Freelance Council

Freelance Council

Freelance Council is the National Union of Journalists body responsible for policy and activity on matters of concern to freelance members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Council also co-ordinates services and publications for all freelance members of the Union, including:

* NUJ Freelance Directory - www.freelancedirectory.org
* Freelance Fees Guide
* The Rate for the Job (from London Freelance Branch)
* The Freelance (from London Freelance Branch)
* Freelance Manifesto
* Copyright guidelines for commissioning editors
* Code of Practice on engaging freelances
* Confirmation of Commission form
A Right to Report?

Round-up of news on the right to report and safety

For details of a Model Claim for freelance terms in House Agreements, contact the Freelance Office at Head Office.

Under UK copyright law, journalists employed as staff have no rights in their work. It therefore falls to Freelance Council to deal with a significant part of the NUJ's copyright campaigning - including the campaign for our staff colleagues to have rights, as staff journalists in joined-up Europe and most of the rest of the world do. This includes support for:

* Battling for Copyright - book published through the Council
* About the Creators' Rights Alliance

Until 2025 this body was known as “Freelance Industrial Council” (FIC). In the beginning, the NUJ formed “Industrial Councils” for the newspaper industry and the magazine and book industries. When it came to the time to set up a body for freelance policy, the easiest way to do it was to amend the amendment that established the newspaper and magazine industrial councils. So it's due to evolution, which is always a bit random.

Members of Freekance Council are elected by freelance members of the NUJ in each region.

* Freelance Council members