About SMC

Sports Media Canada is the Canadian chapter of A.I.P.S. A.I.P.S. is the acronym for Association Internationale de la Presse Sportive. It is known in English as the International Sports Press Association and has chapters in 130 countries, one of which is Canada. There are some 10,000 card-carrying members world wide — among them the most influential sports journalists in the member countries.
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The A.I.P.S. card is the most respected journalist’s credential in sport and while it does not guarantee accreditation to any individual event, it is a sure step towards it. The most influential and significant sports federations in the world recognize the card for accreditation purposes including the IOC, IAAF (track and field), FIFA (soccer), FINA (swimming and diving) and many more.

A.I.P.S. is the only world-wide organization for the international sports media. It is a non-profit body, founded in 1924. As well as serving as a conduit and unifying organism for the international sports media, sports organizations and sponsors through organizing joint meetings, seminars and presence at major sports events, A.I.P.S. serves sport and its journalists in many ways. It organizes contests and exhibition platforms for the best work of photographers and writers; produces a number of publications; has established “Specialist Commissions” for all Olympic sports and most others which calls upon the expertise of the most respected expert journalists in these sports for advice and consultation.

Though a small nation by comparison to many of the A.I.P.S. members, Canada is a highly-regarded, active participant in the affairs of the Association and has hosted the Annual International Congress three times in recent years. Sports Media Canada also works to expand ways to serve the sports journalist profession in Canada. Examples include a technical committee which inspects and evaluates media facilities at events and works with event organizers, leagues and teams to improve them and, thus, the coverage of sport; an annual student bursary program offering incentive for increasing involvement in sports journalism in post-secondary educational institutions; and the annual Achievement Awards and Honour Roll designations.

Sports Media Canada is growing in significance and importance with sports journalists in this country. It has only been in the past decade that our traditional isolation from international sport has been eroded by greater participation by foreign athletes in north american sports, teams and events and by Canadian teams traveling abroad and enjoying greater success.

Full membership is inexpensive and open to any professional sports journalist in Canada working in print, radio, TV or photography.