WAN-Ifra has announced that Nobel Laureate former Polish president Lech Wałęsa is to address its World News Media Congress in Kraków in May.
WAN-Ifra is partnering Gazeta Wyborcza publisher Agora for the event from May 4-6. He will be among 100 speakers to address the event.
As the leader of the pro-democracy Solidarity movement, Wałęsa played a key role in toppling communism in Poland in 1989, helping to pave the way for the end of the Cold War.
Agora chief executive Bartosz Hojka said he was “extremely pleased” that the publisher had been accorded the the privilege of host of the congress. “This recognises the stand taken by Poland’s independent press in confronting populism and authoritarian regimes,” he said.
With more than 800 participants expected, WNMC25 will feature three main conference tracks – a Media Leaders’ Summit, an Editors’ Summit, and a Digital Revenue Summit.
Featured speakers include Ladina Heimgartner (head media & CEO Ringier Medien Schweiz), Marty Baron (retired executive editor, the Washington Post), Louis Dreyfus (president & CEO, Le Monde, France), Rainer Esser (CEO, Die Zeit, Germany), Bartosz Hojka (CEO Agora SA), Catherine So (CEO, South China Morning Post, Hong Kong), Julia Angwin (journalist and founder, Proof News, USA), Zach Seward (editorial director of AI Initiatives, the New York Times, USA), Rupa Jha (CEO and co-founder, Collective Newsroom, India), Lisa Irenius (editor in chief, Svenska Dagbladet, Sweden), Nikita Roy (podcast host, Newsroom Robots, USA), Ezra Eeman (AI expert and director of strategy & innovation, NPO, Netherlands), Mariah Craddick (executive director of product, The Atlantic, USA), Styli Charalambous (CEO, Daily Maverick, South Africa), Mariam Mammen Mathew (CEO, Manorama Online, India), Emily Withrow (VP of product and head of subscriber experiences, the New York Times, USA).
The Congress will also present the 2025 Golden Pen of Freedom, recognising individuals or groups who have made significant contributions to press freedom. Past recipients include Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland), Jimmy Lai and Apple Daily (Hong Kong), Jamal Khashoggi (Saudi Arabia), and Maria Ressa (Philippines).
For the programme and to register, visit the website