International Press Institute

The International Press Institute (IPI), was founded in October 1950, when “34 editors from 15 countries met at Columbia University in New York to form a global organisation dedicated to the promotion and protection of press freedom and the improvement of the practices of journalism.

”The idea for such an organisation evolved in the aftermath of the Second World War and the International Press Institute (IPI) was founded on the belief that a free press would contribute to the creation of a better world.

"Today, IPI has grown into a truly global organisation with members in over 120 countries. What began as a small enterprise in the early 1950's has expanded to become an ongoing dialogue between journalists throughout the world."

"IPI... established the Free Media Pioneer Award in 1996 to recognize individuals and organizations that have fought against great odds to ensure freer and more independent media in their countries. The award is cosponsored by the U.S.-based Freedom Forum, a foundation dedicated to promoting freedom of the press around the world."

Criticism

In March 2008, Michael Barker, argued that the IPI is "key member of the global democracy manipulating establishment" which includes groups like the National Endowment for Democracy.

Executive Board

Chairman:

• Piotr Niemczycki, Publisher, Gazeta Wyborcza, Vice President of the Management Board, Agora SA, Poland

Vice Chairmen:

• Mark Damazer, Controller, BBC Radio 4 and BBC7, London, UK
• Vuslat Dogan Sabanci, Chief Executive Officer, Hürriyet, Istanbul, Turkey
• Simon Li, Assistant Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Board Members:

• Mário Bettencourt Resendes, Journalist, Global Notícias Publicacoes, SA, Portugal
• Kavi Chongkittavorn, Assistant Group Editor, The Nation Multimedia Group, Thailand
• Victor de la Serna, Deputy Editor, El Mundo, Spain
• Charles Eisendrath, Director, Knight-Wallace Fellows, USA
• Stig Finslo, Director, Orkla Media, Norway
• Fredy Gsteiger, Producer, "Echo der Zeit", Swiss Broadcasting Corp., Switzerland
• Lev Gushchin, Editor-in-Chief, Novoe Russkoe Slovo Newspaper, Russia
• So-Whan Hyon, Editor-in-Chief, News and News.com, Korea
• Isma'ila Isa, Publisher, CEO, New Africa Holdings Ltd., The Democrat, Nigeria
• Wilfred Kiboro, Group Chief Executive, Nation Media Group Ltd., Kenya
• Joachim Lenz, Former Programme Director, Deutsche Welle Radio & DW World, Germany
• Ivan Lipovecz, Advisor/Chairman of the Board, Heti Vilaggazdasag (HVG), Hungary
• Tami Litani, Deputy Editor, Haaretz, Israel
• Bo Maltesen, Editor-in-Chief, Politiken, Denmark
• Amit Mathew, Resident Editor & General Manager, The Malayala Manorama Co. Ltd., India
• Mitja Mersol, Editor-at-Large, Delo, Slovenia
• Russell A. Mills, Dean, School of Media and Design, Algonquin College, Canada
• Bartolomé Mitre, Director, La Nación, Argentina
• Barney Mthombothi, Editor, Financial Mail, South Africa
• Yoshio Murakami, Advisor for International Affairs, Asahi Shimbun, Japan
• Janne Virkkunen, Senior Editor-in-Chief, Helsingin Sanomat, Finland

Affiliate Board Member:

• Radomir Licina, Chairman of the SEEMO Board, Chairman of the Board/Senior Editor, Danas, Serbia

Director:

• Johann P. Fritz

Former Chairmen

• 2004-2006: Wilfred D. Kiboro, Group Chief Executive, Nation Media Group Ltd., Nairobi, Kenya
• 2002-2004: Jorge E. Fascetto, Chairman of the Board, Diario El Día, La Plata, Argentina
• 2000-2002: Hugo Bütler, Editor-in-Chief, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Zurich, Switzerland
• 1998-2000: Moegsien Williams, Editor, Cape Argus, Cape Town, South Africa
• 1997-1998: Eugene L. Roberts, Managing Editor, The New York Times, New York, USA
• 1995-1997: Peter Preston, Editor-in-Chief, The Guardian & Observer, London, UK
• 1993-1995: David Laventhol, Editor-at-Large, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, USA
• 1991-1993: Cushrow R. Irani, Editor-in-Chief & Managing Director, The Statesman Ltd., Calcutta, India
• 1990-1991: Per Erik Lönnfors, Finnish News Agency (STT/FNB), Helsinki, Finland
• 1988-1990: Enrique Zileri, Caretas, Lima, Peru
• 1986-1988: Juan Luis Cebrian, El País, Madrid, Spain
• 1984-1986: Richard Leonard, The Milwaukee Journal, Milwaukee, USA
• 1982-1984: Max L. Snijders, Utrechts Nieuwsblad, Utrecht, Netherlands
• 1980-1982: Cushrow R. Irani, The Statesman Ltd., Calcutta, India
• 1978-1980: C. Ranald Macdonald, The Age, Melbourne, Australia
• 1976-1978: Olof Wahlgren, Sydvenska Dagbladet, Malmö, Sweden
• 1974-1976: Paul Ringler, The Milwaukee Journal, Milwaukee, USA
• 1972-1974: L. K. Jakande, Nigerian Tribune, Lagos, Nigeria
• 1970-1972: Sally Aw Sian, Sing Tao Jih Pao, Hong Kong
• 1968-1970: Hans A. Kluthe, Werra Rundschau, Eschwege, Germany
• 1966-1968: C. E. L. Wickremesinghe, The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon, Colombo, Ceylon
• 1964-1966: Barry Bingham, Courier-Journal & Louisville Times, Louisville, USA
• 1962-1964: Allan Hernelius, Svenska Dagbladet, Stockholm, Sweden
• 1960-1962: Donald Tyerman, The Economist, London, UK
• 1958-1960: Urs Schwarz, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Zurich, Switzerland
• 1956-1958: Oskar Pollak, Arbeiter Zeitung, Vienna, Austria
• 1954-1956: Eljas Erkko, Helsingin Sanomat, Helsinki, Finland
• 1951-1954: Lester Markel, The New York Times, New York, NY, USA

Accesses Nov 2006

Contact

Spiegelgasse 2
A-1010 Vienna
Austria
Tel: (+ 43 1) 512 90 11
Fax: (+ 43 1) 512 90 14
E-mail: ipi AT freemedia.at
Web: http://www.freemedia.at

==Articles and resources

External links

• Michael Barker, "Media Manipulation and the United Nations: UNESCO Severs Ties to Democracy Manipulators?, Center for Research on Globalization, March 24, 2008.