Read IPI’s Coverage of Panel Discussions and Other Events at the 61st Annual IPI World Congress in Trinidad and Tobago, June 23-26, 2012

SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 2012

9:30: Seminar on Covering Corruption

SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 2012

10:30: Opening Ceremony

• Wesley Gibbings, president, Association of Caribbean MediaWorkers
• Dawn Thomas, group CEO, One Caribbean Media Limited (OCM)
• Carl-Eugen Eberle, chairman of IPI; former director of legal affairs, ZDF – German Television

Keynote Speaker: The Honorable George Maxwell Richards, president of Trinidad and Tobago
• “Executive Director’s Report: The State of Press Freedom Worldwide”
Alison Bethel McKenzie, executive director, International Press Institute

13:00: Session I: “Roundtable Discussion on Freedom of Expression Trends Worldwide”

In this session, veteran journalist Peter Preston interviews the four special rapporteurs for freedom of expression, who represent the United Nations, the Organization of American States (OAS), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR).

Moderator:
• Peter Preston, columnist, The Guardian and The Observer; former editor, The Guardian, UK

Panellists:
• Catalina Botero, OAS Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression
• Frank La Rue, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression
• Dunja Mijatovic, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
• Pansy Tlakula, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, ACHPR

14:30: Session II: “The State of the State-Owned: A Look at the Role of State-Owned Media in Latin America, the Caribbean and Elsewhere”

In many parts of the world, broadcasters, newspapers and news agencies continue to be owned, controlled or funded by the state. Such media outlets may exist in competition with private or independent media, but often they are the sole source of news and can be misused for propaganda purposes. Panellists in this session will examine the state of state-owned media around the world and discuss whether government ownership can be beneficial to the public interest or if it always undermines economic and political freedoms.

Moderator:
• Pavol Múdry, founder and former CEO, SITA-Slovak News Agency, Slovakia

Panellists:
• Ken Ali, CEO, Caribbean New Media Group, Trinidad and Tobago
• Poonam Dabas, principal correspondent, Doordarshan News, India
• Julio E. Muñoz, executive director, Inter American Press Association, USA
• Attila Mong, journalism consultant, Mertek Media Monitor; editor, atlatszo.hu, Hungary

16:15: Session III: “Rising Tides: The Impact of Natural Disasters on Press Freedom”

With last year’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and the devastating earthquake in Haiti two years ago, still fresh in everyone’s minds, panellists will discuss how natural disasters can impact media freedom. How do governments and companies prevent journalists from accessing the information they need to inform the public? What can journalists do to circumvent attempts at censorship? And what role, if any, do governments and civil society have in assisting journalists in doing their jobs under such crisis situations?

Moderator:
• James Fahn, executive director, Earth Journalism Network, Internews, USA

Panellists:
• Odette Campbell, head of news, Grenada Broadcasting Network, Grenada
• Jacqueline Charles, Caribbean correspondent, The Miami Herald, USA
• Hajime Hikino, senior writer/science news, Chunichi Shimbun, Japan
• Sano Malifa, founder and editor-in-chief, Samoa Observer, Samoa

19:30: Welcome Reception

MONDAY, JUNE 25, 2012

9:00: Press Conference – “Joint Declaration on Crimes Against Freedom of Expression”

• Catalina Botero, OAS Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression
• Frank La Rue, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression
• Dunja Mijatovic, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
• Pansy Tlakula, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR)

9:30: Session IV: “Journalists Behind Bars: A Conversation with Eynulla Fatullayev and Nedim Sener”

Turkish journalist and IPI World Press Freedom Hero Nedim Sener spent one year in prison on charges of supporting an armed terrorist organisation. Although released in March, he still faces trial and a prison sentence of up to 15 years if convicted. Azerbaijani journalist Eynulla Fatullayev spent four years in prison based, in part, on alleged violations of anti-terrorism law. In this interactive, informal panel session, moderated by IPI deputy director and former CNN correspondent Anthony Mills, Sener and Fatullayev will discuss their respective experiences behind bars. Why were they really jailed? How were they treated? How did they cope? And why do they remain so defiant?

