WAN-IFRA

09/01/2025

It is time to double down on what we do best – reliable, fact-based, great journalism.

The decision by Meta to remove third-party fact-checking from its platforms in the US and revise content rules is a setback for information integrity and the thousands of professional journalists dedicated to upholding it. It is also a dangerous moment for democracy.

Billions of people worldwide receive news and information via social media platforms. Fact-checking attempts to counter mis- and disinformation and brings the professional standards of our industry into the digital town square. Calling out lies is not censorship.

That Meta’s systems are not up to the task of ensuring effective content moderation should not be a reflection on the journalists employed by third-party organisations to fact-check or the important role they play in the broader online ecosystem.

With the aim of promoting free expression, the decision by Meta risks negating existing international legal standards governing free speech and emerging legislation around harmful content. Meta appears to be prioritising profit, power, conspiracy and hate over accuracy, fact and accountability - the very foundations that distinguish professional journalism.

Our newsrooms are guided by professional standards, ethics and codes of conduct that uphold legal norms. Every day, journalists expose their interpretation of these to public scrutiny. As an industry, we are not perfect; mistakes are made. But we rectify, adjust, strengthen, and do better work as a result.

We call on news professionals to maintain the highest standards in the face of this challenge and reaffirm the principles that define us. Fact-checking remains the core of journalism. Our audiences demand it; democracy depends on it.

WAN-IFRA, the World Association of News Publishers

https://wan-ifra.org/2025/01/it-is-time-to-double-down-on-what-we-do-best-reliable-fact-based-great-journalism/

17/12/2024

As the holiday season sparkles, here's your chance to give yourself, or your team, the gift of inspiration and innovation at the World News Media Congress 2025 in Krakow!

A friendly reminder: early bird pricing ends on 31 December 2024—don’t let the clock strike midnight on this fantastic offer.
Register now and SAVE €300: https://bit.ly/wnmc25-register

10/12/2024

Check out the Congress essentials that will write media’s playbook for 2025 and beyond!
Don’t miss your chance to connect with like-minded innovators and leaders.
Ticket prices will increase after 31 December 2024 – register now to save!
👉 Register: https://bit.ly/wnmc25-register
👉 View Programme: https://bit.ly/wnmc25-programme

18/11/2024

Our latest newsletter, out now, goes Down Under with Nine.com.au’s Tory Maguire detecting signs of an uptick in audiences paying for news and Stuff’s Keith Lynch pushing direct audience growth.
PLUS more great reads, resources and opportunities, here: https://bit.ly/3USuExM

01/11/2024

Our latest newsletter, out now, looks at global, collaborative forensic investigations into Israel’s military conduct in Gaza ahead of the ; features chats with leaders in the journ/AI space, and great reads and resources.
Read it here: https://bit.ly/4hrqh6n

01/11/2024

Israel’s war on Gaza – and now, Lebanon – has resulted in the highest recorded number of working journalists killed in any given year or war.
On the eve of UNESCO’s , Israel debuts on Committee to Protect Journalists annual Global Impunity Index.

Israel’s war on Gaza – and now, Lebanon -– has resulted in the highest recorded number of journalists killed in the line of duty in any given year or war. On the eve of the 10th International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, Israel appears on the annual Global Impunity Index...

01/11/2024

‘The biggest challenge with AI is that the adoption of it is unequal, and that's where we come in. We're trying to level the playing field...’
Polis' Tshabalala talks AI integration in our latest ED2ED interview.

As more newsrooms explore journalistic possibilities with AI, the challenges persist for smaller outlets – from financial constraints to a lack of technical expertise and cultural clashes. JournalismAI’s Tshepo Tshabalala shares how history repeats as tech disrupts.

29/10/2024

The much anticipated World News Media Congress 2025 is now open for registration!

THEME: Mastering Media’s New Playbook 📖🚀

Be part of a media gathering like no other! Through three specialist tracks and hands-on workshops, leaders of newsrooms and news organisations can explore the evolving strategies needed to build competitive and innovative spaces where essential journalism can thrive.

Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/wnmc25-social-media

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18/10/2024

In our latest newsletter, out now, Politiken Editor in Chief
Amalie Kestler shares climate coverage tips; mental health in newsrooms go under the spotlight, and Worldcrunch co-founder
and editor Jeff Israely shares insights on AI’s impact on writing and editing.
Read it here: https://bit.ly/3Ugi6jb

18/10/2024

‘Journalism is a mirror of the times we live in, and climate has crawled up on the public agenda ...
'What we did differently Politiken, was to get better at putting the user in front.'
Amalie Kestler on factual reporting – despite News Avoidance.

From re-examining headlines and employing humour to leveraging data – with users as primary focus – Amalie Kestler, editor in chief at Politiken, shares trusted tips, tools and advice on keeping climate on top of the agenda.

17/10/2024

NEW funding opportunity for , including journalists: $1,000 - $15,000 for original reporting on artificial intelligence and its impacts.
Apply Now.

Tarbell Grants offers awards of $1,000 - $15,000 to support journalism on AI and its impacts.

16/10/2024

New reports by UNESCO, WAN-IFRA and Sociedad Interamericana de Prensa, focused on the growing trend to misuse financial laws to silence media professionals, will be published next week, ahead of the International Day to for Crimes Against Journalists.

New reports by UNESCO, WAN-IFRA and the Inter-American Press Association, focused on the growing trend to misuse financial laws to silence media professionals, will be published ahead of the upcoming International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.

10/10/2024

Worldcrunch Co-founder/Editor and Journalism lecturer Jeff Israely believes that AI may offer a rethink of how human writing – and the teaching of it – works.

Worldcrunch Co-founder/Editor and Journalism lecturer Jeff Israely believes that AI may offer a rethink of how human writing – and the teaching of it – works.

01/10/2024

Shout out to AMN News for sharing the sweetest celebration!

30/09/2024

Thank you to all participants and supporters for making such a resounding success worldwide. We will be sharing more clips, links and likes later this week – and urge you to keep up the good fight.
Because – today, tomorrow, every day.

28/09/2024

Today is , and around the world news people have been rallying behind campaign call to – by sharing our material, and their own initiatives – to highlight the true value of fact-based journalism.
We've compiled a snapshot of initiatives shared with us, from around the world...

Tomorrow is World News Day, and around the world news people have been rallying behind campaign call to – by sharing our material, and their own initiatives – to highlight the true value of fact-based journalism.

26/09/2024

In this op ed for the President of Brazil's Newspaper Association highlights the critical role journalism plays in today's time-challenged world, advocates for a more ethical and informed digital ecosystem, and calls on Big Tech to financially support journalism, to offset the 'social pollution' that journalism works to clean up.

Marcelo Rech highlights the critical role journalism plays in today's time-challenged world, advocates for a more ethical and informed digital ecosystem, and calls on Big Tech to financially support journalism, to offset the "social pollution" that journalism works to clean up.

26/09/2024

‘Journalists are a bridge as we build the future, supported by the capstone of our audience who are as loyal and determined as the reporter and the editor,’ writes David Walmsley, Editor in Chief of The Globe and Mail, and Founder of

‘Journalists are a bridge as we build the future, supported by the capstone of our audience who are as loyal and determined as the reporter and the editor,’ writes David Walmsley, Editor in Chief of The Globe and Mail in Canada, and Creator of World News Day.