WEU Welcomes you to –

Welcome to the “The English Media Group” (EMG), a section of the Workers of England Trade Union which is an inclusive group and represents a broad range of media professionals, striving to improve the pay and conditions of our members and protect and promote media freedom, professionalism and ethical standards.

Our members sign up to protect Free Speech, and in the pursuit of truth leave no stone unturned, reporting on facts and holding those in authority to account on behalf of the people of England.

The UK standard classification code published by the Office of National Statistics lists a series of roles defined as journalistic. These form the single occupational group of “journalist, newspaper and periodical editors” and include:

  • art editor
  • broadcast journalist
  • columnist
  • commentator
  • communications officer
  • copy editor
  • court reporter
  • critic
  • diarist
  • editorial director
  • editor
  • editorial manager
  • feature writer
  • freelance writer
  • journalist
  • listings editor
  • leader writer
  • foreign correspondent
  • newspaper correspondent
  • newspaper editor
  • news editor
  • news writer
  • picture editor
  • political correspondent
  • production editor
  • press representative
  • publications officer
  • radio journalist
  • reporter
  • sub-editor
  • sports writer
  • technical
  • correspondent
  • turf correspondent
  • writer

To Join the English Media Group (EMG) and receive your Press card (valid for 2 years) cost £120.

An electronic copy of your head and shoulders photo is also required.

You must also remain a member of the Workers of England Trade Union for your EMG press card to remain valid.

The English Media Group press card remains the property of the English Media Group at Workers of England Union and can be withdrawn at anytime if the holder fails to comply with the rules of the Workers of England Union, or is no longer a member of the Workers of England Union.

If you are asked by the police for your English Media Group press card you must show it, failing to show the EMG press card when asked is bringing the WEU into disrepute, and your WEU and EMG membership may be revoked.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council documentation states: “Journalists will be expected to carry a UK Press Card or other official record of employment” The EMG cards being an official record of such employment.

National Police Chiefs’ Council – Working with Journalists during COVID-19 outbreak

National Police Chiefs’ Council – Update Working with Journalists during COVID-19 outbreak

How to apply for your English Media Group press card.

  1. Join the Workers of England via the green ‘Join Button’ on this page.
  2. You will receive an email confirmation of your WEU Direct Debit which will contain your WEU Membership Number (begins EDD).
  3. Email a good quality head and shoulders picture, stating your occupation from the list above, and WEU membership number to emg@workersofengland.org
  4. Application fee – you can pay one of three ways, either by Stripe, Paypal, or email our office for BACS transfer details –
    1. Pay £120 application fee via our Stripe account- https://buy.stripe.com/28ocOxdcI3moepadQQ
    2. Pay £120 application fee via our Paypal account – https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/workersofengland
  5. Your English Media Group press card will then normally arrive in 10-15 days.

Re:  The Press Association Limited – v – The Workers of England Union – Case No. IL-2020-000124

The articles currently being circulated are grossly misleading and we have formally requested, with those publications we are aware of, the right of reply and correction.

There was no ruling in court that our Press cards were “Fake”. They are not fake. It was conceded that we have the right to issue Press ID cards.

The Press Association Ltd merely applied to stop us using ‘English Press Association’ as the name of our association of citizen journalists and we agreed to do so and instead to use the name ‘English Media Group’.

The court case was only about the ‘English Press Association’ wording which ‘The Press Association’ believed may be a trade mark infringement with ‘Press Association’ being used, even though other organisations use the same words in their company names. We agreed to change our wording to English Media Group, we had a few options open to us including still using the words ‘Press’ and ‘Association’ as long as the words were not used together.

The new title we have chosen is English Media Group, a name we have used for the past 6 years in other areas, the section of our web site as already been changed to the new name, and the new cards have been ordered with the new wording, the validity of us issuing press cards as an independent trade union and not affiliated to the voluntary UK Press card Authority was not in question.