With job losses continuing to sweep the industry, the union believes freelances feel more vulnerable because of the lack of workplace chapels to support them.

As part of the campaign the NUJ will be calling on the government to improve legal protection for casual and self-employed people.

And the union's branches and chapels are being urged to organise events specifically aimed at freelance members.

General secretary Jeremy Dear said: "Throughout July we want all our activists and staff colleagues to think about the concerns of our self-employed members.

"We have chosen this time because the massive cutbacks in the media have hit freelances at least as hard as staff.

"Many people taking redundancy are choosing to go freelance – which means more people competing for less work.

Deputy general secretary Michelle Stanistreet added: "We know freelances feel more vulnerable because they don’t have workplace union chapels to protect them."