Foreign Correspondents' Club

Foreign Correspondents' Club is a group of clubs for foreign correspondents and other journalists. Some clubs are member's only, and some are open to the public.

Hong Kong

The Foreign Correspondents' Club was founded in Chongqing in 1943 and moved to Hong Kong (from Shanghai) in 1949. It is a club for the media, business and diplomatic community. Originally an expansive villa with hotel rooms located on the now-residential 41 Conduit Road, its current residence near Lan Kwai Fong is a much humbler venue, housing a main bar, jazz bar, main restaurant, Chinese restaurant, health club, reading room, and work room.

The FCC is a members-only club with membership claimed to range from the reporters, photographers and radio and television teams, the Chief Executive of the territory and leading figures in the worlds of business and diplomacy - although membership isn't exclusive to those in the media.

When prominent international figures from the worlds of commerce, politics or entertainment visit Hong Kong, many choose to address the FCC's speaker lunches as the best means of reaching their desired audience - both directly and through media coverage of the events.

In 2002 the club launched a charity ball featuring major musical acts that attracts attendees from across Asia. Now an annual event, the ball has raised millions to educate children from the Po Leung Kuk orphanage.

*http://www.fcchk.org/

Cambodia

The Foreign Correspondents' Club in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, is a public bar and restaurant along the Tonle Sap river, not far from the conjunction with the Mekong river. It is often referred to as 'the FCC,' or just simply 'the F.'

The FCC in Phnom Penh is a for-profit restaurant, not a membership club for journalists. Members from reciprocal clubs get a 10% discount on food and drinks.

*http://www.fcccambodia.com/

Thailand

For more than 50 years, the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand, located in Bangkok, has played a vanguard role as Southeast Asia's most active press club. The Club is not just for foreign correspondents. More than 800 members include many journalists, business leaders, diplomats, NGO workers, and retirees. The club advocates press freedom as a cornerstone of civil society in emerging democracies and is a vital venue for an open exchange of information. Speakers range from heads of state to local activists to international advocates, many of whom address issues that might not get a full hearing without the Club's support.

With the fast-changing political scene in Thailand, the news-makers appear in person, along with some of the leading political analysts in Thailand. Almost all Thailand Prime Ministers since the early 1980's have addressed the FCCT. Also, many FCCT programs cover the region and the rest of the world. International news-makers who have spoken at the FCCT include Hans Blix, former United Nations Chief Weapons Inspector for Iraq, Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s former deputy prime minister and minister of finance, Rupert Everett, actor and activist, The Rev. Jesse Jackson, former US Presidential candidate, Tom Ridge, former Director of the U.S. Homeland Security Department, and His Holiness The Dalai Lama.

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand hosts a wide variety of events:
- local and international speakers on events in the news
- contemporary world cinema and documentary screenings
- photo and art exhibits
- press conferences
- book launches
- embassy nights
- Friday night live jazz

The facilities of the FCCT are:
- An excellent location in central Bangkok. The Maneeya Center is connected by Skybridge to the Chit Lom BTS Skytrain station.
- A comfortable old-style bar, where members can relax, network with political, business and cultural leaders, and discuss the news events of the day. An outside balcony area with a stunning view of central Bangkok.
- A fully staffed kitchen preparing authentic Thai and Western meals, appetizers and snacks during lunch and dinner hours. A full bar and meal menu available during opening hours.

*http://www.fccthai.com/

hanghai

*http://www.fccsh.org/

Taipei

*http://www.taipeifcc.org/

Beijing

Jakarta

The Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club (JFCC) is a non-profit organization for international journalists in Indonesia. The group regularly hosts luncheons with key news makers in Indonesia and topical panel discussions. Membership is open to non-journalists.

*http://www.jfcc.info/jfcc.php?id=0000

Japan

The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (FCCJ) was started in 1945 to provide infrastructure for foreign journalists working in Post-World War II Japan. Historically, the Club has been located in the area around the Ginza.

Today, the club offers a workroom facility, a library, a restaurant, a bar, and a steady stream of local and international speakers and panels.

It is a member's club but visiting correspondents are eligible for a 30-day membership. Long standing members are affectionately referred to within the club as "squirrels"; hence, the Club itself is "Squirrel Corner".

*http://www.fccj.or.jp/

ingapore

The Foreign Correspondents Association (Singapore) is a foreign journalist organization. Founded in 1956, it is not associated with the Foreign Correspondents' Clubs.

*http://www.fcasingapore.com/

New Delhi

*http://www.fccsouthasia.net/

ee also

*Overseas Press Club