The World Association of News Publishers, or WAN-IFRA, is the global organisation of the world’s press. It derives its authority from its global network of 3,000 news publishing companies and technology entrepreneurs, and its legitimacy from its 60 member publisher associations representing 18,000 publications in 120 countries.

Our mission is to protect the rights of journalists and publishers around the world to operate independent media. We provide our members with expertise and services to innovate and prosper in a digital world and perform their crucial role in society.

World Publishing Expo: The annual meeting place for news publishers, innovators and research partnersSince its foundation in 1948 WAN-IFRA has always been committed to fostering international business cooperation among publishers; sharing best practices in both business and technology; working as a representative trade body to elaborate and advance quality standards in the production workflow and business value chain; and engage with public authorities, institutions, and other trade bodies to promote press freedom and advocate for the independence of news media organisations. 

WAN-IFRA serves as a knowledge hub and a leading global resource for publishers, editors, chief technology officers, digital business executives, news publisher associations, technology suppliers, service providers and research centres with three focus areas: Press Freedom and Journalism, Media Sustainability, and Media Innovation. Every year, 9,000 executives working in 3,500 news organisations, technology enterprises and trade bodies use WAN-IFRA services.

Read More about our human rights mandate....

What We Do 

The exponential growth and adoption of consumer technologies drives new news media consumption patterns and forces publishers to react and adjust their businesses rapidly. WAN-IFRA supports this transformation by delivering four main services:

4 REASONS TO JOIN WAN-IFRAInnovation and business development. With dedicated platforms and marketplaces like the Global Alliance for Media Innovation, or our advisory services and training programmes to individual company members;

News and Insights with strategic, and market insights with print and online publications, special reports, white papers, and online targeted resources;

Advocacy on major global media policy issues that impact the independence of the press. We promote common principles and important values that contribute to an inclusive, multi-stakeholder, effective, legitimate, and evolving global Internet governance framework;

Networking Weave with business peers around the world, learn from success and failures, share business strategies, and connect emerging themes and insights. You will harvest ways to better perform, and speed up your decision-making. 

Who We Serve

WAN-IFRA represents and serves 18,000 publications and over 3,000 companies and institutions (individual publishing companies, technical suppliers, service providers, national publishers associations, education and research institutions) in more than 120 countries. WAN-IFRA is a multi-stakeholder service organisation. Its engagement with members and users mirrors the diversity of the industry and the variety of disciplines. We serve an active, engaged, rapidly growing group of highly educated and affluent media executives, innovators, thought leaders, and early adopters.

Media Executives and Business Developers
Every year, we engage with more than 9,000 individual executives who attend more than 50 events, workshops, training sessions, webinars in Europe, the Middle East, the Americas, South Asia, and Asia Pacific.

Editors and Journalists
The World Editors Forum is the leading network for print and digital editors around the world. It is built on a commitment to defend press freedom and promote editorial excellence.

Innovation Officers, Technology Entrepreneurs
WAN-IFRA's Global Alliance for Media Innovation (GAMI) works around the world with publishers, chief innovation officers, chief digital officers, technology entrepreneurs, executives from innovation centers and technology clusters. Our affiliates and supporters include publishers’ media labs in France, the UK, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Canada, Brazil, Turkey, Israel, Spain, Italy, Ireland, and Austria. We connect and work with 9 international academic institutions and innovation clusters affiliated to the Global Alliance for Media Innovation. 

Production and Technology Managers
WAN-IFRA is a longstanding trusted partner for technology officers, engineers, plant managers, software and hardware developers in the newspaper industry. Its World Printers Forum proudly perpetuates its leading role to address bottlenecks in the production workflow and contributes to the constant improvement of quality and technical sustainability. Among many other initiatives, the World Printers Forum sponsors the world famous International Color Quality Club. 

Public Affair Officers, Legal Counsels
Because technical challenges are increasingly becoming political challenges, WAN-IFRA’s Global Media Policy Forum brings together legal affairs officers, public counsels, representatives of trade bodies and institutions. The Forum derives its authority from WAN-IFRA’s Committee of Association Directors representing 80 national trade associations around the globe.