Moderator:
• Anthony Mills, deputy director, International Press Institute

Panellists:
• Eynulla Fatullayev, head, haqqin.az; chairman, Public Union for Human Rights, Azerbaijan
• Nedim Sener, investigative reporter and columnist, Posta, Turkey

11:00: Session V: “Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela: The Big Three and their Impact on Press Freedom in the Region”

Mexico, Cuba and Venezuela loom large in the Caribbean region with regard to freedom of expression and press freedom. In Cuba and Venezuela, journalists suffer to varying degrees under repressive regimes, while Mexico’s journalists are being caught in the crossfire between drug cartels and the military. To what extent is the situation in these countries impacting the media policies of other governments in the region? How is the situation for journalists affected?

Moderator:
• Davan Maharaj, editor and executive vice president, The Los Angeles Times, USA

Panellists:
• Catalina Botero, Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, OAS
• Cenovia Casas, editor-in-chief, El Nacional, Venezuela
• Marjorie Miller, Latin America and Caribbean editor, Associated Press, Mexico
• Marcela Turati, journalist, Proceso, Mexico

13:15: Session VI: “Colonial Legacies – Criminal Defamation in the Caribbean”

A colonial legacy, criminal defamation laws remain on the books in many countries in the Caribbean. Experts in this session will discuss the chilling effect of criminal defamation on freedom of expression and press freedom and the need to campaign for its abolishment not only in the Caribbean, but also in many developed countries, where their continued existence emboldens repressive regimes around the world.

Moderator:
• Toby Mendel, executive director, Centre for Law and Democracy, Canada

Panellists:
• Kwame Boafo, director and representative, UNESCO Kingston Cluster Office for the Caribbean
• Wesley Gibbings, president, Association of Caribbean MediaWorkers, Trinidad and Tobago
• Shena Stubbs, senior legal advisor/company secretary, The Gleaner Group of Companies, Jamaica

15:00: Session VII: “New Business Models: What’s Working Where”

In this session, representatives from different types of media – both traditional and online – and from various parts of the world will provide examples of how they are defying negative global trends through innovation and creativity, and succeeding in making money from journalism.

Moderator:
• Larry Kilman, deputy CEO and executive director of communications & public affairs, World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers, France

Panellists:
• Ryan Blethen, director, new product strategies, The Seattle Times, USA
• Narasimhan Ravi, director, The Hindu, India
• Charles M. Sennott, executive editor and vice president, GlobalPost, USA

16:30-18:00: IPI General Assembly

19:30: Gala Fundraising Dinner & Awards Ceremony

Dinner & Awards Ceremony at Hyatt Regency Trinidad, hosted by Surujrattan Rambachan, minister of foreign affairs and communications, Trinidad and Tobago

Presentation of “IPI World Press Freedom Hero” Award

David S. Rohde, investigative journalist and foreign affairs columnist, Thomson Reuters, USA

Presentation of “IPI Free Media Pioneer 2012” Award

Iryna Vidanava, founder and editor-in-chief, 34 Multimedia Magazine, Belarus

TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 2012

9:30: Parallel Session VIII/A: “Manipulating the Media: Government Advertising as a Reward or Punishment for Media Outlets”

Panellists will examine how governments around the world use advertising to manipulate the media and influence news coverage, placing more government ads for positive coverage and pulling their ads from ‘negative’ media. What can the media do to resist government attempts to control them through advertising?

