The Empire Press Union was founded by Harry Brittain in 1909, it became the Commonwealth Press Union in 1950. Members are newspapers of which there are currently over 700 from 50 countries in membership. These are represented by their proprietors, senior executives and editors. The Union's aim is to uphold the ideas and values of the Commonwealth and to promote, through the Press, understanding and goodwill among its members; to defend Press freedom; to support the interests of publishing bodies and individuals; to maintain a comprehensive training programme; to work forimproved facilities for reporting and transmitting news. The CPU provides training and defendsthe freedom of the Press. It organises training courses, seminars, workshops, exchanges and three fellowships: Harry Brittain fellowship, Gordon Fisher fellowship and the CPU fellowship in international journalism. Conferences are held every two years. It vigorously defends press freedom, making use of its close links with governments and also with other established Commonwealth bodies, with the shared aims including the pursuit of better education and the protection of human rights. It monitors and opposes all measures and proposals likely to affect the freedom of the press in any part of the Commonwealth.
From the guide to the Commonwealth Press Union, 1909-1998, (Institute of Commonwealth Studies)
