The association encourages the creation of national chapters to whom the name “Media Watch Global” will be granted. Three types of members must compose national chapters in equal parts:

1 – professional journalists, active or retired, of any type of media (written, audio, image, internet) or legal body that represents them (unions or associations);
2 – academics or researchers of all disciplines, in particular those specialized in media, information and communication, as well as any legal body that represents them;
3 – media users: legal body (association of readers, radio listeners and viewers) physical persons: intellectuals, creators and in general, renowned personalities for their ethics. All interested citizens will be invited to join national chapters.

By no means, national chapters may be subject to political or commercial pressure, they must be totally independent and their endeavour is to guarantee pluralist, free and fair information.

Guidelines for setting up local chapters of MWG

1 – The local chapter will present a plan for the first year of activities, indicating which media will be supervised in order to illustrate its committed.

2 – Submit the plan to the Board of Directors of MWG, at boardofdirectors@mwglobal.org, prior to their annual meetings so they can analyse requests and decide should the name and recognition of Media Watch Global be granted. The local chapter will have the name of the country plus Media Watch (French Media Watch). Recognition is a prerogative of MWG.

3 – MWG will provide academic content analysis which local chapters engage in implementing to ensure that all researching activities around the world follow the same scientific pattern. Any adjustments to local needs must be authorized by MWG, subject to sanction of the recognition of local chapters. MWG is engaged to perform media analysis with scientific rigour so that it cannot be criticized as superficial or biased, and to defend the interest of citizens, users of media, in an unquestionable manner.

4 - Local chapters engage to submit at the end of the fiscal year a detailed report of the activities carried out as well as a financial report to ascertain that local chapters perform in a transparent and legitimate way, without receiving commercial or political support, which could bias its independence and professionalism. Lack of submission of these reports or evidence that the chapter’s autonomy is not subject to any pressure will cause the withdrawal of the acknowledgement of Media Watch Global and legal action against the use of the name.

5 – The local chapter accepts that members of MWG Board of Directors, or individuals by them designated, participate to the meetings of the local Board to strengthen relations between MWG and national chapters.

6 – The local chapter accepts that fund-raising initiatives may not at any moment undermine MWG activities in the same field, should doubts arise, it is the local chapter’s duty to consult MWG to avoid possible conflict or competition.