The organization, founded on 14 July 2006 following the 1st International Conference on Literary Journalism, promotes the study of literary journalism/literary reportage more so than its practices and is devoted to the teaching and researching of literary journalism and literary journalists throughout the world.

Its international conferences are held annually. The 2006 conference was held at the Université Nancy 2 in Nancy, France. The 2007 conference was held at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po) in Paris, France. The site for the 2008 conference was at the Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas of the Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal. IALJS 4 will be held at Northwestern University in Evanston (Chicago), Illinois, USA, from 15-17 May 2009.

The academic journal Literary Journalism Studies, an official organ of IALJS, is a peer-reviewed journal aimed the publication of research of the highest standard ranging from the recovery of “lost” examples of literary journalism/literary reportage throughout the world to the examination of more traditional forms of the genre (old and new).

At the heart of IALJS is the committment not only to insure literary journalism’s and literary reportage’s acceptance as a legitimate academic subject within both English and Journalism Departments, but also to explore the limits of what defines “literary journalism” past and present.