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Press card for press officers and PR professionals

Press officers and PR professionals can only get the FJA press card if they also produce journalistic content – for example as editors of an independent magazine or as freelance writers on the side. Corporate communications work on its own is not journalism, so a press card would be misleading.

This page explains where the line runs, what press officers need instead of a press card, and how communications professionals can work well with journalists who carry one.

Check the requirements Who the card is for

At a glance

Press officer only: Not eligible – use your employer ID and business card
Press officer and journalist: Eligible for the journalistic part of your work
Corporate magazine editor: Case by case – editorial independence is decisive
Age: 18 or over

Why a press card does not fit pure PR work

A press card tells others: this person is here to report, independently.

Organisers, police and interviewees treat journalists differently from company representatives because journalists report independently for the public. A press officer represents an organisation’s interests. Using a press card in that role would blur the difference and could mislead people into speaking more freely than they would to a company representative. The IPSO Editors’ Code warns against misrepresentation and subterfuge, and the CIPR Code of Conduct asks its members to be honest, clear and straightforward and to manage conflicts of interest. For both reasons, we do not issue cards for pure communications roles.

Where press officers can qualify

Some communications professionals also work as journalists.

Side-line journalism

You publish journalism regularly outside your PR job – for a newspaper, magazine, blog or podcast. You can apply for that work. See part-time journalists.

Independent publications

You edit a publication with genuine editorial independence, such as a trade magazine read by a wider audience. We assess this case by case.

Former journalists in PR

If you still freelance as a journalist, you can apply for that work – but keep both roles strictly separate.

What press officers need instead

Tools that identify you correctly.

Your employer’s staff ID and business card
An organiser’s staff or exhibitor pass at events
Membership of a professional body such as the CIPR or PRCA if you want a professional credential

A clear media contact page on your organisation’s website
A process for checking journalists’ credentials – including verification of FJA cards by QR code
Accreditation rules that you publish in advance

Working with journalists who carry press cards

Advice for press offices handling accreditation.

There are many different press cards. The UK Press Card is issued through UKPCA gatekeepers and can be checked via the UKPCA verification hotline; association cards such as ours can be checked by QR code. No card replaces your own judgement: ask which outlet the journalist is working for, request a commission or recent links, and set clear criteria that apply to everyone. See press card at press conferences and press accreditation for the journalist’s perspective.

Grey areas: when communication work becomes journalism

Many communication jobs include some journalistic work. These examples show where we draw the line.

Situation	Press card?	Why
Press officer writing releases for an employer	No	The work promotes the organisation; it is not independent reporting
Editor of an internal staff magazine	Usually no	Content serves the employer, unless it also reports critically and independently
Comms officer who also writes freelance articles for newspapers	Yes, for the freelance work	The card may only be used for the independent journalistic work
Editor of an independent trade magazine published by an association	Possibly	Depends on editorial independence and whether the magazine reports beyond the association’s own interests
Former journalist now working in PR full time	No	Previous journalistic work does not count once it has stopped

If your role mixes PR and journalism, tell us about both in your application. We decide case by case.

Avoiding conflicts of interest

If you work in communications and also write as a journalist, keep the two roles visibly apart.

Do not report on your employer, its clients or its competitors as a journalist.
Tell editors who commission you about your communications role before they accept a piece.
Never use the press card when you are working for your employer – for example at events where you represent the organisation.
Keep separate email signatures, phone numbers and social media profiles for both roles where possible.
If a story touches both worlds, decline it or hand it to a colleague.

Professional bodies for communicators also have codes of conduct. For journalism, our page on journalism ethics summarises the main UK codes.

Frequently asked questions

Can a press officer get a press card?

Only for genuine journalistic work outside their communications role. Pure PR or corporate communications does not qualify for the FJA press card.

Is a press officer a journalist?

Not in the sense of press cards. Press officers represent an organisation; journalists report independently for the public.

How can press officers verify a journalist?

Ask for the outlet and a commission, check recent bylines, and verify the press card – UK Press Cards via the UKPCA hotline, FJA cards via QR code.

Can a company magazine editor get a press card?

We assess this case by case. Editorial independence and a wider readership are decisive.

What professional credential exists for PR people?

Professional bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) offer membership and codes of conduct for communications professionals.

Can I use a press card to attend competitors

No. Using a press card for commercial or competitive intelligence would breach our usage guidelines and could mislead organisers.

Can a press office give its staff press cards?

Not from us. The FJA card is issued to individual journalists for their own journalistic work, never to organisations for communications staff. Press offices identify their staff with company ID or event lanyards.

I am moving from PR into journalism – when can I apply?

As soon as you publish journalistic work regularly, for example as a freelancer. Include links to your recent articles. Your earlier PR work is no obstacle, but it does not count as journalistic experience.

Can I use a press card to attend events on behalf of my employer?

No. When you represent an organisation, you attend as its representative, not as press. Use the organiser’s registration for exhibitors, partners or guests instead. Using a press card in that situation would mislead the organiser.

Do corporate bloggers or brand journalists qualify?

Only if the content is editorially independent and reports beyond the company’s own interests. Content marketing – even when it is written in a journalistic style – does not qualify, because its purpose is to promote the brand.

Sources and last review

Last reviewed: October 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.