The International Press Institute (IPI) and the Blinken OSA Archivum are delighted to announce a partnership to host the 2027 IPI World Congress and Media Innovation Festival at Central European University’s (CEU) Nádor Street building in Budapest.
The 2027 World Congress will bring together the world’s leading journalists, editors, and media leaders in Budapest from May 12 to 14, 2027. The event marks a symbolic return 35 years after IPI hosted its 1992 Congress in Budapest and comes at a pivotal transition moment for Hungary as the country offers a possible roadmap for renewal of democracy and press freedom.
The partnership with the Blinken OSA Archivum, a research centre and archives of the CEU — a long-time champion of open society, academic freedom, and freedom of thought — reflects a shared institutional commitment to press freedom, the role of independent media in free society, and the importance of preserving and sharing the historical record of the struggle for press freedom globally.
Blinken OSA Archivum will serve as a host and partner of the 2027 IPI World Congress, ensuring the event’s return to Budapest and enriching the programme through elements that explore connections between press freedom, journalism, and the historical record, drawing on the Archivum’s expertise and collections related to media history and press freedom.
Congress participants will be able to access guided tours of the Archivum’s collections of materials relevant to press freedom and media history, including holdings from RFE/RL (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) Research Institute, Index on Censorship, and the Archivum’s other archival materials, such as the Black Box Independent Video Journal or Budapest Week.
In the future, the Blinken OSA Archivum will also host the digitised IPI Reports, IPI’s flagship publication between 1952 and 2005 and a central forum for documentation and debate on global developments in journalism, media, and media freedom. More details will be announced soon.
“We’re proud to partner with the Blinken OSA Archivum in bringing the IPI World Congress back to Budapest, a cooperation that reflects a shared commitment to defending press freedom,” IPI Executive Director Scott Griffen said. “And we’re honoured to be hosted by the CEU, an ideal and meaningful setting for the strategic, collaborative conversations we need on safeguarding the future of independent journalism.”
“Our partnership goes back to consulting on the IPI 75: Solidarity, innovation, resilience online exhibition featuring IPI’s archival treasures last year. We are pleased that it has broadened to include a long-term archival project, as well as the co-organising of the 2027 IPI World Congress. It demonstrates our joint effort to document struggles for and protect and promote media freedom,” added Csaba Szilágyi, the Archivum’s Acting Director and Chief Archivist.
About the IPI World Congress and Media Innovation Festival
The IPI World Congress has brought together members of the IPI global network and the wider media freedom community for nearly eight decades, often at turning points in history. Following IPI’s landmark 75th anniversary Congress in Vienna in October 2025, the event now takes place every second year.
Alongside the Congress, the Media Innovation Festival will once again bring together media innovators, entrepreneurs, and publishers to share, learn, and explore new approaches to building sustainable, independent media.
The 2027 Congress will also feature the World Press Freedom Hero and Free Media Pioneer awards ceremony, honouring exceptional courage and resilience in journalism.
Join the event
More information on registration, programme topics and speakers will be available soon. Follow IPI on our channels and sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear.
Interested in becoming a sponsor for the 2027 IPI World Congress and Media Innovation Festival? Write to us at [email protected] for more information.