WAN-IFRA, In the Service of Each and for the Good of All.

This new decade offers a moment to reflect on our purpose and consider the challenges that lie ahead.

But first, a big thank-you from the whole WAN-IFRA team for your continued support and commitment to the well-being of our industry. You make what we do possible.

Since our formation nearly 70 years ago, WAN-IFRA's mission has been to meet the needs of our members AND to act for the good of the entire industry. This guiding charter is just as relevant today as it was at our founding.

Like you, we are more convinced than ever that a free press is, along with education, one of the two most important pillars of a vibrant democracy.

Like you, we believe that information produced by a free, independent and economically viable press is critical for the proper functioning of our societies. 

Like you, we are concerned that when journalism and journalists are weakened or undermined, democracy suffers.

Like you, we are hopeful that decade ahead will be exciting and successful for our industry. 

Although 2019 was a challenging year for the industry, WAN-IFRA had a fruitful 12 months thanks to the support from our global institutional and technology partners for the three key pillars that drive our activities. These are: defending media- and information-related freedoms and rights; discovery and sharing of workable solutions to enhance economic performance; and foresight for innovation, creativity, design and learning about new content offerings.

Here is a selection of what we achieved in 2019 thanks to your support :

• More than 3,000 media professionals participated in our 50 events. Those included international, regional and local conferences, study tours, workshops and webinars.
• Some 970 projects were submitted to our international awards, including the Digital Media Awards, Print Innovation Awards and International Color Quality Club.
• Our media development assistance programmes enabled us to strengthen our field mission in the service of press freedom. Some 120 media organisations participated in one of our four strategic programmes, helping us train and support more than 1,000 journalists in 25 countries.
• The Swedish International Development Agency showed renewed confidence in us, providing a record level of funding for 2020 and beyond, making Women in News the world's most extensive programme supporting gender equality in the media sector.
• Our World News Day campaign on 28 September, the International Day of Universal Access to Information, mobilised more than 40 newsrooms in 30 countries.
• Our e-learning platform, the Media Management Accelerator, was expanded with three new language versions. MMA is now used in more than 20 countries.
• More than 60 projects from 23 countries were entered in our Print Innovation Awards competition.
• Table Stakes Europe, the Latam Subs Lab, and our Newsroom Transformation Program in Asia complement our executive digital transformation support programmes.
• The World Editors Forum is now active in 15 Southeast Asian countries following the launch of a regional chapter;
• More than 15 research reports and hundreds of case studies and trends were published on our blog and in our newsletters.
• Thirty-two new media companies, trade associations and technology providers demonstrated their trust in us by joining our membership network of more than 3,000 companies and institutions in 120 countries.

We are even more enthusiastic about what we will achieve together in 2020:

• The consolidation of the World Media Trends Panel, our new platform for interactive surveys on global press market trends.
• The launch of Stars4Media, an exchange and coaching programme for young media professionals, the rising stars of the profession.
• The expansion of World News Day, which will have 100 international newsrooms for its 2020 edition.
• The launch of several new professional events: The Asian Media Leaders Summit in Singapore, The World Printers Summit in Munich, more local reader revenue summits in Paris, Milan and Madrid, and A "Future of News" section for senior executives at our annual forum in India.
• The extension of the Women in News programme to Ethiopia, Sudan, Algeria and Morocco, and the strengthening of the operational capacities of the 70 teams already in the field. 
• The ongoing effort to encourage the diversity of voices, especially in our conference programmes. Women accounted for nearly 40% of our speakers in 2019. Our goal is to achieve parity in 2020. 

In addition to our existing communities, including our 15 Regional Media Freedom Committees, Women in News, World Editors Forum (WEF), the Global Alliance for Media Innovation (GAMI), the Committee of Association Directors, the World Printers Forum, and our five Regional Advisory Boards, we have formed a new team to serve the community, focused on digital revenue. Nick Tjaardstra will head the new department.

Several new projects will launch in the coming weeks and months. We will keep you informed.

Like you, WAN-IFRA is continuing to evolve and transform to meet the challenges of the new decade. We hope you appreciate the results of this profound transformation of our organisation over the last five years. Above all, we hope that you have been able to take full advantage of the exclusive services associated with your membership. If you would like to know how you can participate more extensively in our programmes, or if you have any suggestions, please write to us at [email protected]. The WAN-IFRA team will make every effort to meet your individual needs. 

The calendar of WAN-IFRA's flagship events will show where you can meet us again soon in the coming months, including in Zaragoza, Spain, for our World News media Congress 2020.

Working hard every day to support journalists and publishers around the world, we know first-hand how important it is to stand together in support of human rights and the rule of law worldwide.

Our common values bind us, as do our shared history and the valuable relationships between our members and countries. We are excited to continue this work with you to promote and safeguard media freedom and a sustainable environment for news publishing. 

Because the well-being of each contributes to the prosperity of all, in 2020 we will work together, in the service of each and for the good of all.

Fernando de Yarza, President, WAN-IFRA | Chairman, Henneo Group

Vincent Peyrègne, CEO, WAN-IFRA