The qualifications of members and the manner of their admission are and shall be as follows:
Section 3.1 Present members of the Association shall continue to be members, in the respective classes in which they now fall, for so long as, but only for so long as, they meet the qualifications established in these Bylaws and pay the dues required to maintain such membership.
Section 3.2 Membership in the Association shall be divided into five principal classes: Active, Life, Affiliate, Associate, and Honorary, the qualifications of which are listed below. Active and Life members shall be voting members. Affiliate, Associate and Honorary members shall be non-voting members of the Association. The Board of Directors has the power to determine, in its discretion, whether an applicant meets the qualifications.
Section 3.3 – Voting Membership
3.3.1- Active members
A corporation or other legal entity that publishes a printed newspaper or news publication that: Bears a title or name; Reports local, general news and or editorial comment not less than an annual average of 25 percent of the publication’s content of announcements, miscellaneous reading matter, commercial advertising and classified advertising; Is at least four or more standard newspaper-size (or 8 or more tabloid-size) pages per publication; Is circulated and distributed from an established commercial place of business within the state of Florida to subscribers or readers; Is published at least once per week; Is for general circulation and distribution without regard to business, trade, profession or class; Has been continuously published for a minimum of one year; Follows professionally defined and accepted ethics and standards of journalism; Is distributed free or paid, subject to annual publication verification and submission to the Association of accurate circulation figures or is eligible to print legal advertising or other legal notices and meets page size, content percentage and distribution requirements as indicated above. Applicants must submit a current circulation audit performed by a nationally accepted auditing firm (such as the Audit Bureau of Circulations), or a copy of the most recent USPS Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation, or provide notarized statements from the firm printing the applicant’s newspaper, stating the newspaper’s average press run of the past three months.
3.3.2 – Life Membership
Life Membership may be awarded only to current or former employees of Active members of this Association who have performed some exceptionally meritorious service to the Press of Florida or the Association, or who have brought honor and distinction to themselves or to the newspaper profession. To be eligible for Life membership a person must have served at least 15 years as editor, publisher or manager of an Active member or have rendered at least 15 years service as an officer of the Association, and must have reached the age of 60 years. Life Membership is the highest recognition that the Association can confer and carries with it a lifetime individual membership, with all privileges, including the right to vote, but with no dues charged. Life Members shall be nominated and elected in the same manner as Honorary members. 3.3.3 The rights and privileges of the various classes of members are: Each Active Member, recorded in the name of the qualified newspaper and each Life Member shall cast votes in the meetings and activities of the Association through its owner, publisher, editor or any other person actively engaged in its business and designated in writing by such member. Active membership shall be continuous from year to year unless notice to discontinue such membership is given in writing by the member to the Secretary of the corporation, and except that active membership shall terminate when an Active Member fails to meet the requirements for active membership, such termination to be determined by the Board of Directors in its discretion.
Section 3.4 – Non-voting membership
The following entities shall be eligible to apply for Membership in the Association, but shall not be eligible to vote or to become a Director or an Officer of the Association.
3.4.1 Affiliate Members – Print
The same qualifications as for Active members except that Affiliate members have not met the requirement of one year of continuous publication. Affiliate members shall e converted to Active members after completing one year of continuous publication, provided that they meet all of the qualifications of Active membership. Affiliate members shall be entitled to all privileges of the Association except participation in official business, voting and holding office. Nothing herein contained shall exclude an Affiliate member from holding an office for which Active membership is not required, provided that such Affiliate member is duly elected or appointed to such office.
3.4.15 Affiliate members – Online
The same qualifications as for Associate members – online, except that Affiliate members have not met the requirement of one year of continuous publication. Affiliate members shall be converted to Associate members – online, after completing one year of continuous publication, provided that they meet all of the qualifications of Associate membership – online. Affiliate members shall be entitled to all privileges of the Association except participation in official business, voting and holding office. Nothing herein contained shall exclude an Affiliate member from holding an office for which Associate membership – online, is not required, provided that such Affiliate member is duly elected or appointed to such office.
3.4.2 Associate Membership
may, in the discretion of the Board of Directors, be extended to the following persons or organizations in the following categories, provided in each case that the prospective Associate member is closely and directly allied to the newspaper industry: a) an authorized representative of trade journals, news publications other than newspapers, firms engaged in the sale or distribution of newspaper services or supplies; b) salespersons working for such firms; c) advertising agencies and bona fide public relations firms and their employees when such advertising agencies or public relations firms represents more than one client; d) teachers of journalism in regionally accredited schools and colleges; e) individual persons working for an Active member, or f) former editors and publishers. Associate members shall be entitled to all social privileges of the Association but are not entitled to participate in the official business, discussions, voting, or the holding of office by reason of their Associate membership. Nothing herein contained shall exclude an Associate member from holding an office for which Active membership is not required, provided that such Associate member is duly elected or appointed to such office.
3.4.3 Associate membership – Online
In the discretion of the Board of Directors, associate membership status may be extended to a corporation or other legal entity that publishes an online news delivery service that meets the following requirements: i. bears a title or name and is available to the general public, either paid or unpaid, via the World Wide Web; ii. principally reports local, general news and/or editorial comment not less than an annual average of 25 percent of the entity’s content of announcements, miscellaneous reading matter, commercial and classified advertising; iii. content is created from an established commercial place of business within the state of Florida to subscribers or readers; iv. news, editorial and advertising content updated at least twice-weekly with core content residing on a server or website (links to other web content may be included); v. follows professionally defined and accepted ethics and standards of journalism; vi. must not serve primarily as a platform to promote the interest and/or opinions of a special interest group, individual or cause; vii. must have been continuously published for a minimum of one year; viii. and fully completes the FPA application process, including a Notice of Application published in two consecutive editions of the organization’s e-bulletin.
3.4.4 Associate member privileges: Associate members shall be entitled to all social privileges of the Association but are not entitled to participate in the official business, discussions, voting, or the holding of office by reason of their Associate membership. Associate members shall be entitled to services provided by the FPA Legal Hotline. Nothing herein contained shall exclude an Associate member from holding an office for which Active membership is not required, provided that such Associate member is duly elected or appointed to such office.
3.4.5 Honorary Membership in the Association may be awarded to newspaper men and women and other citizens who have performed distinguished service for the Press of Florida or for the Association, upon approval by the Board of Directors. Honorary members shall be entitled to all privileges of the Association except participation in official business, voting and holding office. Nothing herein contained shall exclude an Honorary member from holding an office for which Active membership is not required, provided that such Honorary member is duly elected or appointed to such office.
Section 3.5 – Termination/Rights and Privileges
Any membership may be terminated without the assignment of cause, by a majority vote of the Board present and voting at any duly convened meeting of the Board, provided that written notice of the intention to consider removal of such member has been included in the notice of the meeting. A member shall not be removed without having the opportunity to be heard at such meeting, but a formal hearing procedure need not be followed. A member has no vested or transferable right, interest, or privilege in or to the assets, functions, affairs or franchises of the Association, so long as that person is given opportunity to be heard, if his or her membership is terminated against his or her will.
Additional Membership Information
For additional membership information, contact Karen Tower at ktower@flpress.com or call 321-282-5345