A four-day programme of discussions next month will focus on the future of newsmedia post-COVID 19.

WAN-Ifra has announced a World Media Leaders eSummit to focus on strategic challenges, with regional speakers among those lined up for the event.

From June 15-18, the series will provide a mix of town halls, fireside chats, panel discussions and roundtables.

"Ten sessions will address the biggest questions facing editors and publishers around the themes of digital revenue, newsroom change, policy and strategy," says chief executive Vincent Peyregne.

"The pandemic has undercut the predictability of normal life and our members are seeking answers to big, even existential, questions as they adjust their strategies. At some point COVID-19 will be vanquished, the industry will bounce back but it won't be a return to normal.

"Getting to normal is not so much about getting back the old normality as it is about getting back the ability to know what is going to happen tomorrow. We need to understand the scenario at play, what news media will look like."

Topics set for attention include:

How long will it take to get revenues back on track?

Which publishers were best prepared for the crisis?

What can we do to win back advertisers?

The case of big advertisers: has the crisis changed how they support trusted media?

Is the not-for-profit model the way to secure the future of quality local and public service journalism?

How do we onboard and keep our new digital subscribers?

COVID-19 has accelerated the digital transition in local and regional publishers - how can we maintain this pace going forward?

What have we learned from stumbling into the remote newsroom?

Going viral: How do we build on the trust gained from the Covid-19 crisis and keep up the boost in the audience?

Confirmed speakers include Siv Juvik Tveitnes (CEO Schibsted Media Division), Maria A. Ressa (CEO and Executive Editor Rappler), Rasmus Nielsen (Director Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism), Katie Vanneck Smith (Co-founder Tortoise), Jennifer Napier-Pearce (Editor Salt Lake Tribune), Dame Frances Cairncross (Chair of Court Heriot-Watt University), Siddharth Varadarajan (Founding Editor The Wire), Warren Fernandez (Editor-in-Chief The Straits Times Singapore Press Holdings), Chris Janz (Managing Director Australian Metro Publishing Nine Entertainment), Ulrik Haagerup (Founder and CEO, Constructive Institute), Ritu Kapur (Co-Founder & CEO, Quintillion Media).

The full list of speakers, the programme and the registration form can be found at the World Media Leaders eSummit website. WAN-Ifra says the summit will be free to members and €490 (A$818) for non-members.