were hosted by the Tourist Board of Saaremaa. Three days were spent touring Saaremaa and Muhu islands.
Also in May the Association was briefed by the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB), the Nordic Environmental Finance Corporation (NEFCO) and the Nordic Development Fund (NDF).
In June, Tallinn invited the Association to its biannual Tallinn Maritime Days, part of the Cultural Capital of Europe programme. Activities were mainly around the harbour and Tallinn's new "Cultural Kilometre".
In December the Association met the Helsinki Commission for the Protection of the Baltic Marine Environment for expert presentations on HELCOM's work.
The EJN's traditional Independence Day trip was to St. Petersburg. We travelled by sea on St. Peter Line, stayed two nights on Matisov Island and, among other things, visited the offices of the St. Petersburg Times for a briefing on professional issues.
Activities in 2010
The annual general meeting was held in the press room of the Pullman Bar at Helsinki Central Railway Station on 22 February.
The membership fee for the year was set at 28 euros.
Adrián Soto was elected president. John Pagni, Hee Sook Lee, Denisa Udroiu and Pat Humphreys were elected to the executive committee.
After Denisa Udroiu had moved away, two new committee members were elected in her place at an extraordinary general meeting on 25 May. These were Simona Drevensek and Nikolai Meinert.
Activities during the year were focused on professional matters rather than travel. The EJN took a strong interest in the controversial Hungarian media law, which widened into a broad and ongoing examination of legislation on media freedom in Europe.
In May, four members took part in celebrations marking the opening of the summer catamaran route to Tallinn. The Helsinki-Tallinn crossing is the world's second busiest ferry connection between cities after Macao-Hong kong.
In contrast with previous years, there was no trip in December to mark Finnish Independence Day.
We were also unable to participate in the October congress of our umbrella organisation, the Association of European Journalists, held in Ordu on the north coast of Turkey. We hope that future AEJ annual congresses will not always be arranged around the theme of tourism.
Activities in 2009
The annual general meeting was held at Hemingway’s Pub near Hietalahti shipyard, Helsinki on 3 March.
Adrian Soto was reappointed President, John Pagni as secretary and Pat Humphreys as treasurer and international secretary. The other committee members were Hector Hernandez, Hee Sook Lee and Denisa Udroiu
The association continued to act as a clearing house for information that members may have missed, in the form of an occasional newsletter. This mainly concerns events at a European level.
In April, a small group travelled to a hotel inauguration in Tallinn, Estonia. These events are a time-honoured way to meet politicians and business leaders there.
In May we visited the Åland Islands, at the invitation of its Tourist Board, travelling by ship from Turku (see the treasurer's blog). Ten members took part. Afterwards most participants continued to Stockholm, where some had interviews to make and others went shopping.
In November three members travelled to Maastricht, Holland for the annual general meeting and congress of the Association of European Journalists.
The EJN's annual Independence Day Party was held in Tartu, Estonia, after a journey there by boat and then train on Friday 4 December. The celebrations on Saturday evening culminated with a musical, the premier of “Kiss of the Spider Woman”, at Vanemuine Theatre. Seventeen members participated.
Activities in 2008
The annual general meeting was held at Hemingway’s Pub near Hietalahti shipyard, Helsinki on Monday 18 February 2008. Adrian Soto was re-elected president, his third term.
Igor Baykov, Hector Hernandez, Pat Humphreys, John Pagni and Denisa Udroiu were elected to the executive committee. Eddy Hawkins and Nikolai Meinert were appointed auditors.
In May the EJN paid a visit to Lithuania. A nine-member group toured the country for four days, staying in the capital Vilnius, the former capital Kaunas, and the port city of Klaipeda. There was an excursion to the Curonian Spit.
Later that month, the Foreign Ministry of Estonia invited us on a fact-finding trip. Five members took part, meeting the top policymakers of the country, including the President, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister.
In August, members were invited by Viking Line to spend a day on the new, fast Viking XPRS, sailing to Tallinn and back.
The association celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2008.
Activities in 2007
The annual general meeting was held at Hemingway’s Pub near Hietalahti shipyard, Helsinki on Monday 26 February 2007. Adrian Soto was re-elected president, his second term.
Igor Baykov, Hector Hernandez, Pat Humphreys, John Pagni and Jeanette Öhman were elected to the executive committee. Eddy Hawkins and Nikolai Meinert were appointed auditors.
The EJN travelled to Latvia on May 17 at the invitation of the Latvian Tourism Development Agency. Places visited during the 3-day tour were Riga, Siguldas, Liepaja, Ventspils and Jurmala.
A press trip to and tour of the island of Saaremaa was held on September 6-9, organized by the Estonian Tourist Board.
The traditional Independence Day Party was held in Tallinn, Estonia on 5 December. By popular request, details of the proceedings have been suppressed
In light of the Network's increasingly active travel programme, new conditions were drawn up to specify the role of the EJN and the responsibilities of participants.
In preparation for the upcoming 40th anniversary, a competition was held for a new EJN logo. It was won by Juanjo Galán of EFE.