A two-year initiative to strengthen digital strategies, empower women editorial leaders, and combat media freedom challenges. The programme includes 160 media professionals from more than 80 media companies from 12 Countries: Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Kenya South Africa, Uganda, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. The programme is financed by the  Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.

Visit our Media Freedom Committee pages to learn more about our global media freedom work and the active media professionals engaged in our programmes.

A Roadmap to Freedom of Expression in Ecuador

(07/02 2017) WAN-IFRA's Strengthening Media and Society (SMS) programme, in partnership with Fundamendios and AEDEP, gathered 20 Ecuadorean editors in Quito on 31 January to elaborate a common strategy that can turn back a decade of attempts to limit freedom of expression under President Rafael Correa. General elections were held in Ecuador on 19 February, and there is hope the new government will reconstitute media freedom in the country. A public panel on 1 February followed the closed event. The panel aimed to publicly present the roadmap and engaging candidates in the upcoming elections in a commitment to eliminate restrictive media laws. Read more

Media Freedom Committee: Global Update

(23/11/2016) WAN-IFRA’s Media Freedom Committee, which sees professionals from four world regions tackling the media challenges in their respective areas, is busy boosting its activities for the upcoming year. Read more 

Joint Media Freedom Gathering in Singapore

(23/11/2016) Singapore hosted WAN-IFRA’s first Media Freedom Programme Asia joint gathering from 7 to 10 November, during which media partners from the Media Freedom and Democracy Programme – supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs –and the Strengthening Media and Society Programme – supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark– met for three days of strategy workshops, peer-mentoring, and networking. Read more

WAN-IFRA’s Strengthening Media and Society Programme Comes to South Africa

(25/08/2016) WAN-IFRA’s Strengthening Media and Society programme arrived at Rhodes University School of Journalism in Grahamstown, South Africa to deliver three days of workshop training to media professionals from 25 media companies across Kenya, South Africa and Uganda. Discussing digital strategies, editorial leadership and media freedom challenges, participants will engage in a programme of activities as part of WAN-IFRA’s global project to strengthen the role of media in the communities they serve. Read more

WAN-IFRA’s Strengthening Media and Society Programme Begins in Asia

(20/07/2016) WAN-IFRA’s Strengthening Media and Society programme arrived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to deliver three days of workshop training, professional networking and press freedom advocacy as part of the Foreign Ministry of Denmark-funded two-year global initiative. 36 media professionals representing 23 media companies from across Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines participated in training sessions and exchanged professional best practice on innovation, digital strategies, editorial leadership and media freedom challenges. Read more

WAN-IFRA’s Strengthening Media and Society Programme Comes to Latin America

(20/06/2016) WAN-IFRA’s Strengthening Media and Society programme came to Cartagena, Colombia for three days of workshop training ahead of the 68th World News Media Congress, the global meeting point for the world’s press. 43 media professionals from 18 media companies across Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico participated in training sessions and exchanged professional experiences in digital strategies, editorial leadership and media freedom challenges. Read more

WAN-IFRA Launches MENA Regional Programmes

(24/05/2016) WAN-IFRA remains committed to promoting media freedoms in the Middle East and North Africa, which has led to the launch of two recent initiatives in the MENA region the Strengthening Media and Society programme and Women in News: Gender and Media Freedom programme. Read more

Media Freedom Committee Meets in Helsinki to Discuss Regional Challenges

(19/05/2016) WAN-IFRA partners from four regions came together in Helsinki, Finland from May 2-4 for the inaugural Media Freedom Committee meeting as well as to celebrate World Press Freedom Day in conjunction with UNESCO’s global conference. There, participants shared experiences and discussed the challenges facing journalists in their respective countries. Read more

WAN-IFRA Launches Strengthening Media and Society Programme

(22/04/2016) WAN-IFRA’s pioneering Media Freedom programme launched in Amman, Jordan this week as 40 journalists from Egypt, Jordan and Palestine gathered for three days of workshops, training sessions and professional development aimed at strengthening the role of media and enhancing the impact of journalism in society. Read more