The Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI), the world’s oldest global press freedom organisation, opened its annual World Congress on Saturday with a reception at the Hotel Savoyen, Vienna.

The Congress, which will mark 60 years since the founding of the organisation, will see over 360 participants from 62 countries join the four-day programme.  Under the title “Thinking the Unthinkable: Are We Losing the News? – Media Freedom in the New Media Landscape” the global gathering will discuss the changing media landscape and press freedom issues across the world.

Opening the Congress, IPI Interim Director Alison Bethel McKenzie said: “We are extremely pleased to see so many representatives from so many countries and from all across the media: newspapers, broadcast, online and academics.

“I encourage you to continue the fight for a world where press freedom is no longer an issue.”

Speaking also at the event were Alexandra Foederl-Schmid, editor of Austria’s Der Standard newspaper, IPI Executive Board Member and senior member of the IPI Austrian National Committee, as well as Pavol Mudry, IPI Executive Board Member and head of the IPI World Congress Slovakian Host Committee.

Both Foederl-Schmid and Mudry highlighted the closeness of the “twin cities” Vienna and Bratislava both in proximity and historical ties.

Held in both Vienna and Bratislava, the IPI World Congress will also host an Award Ceremony and Dinner on Monday 13 September at Vienna City Hall, in honour of the IPI’s 60 World Press Freedom Heroes.  Over the past eight months IPI has announced eight new IPI World Press Freedom Heroes – Lasantha Wickremasinghe, Laurence Gandar, May Chidiac, Lydia Cacho, Yoani Sanchez, Akbar Ganji, Nedim Sener and Pap Saine.  They join 52 existing IPI Heroes, to make up the full 60 marking IPI’s 60th year defending press freedom around the globe.