Fortress Of Freedom Board

[Maurice Ali]

IAIJ To Put Out Another Issue Of The Fortress!


By Maurice Ali, Founder: International Association Of Independent Journalists Inc.



The Fortress, Going head-to-head against a local college newspaper!


The "International Association Of Independent journalist Inc." - a not-for-profit corporation - is pleased to announce that we are going ahead with the spring issue of The Fortress. Based out of York University, the present shut down due to a labor dispute will have no impact on the usual release of our paper in the spring session of the school year.


Maurice Ali

IAIJ turns five in a few weeks and look just how far we have grown. I am presently involved in music production, television production and book publishing. But all those other activities are just entertainment. The issues and organizations I will ultimately be judged by are at IAIJ. My philosophy and voice all come from IAIJ. And when we get screwed around too much in those other media areas, it is IAIJ that we come running back to fix the problem. Truth is that the power of the press is all we have to push back when big business throws it's weight at us. Those same media giants can't criticize IAIJ without criticizing themselves as we are no different from their news departments - more so now that we have the association. We have worked on IAIJ quietly while the other aspects of our organization get the spotlight. However, there has never been one instance of success in the media which did not include the "persuasion" of the paper and IAIJ behind them. Like it or not, IAIJ is making all of this happen! When guests arrive at our offices, almost all make a bee-line to the letters patent in the reception area - and that basically says it all. My life will ultimately be judged by what happens at IAIJ.

This is not a one man operation, far from it. We get government support for our two volunteers: Ainsley Wronski and Samantha Blackwell.



Ainsley Wronski


Ainsley Wronski is the office administrator and Editor of The Fortress. She has been with us for many years and will be for many more years to come.


Samantha Blackwell

Samantha Blackwell is our office assistant and Staff Reporter. She too has been with us for quite some time.


Susan Earps

Finally, there is my dear friend and director Susan Earps. One of the founding members here, Sue is my bouncing board for many of the critical issues we had to resolve. She also runs our London, England office and gives us a more global organization and reach in the world!


Tower Bridge In London, England!

Why do we still produce a paper newspaper? Because the traditional printing press is the only form of news media specifically covered and protected in our constitution. I want there to be "no" question of our ability to avail ourselves of these protections, just the real paper. We still print on fifty pound white paper, our "signature" these days and gives our little paper a class edge on the others. We keep the traditions of the past alive, physical paper and old fashioned distribution to make the statement about what the free press is all about!


Letters Patent For IAIJ!

In the end, the only thing we here have that is truly ours is the paper and journalist association and our protected rights, all the other media entities need participation from broadcasters to make them work. But this is ours and the real jewel in the crown of the four corporations that make this organization work.

So we are now accepting submissions from our members in the usual way through the IAIJ website. We will probably go to press in March so submissions need to be in by the end of February.

Lets get to work and "Long Live The Fortress!"




IAIJ: JOURNALISTS IN ACTION!