Article 1 – Preamble
1.1. DistriPress is a community of companies, non-profit organisations and individuals of repute, engaged in the national and international circulation of publications (newspapers, magazines, periodicals, bookazines, paperback books etc.) in print and digital formats. DistriPress became a community within WAN-IFRA in 2024.
1.2. The Community will be served by the DistriPress Advisory Board. The DAB actively influences the planning and execution of the activities of the DistriPress Community and advises the WAN-IFRA Supervisory Board and management on such matters.
1.3. The DistriPress Community objective is:
- To assist in promoting press freedom worldwide, with special regard to freedom of press circulation, and to support UNESCO in promoting the free flow of ideas.
- To offer a regular platform for members in the form of a website, congresses, events and reports in order to facilitate the co-operation and the exchange of information and ideas from the national and international press industry.
- To represent impartially the activities and interests connected with the circulation of newspapers, magazines, periodicals, bookazines and paperbacks across all platforms.
- To further the development of fair and efficient trade in press circulation.
1.4. The Committee is regulated by the guidelines hereinafter, subject to their full respect of the Statutes of WAN-IFRA.
Article 2 – Board Meetings
2.1 The DistriPress Advisory Board meets at least four times a year, at least once in person, at the annual DistriPress Congress.
2.2 Additional meetings can be organized at the initiative of the President of the Board or following the request of more than 50% of the Board members, either in person or through conference call.
2.3 The WAN-IFRA CEO and COO are always invited to the Board meetings.
Article 3 – Election and Leadership of the Board
3.1 A DistriPress Advisory Board shall be created, the members of which are selected by the DistriPress Community.
3.2 The body will be composed of a maximum of nine DistriPress Members with renewable mandates of two years and shall oversee DistriPress activities. Candidates will stand for election to the DistriPress Advisory Board and the membership will vote online for their preferred candidates.
3.3 All elected members of the Distripress Advisory Board shall act in an honorary capacity and receive no remuneration.
3.4 The mechanics of the voting process will be a matter for the Board.
3.5 The initial composition of the Board at the start of the two-year term shall, in principle, contain the following minimum representation from each of the three categories of members:
- Four members belonging to companies described as Distributors/Retail Chain Operators;
- Two members belonging to companies described as Publishers;
- One member belonging to companies described as Ancillary Service Providers.
3.6 The remaining members can come from any of the three categories of eligible membership.
3.7 As the Community changes, the responsibility for ensuring that the composition of the Board fairly reflects the make-up of the membership will lie with the Board. The Board can adjust these minimum requirements.
3.8 The Board members elect from amongst them the President and the Vice-President for a term of two years. In the President’s absence, he/she is replaced by the Vice-President. The Board will appoint replacements as required to the Presidency and Vice Presidency. Successful candidates for the position of both President and Vice President are limited to a maximum of two terms in office.
3.9 Every two years the Board will select one representative (typically the President of the DistriPress Advisory Board) to serve on the WAN-IFRA Executive Board and two representatives on the WAN-IFRA Supervisory Board (typically the President and Vice President of the DistriPress Advisory Board). The representatives will be formally elected by the WAN-IFRA General Assembly.
3.10 Persons elected to the Board shall withdraw if they leave their company, or their company resigns its membership of DistriPress/ WAN-IFRA.
Article 4 – Relations with other WAN-IFRA bodies
4.1 The Board receives copies of all communications addressed to WAN-IFRA Committee members regarding documents that will be discussed in the Board meetings.
4.2 All members of the Board can attend the WAN-IFRA Committee meetings in observatory capacity.
4.3 The President of the Board is an automatic voting member of WAN-IFRA Committee and Executive Committee.
4.4 The President conveys to the WAN-IFRA Committee and Executive Committee the recommendations of the DistriPress Advisory Board on the items to be discussed in the respective agendas. After participation in these meetings, the President reports to the Board on the outcome by email.
Article 5 – DistriPress Advisory Board Activity
5.1 DistriPress should be the global forum in which international distribution issues are discussed.
5.2 The DistriPress Advisory Board discusses the topics and modalities of the DistriPress Community’s strategic activities, in accordance with the resources allocated for this activity in the budget, and advises the WAN-IFRA Supervisory and Executive Boards with whom decisions rest.
5.3 When a topic is established for DistriPress activity, the DistriPress Advisory Board nominates working groups comprising one or more Board members who are experts in the subject. The working groups guide, contribute and support the Board activity on their assigned topic.
Article 6 – Modifications to the Guidelines
6.1 DistriPress Advisory Board members can propose to the President modifications to the Guidelines ahead of any Board meeting.
6.2 Modifications that are approved by a majority of Board members present at a Board meeting take immediate effect, provided that the proposal was included in the agenda sent to all Board members in advance of the meeting.
APPENDIX 1
Definitions of Membership
There are two categories of membership in DistriPress:
- Regular Members;
- Subsidiary, Individual, Small Business, or Associate Members
1. Regular Members
Regular membership is open to companies with commercial activities in the circulation of newspapers, magazines, periodicals, bookazines and paperback books, in one of the following sectors:
a. Publishing – Members of this category are companies responsible for the creation of publishing content for newspapers, magazines, periodicals, bookazines and paperback books.
b. Distribution and Retailing – Members of this category are companies engaged in the distribution and sale of published content. This activity can include, but is not limited to, importing, exporting, national and international distribution and wholesaling, retailing and local digital platform production and distribution.
c. Ancillary Service Providers – Members in this category are companies which provide essential and/or complementary products and services to any of the other two regular member categories which assist in the fulfilment of publishing and circulation objectives. This category can include, but is not limited to, printers, media transportation (freight) industry consultancy companies and vendors of hardware and software to the publishing industry.
Candidates actively engaged in more than one of the categories as defined above, shall apply in the category of their principal activity and shall supply proof of such.
2. Subsidiary, Individual, Small Business, or Associate Members
a. Individual Members – Individual membership is available to a person who is engaged in the field of press distribution.
b. Affiliate Organisations – Affiliate membership in DistriPress is available to international, national and regional non-profit organisations and associations of the press industry that support freedom of opinion and speech. Membership in this category is available through invitation by the DistriPress Advisory Board.
APPENDIX 2
Qualifications for Membership
Applications for membership of DistriPress are submitted, on the authorized application form, to the DistriPress Executive Director. Each application is formally accepted by the DistriPress Executive Director. In case of doubt, the Director should refer the application to the DistriPress Advisory Board. In such cases, the Board makes the final decision on each application at the following Board meeting.
Publication date: 05 July 2024.