Join Us June 2012 in Trinidad and Tobago!
I am very pleased to announce that the International Press Institute (IPI), together with our local organising committee (chaired by the Association of Caribbean Media Workers and co-chaired by the Trinidad & Tobago Publishers & Broadcasters Association), will hold its 2012 IPI World Congress in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
This is the first time that IPI’s annual World Congress is being held in the Caribbean, and the second time since 2000, when IPI convened in Boston, that it is being held in the Americas.
Titled "Media in a Challenging World: A 360 Degree Perspective," the three-day IPI World Congress will examine the many challenges, concerns and opportunities facing the media not only in the Caribbean, but also in the rest of the Americas and around the globe.
Interacting with participants from throughout the Americas and other regions of the world, a roster of world-class moderators, speakers and panellists will look at the role of state-owned media in the region and elsewhere, the impact of natural disasters on press freedom, the abuse of government advertising as a way to reward or punish media outlets, and the presence of colonial-era criminal defamation laws on the statute books in many Caribbean countries.
Confirmed moderators, speakers and panelists include:
- Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
- Geoffrey Robertson, human rights lawyer, academic, author and broadcaster
- Jim Clancy, CNN International anchor and correspondent
- Savea Sano Malifa, editor and publisher of the Samoa Observer
- Sheila Coronel, Toni Stabile Professor of Professional Practice in Investigative Journalism at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and founding director of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalists
- Juanita Léon, founder and director of LaSillaVacia.com in Colombia
- Jacqueline Charles, award winning Miami Herald reporter
-George Brock, Professor and Head of Journalism at City University; former managing editor of The Times, UK
- Marjorie Miller, Latin America and Caribbean Editor, Associated Press (AP)
- Wesley Gibbings, President of the Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM)
- Salim Amin, Chairman of A24 Media in Kenya
- Canute James, Director of the University of the West Indies’ Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication (CARIMAC) and former Caribbean Correspondent for the Financial Times
- John Yearwood, World Editor at the Miami Herald
- Günther Mayr, science journalist, Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF)
- Andy Johnson, Chief Executive Officer, Government Information Services Ltd, and former host of “Morning Edition,” TV6, Trinidad.
Further panels relevant to your work will include covering corruption and the environment, online media ethics, new business models for the news industry, and how local media can compete with the “big players” – CNN, The New York Times, the BBC, Al Jazeera – in covering breaking news on their own turf. And of course, all of these critical issues will be discussed through the lens of press freedom.
So register early and take advantage of our Early Bird Special or one of our special Introductory/Combo Packages.
I look forward to seeing you next June in beautiful Trinidad and Tobago.
Alison Bethel McKenzie
Executive Director
International Press Institute (IPI)
A Flagship Project
The Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) is pleased to be intimately associated with this premier international media event planned for Port of Spain in 2012. The Congress will serve to not only highlight the leading global media issues of our time, but also explore the unique concerns of the Caribbean region in a manner that has not been engaged by many international organisations over the years.
IPI, with its global reach and undoubted influence, is ideally suited to the task. In the midst of our 10th anniversary observances, the ACM sees the IPI World Congress 2012 as a flagship project signifying our preparedness for the coming years. We look forward to welcoming IPI to the Caribbean and sharing with you the beauty and diversity of our region.
Wesley Gibbings
President
Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM)
Common Challenges
The Trinidad and Tobago Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA) is delighted that the IPI World Congress 2012 will be held in our country, for several reasons.
It's reassuring to know that there is recognition of the fact that in our evolving world of media, there are so many common challenges.
I think that globally we've gone past grappling with new technology – we know that news and information can be accessed by almost anyone at any time, and as owners and managers of media, we have to be part of that loop. Any individual is a news source and can be syndicated!
In my mind we are now at the stage of "where do ethics come in?" Is there room for ethics? Raw news is sensationalised in its own way and media owners still have to factor in the monetisation of this information. Following in that trend of thought is the global issue of responsible reporting. For example, how much space and time do we give to environmental news versus news of a war-torn area or reports on the stock market? There’s a quality of life issue tied in.
Issues such as these affect us all as global citizens and the TTPBA looks forward to the IPI World Congress 2012 because it is an opportunity to share our experiences and learn from each other in the interest of the societies we serve.
And in sweet Trinidad and Tobago, the sun, sand and smiles of our warm people will help make the experience unforgettable.
Kiran Maharaj
President
Trinidad and Tobago Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA)
