Exactly 90 years ago, a death led to the foundation of the first journalist organization in Greece, the Journalistic Union of Athens Daily Newspapers.
In September of 1914 Athenian journalists were returning from the funeral of one of their colleagues, who had passed away in a room at a cheap hotel in Monastiraki.
The funeral was delayed so that the colleagues of the deceased could collect contributions for the burial expenses.
After the funeral, the Athenian journalists signed an improvised protocol, for the establishment of the union that would claim their vocational rights. The protocol was signed by significant members of the Greek journalist society and authors.
Three months later on December 14, 1914 Athenian journalists who had signed the improvised protocol gathered at the hall of the «Society of Friends for the People» and the foundation of the vocational union was decided and given the title «Journalist Union».
 Parallel to this, the foundation of   «The Treasury of Mutual Aide» was decided and entrusted to a committee for «the drawing up and submitting the constitution for the establishment of the vocational union and the organization of the Treasury of Mutual Aide».
 One month later,  Ioannis Kondilakis , who wrote the column for the newspaper «Embros» under the pseudonym «Diavatis», was elected as first president of the «Journalist Union».
In the years that passed the «Journalist Union», which in 1947 was renamed «The Journalist Union of Daily Athens Newspapers» (ESIEA), pioneered in all struggles.
The Union’s significant actions during our country's four year occupation by the Axis forces must be stated.
It was the most tragic period of Greek modern history and the roll that the Union had to play was of utmost importance, since the journalist world had an ongoing resistance against the conquerors.
Parallel to this, the activity of the Union escalated during the Occupation with the Resisting Press, who aside from its political placement would inform and educate the Greek people uplifting the spirit of resistance against the enemy.
Every honor belongs to theses patriots, the editors, the printers and distributors who overlooked great dangers and wrote the epic of the Resistance Press.
During the seven year colonel dictatorship (1967-1974) many journalists who were fighting against them and resisted were imprisoned and exiled while defending freedom and democracy.
Today ESIEA has 3.810 members and is a regular member of the Pan-Hellenic Federation of Journalist Unions (POESI), of the European Federation of Journalists and of the International Federation of Journalists, which represents more than 500.000 journalists who live and work in 110 countries.

The aims of ESIEA which are stated on the constitution of 1979 and are still valid today, are:

 A) The decisive protection, with all legal contesting means, of the liberty of the press, with the intention of insuring the complete information for the citizens by Press, Radio, Television by the publishing and reporting of all news, putting aside all expedience and self interest.

 B) The protection, promotion and ensuring of moral, economic, vocational and insurance interests of its members.
 C) Keeping dismissals under control and monitoring employment, for the implementation of contracts and private agreements and law orders.
 D) Providing for the improvement and elevation of the educational and vocational level of their members.
 E) The spiritual cultivation for mutual support among colleagues.

  RULES OF ETHICS OF THE JOURNALISM PROFESSION  

 In 1998 ESIEA voted the Deontological Principles that govern the journalistic profession. The prelude of the Code of Deontology states the following: 
The goals of the Professional Moral and Social Responsibility Code for members of the ESIEA are: 
To confirm and insure the social role of journalists in the new conditions incurring by the gigantism, the oligopoly in the proprietary regime, the increased range and influence of the media and the globalization of communication. 
To discourage and resist every attempt of the state or other influences with the self defined rules of reliable professional functioning. 
To secure the freedom of information and expression, the autonomy and dignity of the journalist and to ensure freedom of the press for the good of democracy and society. 

Athens April 30, 2004