Eleven new members, including eight women executives, were elected to serve on Wan-Ifra’s supervisory board of directors at its general assembly of members on 29 June 2023, where Fernando de Yarza was also re-elected president of Wan-Ifra. Meeting during the 74th World News Media Congress in Taipei, the board of the World Association of News Publishers issued five press freedom resolutions highlighting issues of major concern.
More than 900 news media executives, editors and journalists from nearly 60 countries met at the Annual World News Media Congress in Taipei to get a grip on where the global industry is headed and how news publishers are responding to fresh challenges.
Eleven new board members were elected. For the second year running, Wan-Ifra members elected a majority of women leaders to its governing body. The changes in its board of directors signal Wan-Ifra’s ongoing commitment to deliver on its strategic plan for diversity and inclusion initiated in 2017. It ensures that Wan-Ifra has the additional skill sets and experience to support future developments in different parts of the world.
The incoming board members include:
*Sammi Bourke, head of Operations Irish Farmers Journal – Ireland.
*Xenia Daum, managing director Kleine Zeitung – Austria.
*Ladina Heimgartner, head Global Media & CEO Blick Group Ringier AG – Switzerland.
*Marte Ingul, executive vice president, Community and Government Relations Amedia – Norway.
*Bérénice Lajouanie, directrice générale du Pôle les Echos et Thématiques Les Echos – France.
*Mariam Mammen Mathew, CEO, Manorama Online Malayala Manorama Company Ltd – India.
*Shiro Nakamura, president and CEO Asahi Shimbun – Japan.
*Joanna Norris, Chief Content officer Stuff – New Zealand.
*Gavin O’Reilly, executive chairman, The New European.
*Martha Ramos, Chief Editorial officer Organizacion Editorial Mexicana – Mexico.
*Andrew Saunders, CEO and president, The Globe and Mail – Canada.
“As the global representative body of the News Publishing branch, Wan-Ifra has to set an example. I am delighted that our efforts are bearing fruit. With almost 40% female board members in 2023, we are pushing ahead with a more inclusive policy, which I see is being adopted more and more by our members worldwide. We are on the road to parity, but there is still work to be done, and we will persist in this direction. Before the end of the year, we will be presenting the Board with an update on our strategic road map for diversity and inclusion.” said Vincent Peyrègne, CEO Wan-Ifra.
At the same meeting, 33 directors were re-elected to serve a renewed term, and Fernando de Yarza was re-elected president of Wan-Ifra for a one-year term. Also in Taipei, Johanna Lahti, editor-in-chief of Ilta-Sanomat, Finland, has been formally elected to the World Editors Board.
The Wan-Ifra board and management team extended their gratitude to eight directors retiring from the board for their distinguished service over the past few years.
Call for press freedom
Calls for releasing jailed journalists, more solidarity for Ukraine, appeals for journalists’ safety, and EU tax regulations occupied the agenda of the Wan-Ifra board as the organization renewed its commitment to a free press worldwide.
The board called for the immediate release of 2023 Wan-Ifra Golden Pen of Freedom laureates Elahe Mohammadi and Niloofar Hamedi, and all jailed journalists in Iran, and condemned the brutal crackdown against the press and all those protesting in support of human rights.
Elahe Mohammadi, a reporter for the daily newspaper Hammihan, and Niloofar Hamedi, who works for reformist daily Shargh, were arrested in September 2022 for their role in breaking news of the death of Mahsa Amini. The young Kurdish-Iranian woman was arrested by Iran’s morality police and later died in custody, sparking nationwide protests and a lethal response from the authorities that has killed over 500 people and seen over 20,000 jailed.
The board also condemned the six-year prison sentence handed down to veteran journalist Jose Rubén Zamora in Guatemala and called on the authorities to cease their harassment of him and the independent news organization he leads, El Periódico.
The board reiterated its solidarity with a free press in Ukraine, calling for a renewal of international solidarity and an increase in support for colleagues fighting for the liberation of their country.
The board called on governments worldwide to prioritize journalists’ safety and facilitate the independent media’s role, particularly around critical periods such as elections, by strengthening the enabling environment in which the profession operates.
Finally, the board also called on European Union member states to respect the engagement agreed by EU finance ministers in 2021 concerning the VAT rate for news media, a critical element of post-pandemic recovery for independent media across the continent.
Wan-Ifra reports positive results for 2022
The general assembly of members also approved the Wan-Ifra financial report for the year 2022. WAN-IFRA ended the year with a positive result of nearly 220,000 Euros from global revenue of 11.5 million Euros, up 32% compared to 2021.
Seventy new corporate members joined Wan-Ifra over the past 18 months. “This positive situation is good news for the association and the relevance of Wan-Ifra’s programs in a fast-changing context. It reflects the sector’s significant needs in an accelerated digital transition. The coming months will be critical, but we will not restrain our solidarity efforts to our members despite the global economic tension,” said Vincent Peyrègne, CEO, Wan-Ifra.
