Maria Ressa, CEO of Rappler, journalist, author, freedom advocate, 2021 Nobel Peace Prize Winner, and 2018 Golden Pen of Freedom Laureate is among a host of speakers who will address the Wan-Ifra World News Media Congress in Taipei, Taiwan from 28-30 June 2023. The speakers will address issues of disinformation and hence referred to as disinformation warriors. From India, Mohit Jain, Executive Director, Bennet & Colman, India and Ankita Anand, an award-winning freelance journalist, are expected to attend.
Since 1948, the World News Media Congress has been one of the most important annual gatherings of news media leaders. Spread over three days, the Congress, its various summits and fora address key issues facing the industry.Â
This year, Wan-Ifra’s local partner for the event is United Daily News, Taiwan’s largest privately-operated Chinese-language media group. It publishes the United Daily News, the Economic Daily News, and the World Journal, with editions published in North America and Southeast Asia.Â
The program includes the Media Leaders Summit for CEOs, publishers, owners and revenue leads where ideas and solutions for all those invested in building sustainable news organisations will be shared. Then there is the Editors Summit, for editorial leaders rethinking their journalism and the way they operate.Â
Some of the speakers
Soyoung Kim- Reuters, South Korea
Soyoung oversaw Reuters’s coverage of the 2020 US presidential election and the tumultuous aftermath including the Capitol riot on 6 Jan. She now oversees Reuters coverage of the two Koreas, Japan, China, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific.
PatrÃcia Campos Mello- Folha de São Paulo, Brazil
PatrÃcia has been at the forefront of investigative reporting on mis- and disinformation in Brazil. She revealed the illegal use of WhatsApp mass messaging to send false information and the use of disinformation campaigns to manipulate public opinion in Brazil.
Nwabisa Makunga- The Sowetan, South Africa
As South Africa prepares for critical elections in 2024, Nwabisa will share details of projects and initiatives to curb disinformation in this heavily WhatsApp-driven society.
Glenda M. Gloria- Rappler, The Philippines
As Executive Editor, Glenda was key in driving FactsFirstPH# an all-of-society approach to share facts and call out disinformation during the Philippine elections in 2022.
Joel Simon- Journalism Protection Initiative, New York
Joel will talk about how the health crisis, and weak and divided political systems, undermined democracy. He will draw from observations in his book, The Infodemic: How Censorship and Lies Made the World Sicker and Less Free.
Ankita Anand -Journalist, freelance, India
Ankita Anand is a journalist-writer-poet based in Delhi, and has been published in various languages and countries. An editor with Unbias the News, she has been awarded the International Labour Organisation’s Media Award, European Commission’s Lorenzo Natali Media Prize, Statesman Award for Rural Reporting, United Nations Population Fund-Laadli Media Award, Sampad – South Asian Arts Prize, Singapore Poetry Prize, and poetry prizes from the International Labour Organisation and Arts Illustrated, among other recognitions.
Mohit Jain – Executive Director, Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd, India
Mohit Jain, is Executive Director and Board member of the Times of India Group (BCCL). He is a core member of the Executive Committee and heads Operations. The Times of India Group, at 184 years old, is the leading media conglomerate in India. Mohit currently serves on the global supervisory board of WAN-IFRA (World Association of News Publishers).
