The All-China Journalists Association (ACJA) (), previously known as the 'Chinese Young Journalist Association', was established in Shanghai on November 8, 1937. November 8 now marks 'National Journalists Day' in China. The society was established by Chinese wartime reporter Fan Changjiang and later organized and sponsored by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). On September 15, 1949, the All China Journalist Association became the first Chinese media association to be formally recognized by, and integrated into, the International Federation of Journalists. Membership in the association is required for all professional journalists in China as overseen by the Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party. There are over 217 rural and industrial member organisations in the association, encompassing over 1 million individuals in the media industry in China. The All-China Journalists Association is also a member of the Belt and Road News Network, assisting in the network's establishment in 2017. History Founding members Fan Changjiang Fan Changjiang's career in journalism gained domestic notoriety in China during the Sino-Japanese war, attributed to his work as a war correspondent in regional China. During this period, he made observations of poverty in rural China in his book ‘The Northwest Corner of China’ (Zhongguo de Xibei Jiao), espousing his melancholy to see "bare-footed children…bound-footed women…plodding along’ on the “Refugee Trail". Fan Changjiang promoted engagement with, and development of, the journalistic profession in rural communities to increase the visibility of minority groups and their diverse experiences during the war and under the existing government. Changjiang became disillusioned with the Nationalist government during the Sino-Japanese war attributed to their perceived disregard for rural communities, and later aligned himself with the CCP. The Chinese journalist strongly advocated for transforming media practices in China, esteeming objective, factual reporting compared to commentarial pieces in inaccessible language created by his predecessors. Fan Changjiang launched the All-China Journalist Association to manifest this ideological shift, creating an organisation where techniques, styles and good reporting practices could be monitored and imparted upon reporters from localities across China and amongst China's various ethnic groups. Fan Changjiang also participated in opening the ‘Reporters Hostel’ to create a physical location where reporters could collectively gather and share practices and develop ideas. In honour of Fan Changjiang's contribution to the development of journalism and reporting in China, the All-China Journalist Association established the ‘Fan Changjiang Journalist Award’, the most prestigious journalist award in the nation. Organisation Structure Executive Appointment