Ladina Heimgartner, Head of Media Ringier AG and CEO of Ringier Media Switzerland was elected May 27, 2024 President of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers at the 75th WAN-IFRA’s World News Media Congress held in Copenhagen, Denmark. Ladina Heimgartner succeeds Fernando de Yarza López-Madrazo, President of Henneo Media, who was elected President of WAN-IFRA in 2019.
The Congress also renewed the office of WAN-IFRA Executive Board, and also elected four executives from leading news media organisations onto the Supervisory Board of WAN-IFRA. They are Noora Alanne, Director of new Growth at Medialiitto (Finland) and incoming Chair of WAN-IFRA’s Global Alliance for Media Innovation; Patricia Fonseca (editor-in-chief Media Tejo, Portugal); Denis Pierrard (Directeur general IPM Group, Belgium); and Werner Zitzmann (Colombia).
Also elected at the same congress were Agnes Kalekje Nguna (The Star Newspaper, Kenya), Mariam Mammen Mathew (Manorama Online, India) and Werner Zitzmann (Asociación Colombiana de Medios de Información), who will constitute the new Executive Board of WAN-IFRA for the next two years, together with the Vice President Stig Ørskov, (JP/Politiken Media Group, Denmark), the Treasurer Paul Verwilt (Mediahuis NV, Belgium), Sandy Prieto-Romualdez (Inquirer Group of Companies, The Philippines) and Martha Ramos Sosa, Chair WAN-IFRA’s World Editors Forum (Organización Editorial Mexicana).
“Media plays a vital role in shaping our global narrative. Facing the mostly uncharted future, it is crucial that we, as an industry, stick together, keep on fighting for the freedom and right to seek and tell the truth, that we learn from and support each other,” said Ladina Heimgartner. “WAN-IFRA is the leading global media association. It is home to 3.000 publishing companies and has an essential role in defending the freedom of the press, sharing knowledge, facilitating dialogue and ensuring that our collective voice remains strong and clear. I feel very honoured to chair this wonderful organisation”, added Heimgartner.
WAN-IFRA’s directors and management expressed gratitude to the six Directors retiring from the Supervisory Board: Gerald Grünberger (CEO VÖZ, Austria), Valdo Lehari Jr (CEO and Publisher Reutlinger General-Anzeiger Verlags, Germany), Cristina Soares (Executive Board Member Publico, Portugal), Daniel Van Wylick (Rossel, Belgium) and Rolf Dyrnes Svendsen who chaired the Global Alliance for Media Innovation since 2016
At the close of the Congress, the Board of Directors of WAN-IFRA issued resolutions on some global media issues. They include support for independent media in Ukraine, condemnation of the killing of journalists in Gaza and greater accountability. They also highlighted the importance of professional media representative bodies and condemned Georgia’s “Foreign Influence” law, urging its repeal and calling for international pressure on the Georgian government to uphold media freedom and democratic values.
Over 900 publishers, editors, journalists, and senior news executives from 80 countries attended the events, which continues through Wednesday, May 29.
