Journalist course. Publicist

The freelance journalist is a figure envisaged in Italy by the law establishing the Order of Journalists, which identifies "those who carry out journalistic activities that are not occasional and paid even if they exercise other professions or jobs". It differs from the professional journalist, who instead has to pass the State Exam to ascertain professional suitability and exercises the profession of journalist exclusively and continuously. Publicists are registered in the register of journalists, but are included in a special list, different from that of professionals. The figure was established by the law of February 3, 1963, n. 69, which contextually instituted the order of journalists; in December 2011 the Monti government provided for the introduction of new common rules for the various professional orders, including that of journalists. These rules concern three areas: training, administrative and, finally, ethical activities. For the first area (training), the national order approved the related regulation in 2012. For the administrative activity, the order drew up a draft of the related regulation in the same year. Disciplinary proceedings are no longer entirely celebrated by regional and national orders: the new discipline in fact provides that, at the regional level, the functions of instruction and decision-making of disciplinary disputes must be carried out by the territorial disciplinary councils, while the national council of discipline manages appeals. The law of 31 December 2012, n. 233,