WEF's Washington delivers answers and surprises

Feb 03, 2015 at 10:59 am by Staff


Apart from the top roll of industry speakers, there are a number of reasons why you'd want to be in Washington for the World Editors Forum in June.

In town for earlier Nexpo and mediaXchange events, I can confirm the charm of the al fresco lifestyle, the city architecture and its Newseum displays.

And - on previous presidential election years at least - the intrigue of coated anonymous males, talking into their lapels.

There's no promise of wannabe presidents - Nexpo's final throes in 2008 delivered three candidates and the Pope in a week that almost shut down the city - but Australian travel guide Lonely Planet has just named it the top city to visit in 2015. The museums and the monuments - and next year's 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's assassination - combine with what is always a memorable event for news media professionals.

About 1000 delegates are expected at WAN-Ifra's World News Media Congress - being held with the World Editors Forum and the World Advertising Forum - from June 1-3 and organised in cooperation with the Newspaper Association of America.

Speakers from four continents have now been confirmed for the congress, which will kick off with an eve-of-event welcome reception at the Newseum on May 31. Located near the White House and the Capitol, this alone is worth a visit with its historic artifacts, Pulitzer prizewinning photographs, interactive exhibits and "4D theatre".

While taking advantage of the location by presenting strategies from major US news media, the programme will also feature presentations from Brazil, Thailand, India, Zimbabwe, Norway and the UK.

And networking: WAN-Ifra secretary general Larry Kilman says the "vast network of colleagues provides an unsurpassed opportunity to hear directly from news executives from far-flung places who have developed successful strategies that are easily transferable to other markets: "News executives tend to look close to home for ideas and strategies, but the congress affords them the opportunity to hear about developments from around the world, from executives and editors with exciting approaches and ideas to share."

Among confirmed speakers are:

- Arunabh Das Sharma, president of the Times Group in India and an expert in handling business strategies across a range of markets and platforms;

- Paul Smurl, general manager for core digital products at the News York Times, who has spent the past decade at the Times in digital product development, paid content, advertising sales, strategic planning and business development roles;

- Rita Chinyoka, publisher and chief executive of Alpha Media Holdings, the largest independent newspaper group in Zimbabwe which prints, markets and distributes four publications on various platforms including print, online and mobile;

- Troy Young, president of Hearst Magazines Digital Media, who oversees the digital content, technology, operations, product and business development strategies for 18 brand websites such as Cosmopolitan, Popular Mechanics, Elle, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Harper's Bazaar and Seventeen, which attract more than 100 million unique visitors and 740 million page views monthly.

- Torry Pedersen, the chief executive and editor-in-chief of Verdens Gang, the leading news site/newspaper in Norway that is among the most profitable news organisations in Europe;

- Martin Baron, executive editor of the Washington Post, who oversees print and digital operations for the double 2014 Pulitzer Prize winner;

- Marta Gleich, executive editor of Zero Hora, the leading newspaper of the south of Brazil, known for its digital innovation and for opening space for its readers;

- Vivian Schiller, former president and chief executive of National Public Radio and former global chair of news at Twitter.

Peter Coleman

GXpress is a media partner of the World Editors Forum and associated events

Pictured: Preparations for an evening programme recorded at the Newseum

Sections: Columns & opinion

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