Definitions
Syrian media organization: refers to any media organization that produces content mostly focused on Syria and related issues and mostly targets Syrian audiences whether inside or outside Syria. Also, it should be emphasized that the founder/publisher of the media organization is a Syrian citizen and he is also willing to announce that publicly if needed.
Content of the press: refers to any content, picture, voice recording, video, data, or animation related to exclusive news. This includes reporting, analyses, documentary content, social media content, and others. It also includes content dedicated to sarcastic political criticism.
Independent media organization: regarding all operations and organizational structures, including editing policy, that depends on and reflects fair, ethical and transparent press free from commercial or political interests.
Membership requirements
Every independent Syrian media organization of news content (as per the definitions of the previous item) has the right to be a member in ESCM if the following conditions are met:
1- Being a Syrian media organization.
2- Possess accredited name and logo and active website and e-mail owned by the organization not a personal one.
3- Possess a profile that indicates the vision and strategic objectives of the organization including all its routes and platforms.
4- Possess a separate news content which means producing and publishing its news media content, as it should be 50% of its production of news content at least.
Large Syrian media group organizations are exempted from this condition (which includes more than 50 members working in independent Syrian media organizations) which adopt the ethical charter within its culture in clear, and announced way compelling to its members.
5- he organization has to be established for more than a year (since started to produce news content). The organization must also submit samples of its content and press output in the form of text from printing platforms, internet, videos, or voice recordings in case the sample was taken from broadcasting platforms or multimedia.
6- The organization is continuously working, producing, and publishing news.
7- The organization is not affiliated to/apart from any military, political, or religious body and not to reflect any views of anybody.
8- The organization has to provide a proof of independence from any commercial, political, religious, or military body. Review attachment no. 2.
9- The organization must have a clear administrative structure for the executive section and the board of directors that governs the organization. Those schemes must contain three names at least: founder and/or publisher, the president of the board of directors, and chief editor. In case the organization does not want to submit its hierarchy, it must submit a list of all decision-makers regarding editing decisions within the executive section.
10- All editorial decision-makers within the executive section of the organization clarify the details of any affiliation to organization or body or organization that contradicts with ESCM principles. All the members of the editorial section must be working for the media organization and has not any clear or implied relations with religious, military, political, or commercial organizations.
11- The organization has to submit a statement on behalf of the founder/publisher and all the members of the board of directors indicating their level of participation in the daily editorial work of the organization in detail. In case any of them has an editorial role, the organization must state any affiliation to an organization or body that contradicts with ESCM principles.
12- The organization must have a specific editorial policy. It is expected that independent media organizations follow an independent editorial policy free form any interest or affiliation to the founder/ publisher that might contradict with ESCM principles.
13- The independent media organizations must also provide clear evidence of separation between advertisements and paid content on one hand and news content on the other hand.
14- The organization has to submit a membership application to ESCM including signed charter and commitment to abide by its items via the general director or executive director, or chief editor. The application must contain the signature of the owner or the founder who continues implementation if any, in addition to the members of the board of directors who have an editorial role.
15- The organization has to hire a public officer communicating with ESCM. This officer will be responsible constantly for communicating with the executive administration of ESCM if necessary regarding any cases that may arise.
Multi-platform or media outlets organizations
In case any organization submitting for the membership possess media platforms, it must meet membership qualifications previously mentioned. Those platforms must abide by the same editorial policy and must seek effectively to make all its platforms work within ESCM principles, as this will be considered a collective request. All these platforms will be considered signatories to ESCM when offered the membership, however, it will be treated as one organization in ESCM.
In case any of multi-platform organization grants editorial and administrative independency for individual platforms, it falls to every independence platform to apply for independent membership. In this case, every platform will be treated separately.
Supporting non-members
In case any organization fails to submit any of the previously mentioned documents, ESCM will offer assistance and support for these organizations as a part of its role. This support aims at ensuring an independent Syrian media scene and facilitating assistance programs via peers, as this would provide needed assistance to the applicant.
Membership types
Full membership: includes all organizations that meet all membership requirements and their membership was accepted by the board of directors of ESCM officially.
Supportive membership: includes the organizations that meet all membership requirements except for the condition of news content as it works in media and its outputs align with or related to journalism or news content, but not necessarily produce news content and do not fall within the exempted group like for example, verifying acknowledged news websites and civil society media platforms who offers journalistic media services. The board of directors will accept those organizations as supportive members of ESCM.