Moderator:
• Jim Clancy, anchor and correspondent, CNN International, USA

Panellists:
• Clive Bacchus, managing director and editor-in-chief, Federation Media Group, Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Anand Persaud, editor-in-chief, Stabroek News, Guyana
• Eleanora Rabinovich, director, freedom of expression program, Association for Civil Rights, Argentina

9:30: Parallel Session VIII/B: “Digital Monetization for Media Groups”

In this session, experts will discuss some of the new ways that media outlets can digitally inform their communities, and at the same time, make money from the digital tools now available to journalists.

Powered by the IPI News Innovation Contest

Moderator:
• Ryan Blethen, director, new product strategies, The Seattle Times, USA

Speaker:
• Simon Morrison, copyright public policy manager, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Google, UK

Panellists:
• Salim Amin, chairman, A24 Media, Kenya
• Anthony Dara, founder and chief executive, NN24, Nigeria
• Fernando Samaniego, chief digital officer and advisor to the board, Grupo Ferre Rangel, Puerto Rico

11:15: Parallel Session IX/A: “Following the Money Trail – Covering Organised Crime and Corruption”

In this session, an international group of experts will tackle issues related to the dangers, obstacles and challenges of reporting on corruption and other illegal activities. How can media deter corruption? How can investigative journalism be promoted so that the media can expose corruption? Can technology and social networking improve coverage? How can journalists collaborate internationally on investigations into corruption?

Moderator:
• David Kaplan, investigative journalist, Global Center for Investigative Journalism, USA

Panellists:
• Sheila Coronel, founding director of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalists; Toni Stabile Professor of Professional Practice in Investigative Journalism, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, USA
• Adriana León, press freedom coordinator, Institute for Press and Society, Peru
• Juanita León, founder and director, LaSillaVacia.com, Colombia
• Galina Sidorova, chairperson, Foundation for Investigative Journalism, Foundation 19/29; former editor-in-chief, Sovershenno Secretno, Russia

11:15: Parallel Session IX / B: “Going Beyond Borders: Covering Breaking News in Your Own Backyard and Making Sure Your Story Gets Out to the Rest of the World”

When the big story breaks, the newspapers and networks go into action, sending their major leaguers to the scene – CNN, The New York Times, Al Jazeera. How do you make sure that you can report the story happening in your backyard from your point of view and not be overshadowed by the foreign media?

Moderator:
• Wesley Gibbings, president, Association of Caribbean MediaWorkers, Trinidad and Tobago

Panellists:
• Salim Amin, chairman, A24 Media, Kenya
• Ahmad Ibrahim, head of investigative unit, Al Jazeera, Qatar
• Canute James, director, Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication, University of the West Indies, Jamaica
• John Yearwood, world editor, The Miami Herald, USA

13:30: Session X: “Online Media Ethics and the Promotion of Quality Journalism in a Changing Media Landscape”

As mainstream media increasingly find themselves competing with the Internet and as new technologies and social networking give rise to new forms of journalism, how are the core values of traditional journalism – such as accuracy, impartiality and editorial oversight – being affected? Are existing ethical codes suitable for today’s different forms of journalism? How can we promote ethical, quality journalism in a changing media landscape?

Moderator:
• George Brock, professor and head of journalism, City University; former managing editor, The Times, UK

Panellists:
• Kwame Laurence, online editor, Trinidad Express, Trinidad and Tobago
• Javier Darío Restrepo, head, Fundacíon Nuevo Periodismo Iberoamericano, Colombia
• Yvette Walker, Edith Kinney Gaylord Endowed Chair of Journalism Ethics, University of Central Oklahoma; night news director, The Oklahoman, USA

14:30: Session XI: “Dateline Earth – Covering the Environment”

Journalists play a crucial role in providing the information that policymakers and the public need to understand the complexity of today’s most pressing environmental challenges. Is the media doing enough to raise awareness? How can it improve its coverage – in terms of both quantity and quality – of this most global of issues? With threats to environmental journalists on the rise, how can journalists protect themselves on the green beat?

Moderator:
• Curtis Brainard, editor, The Observatory, Columbia Journalism Review, USA

Panellist:
• Lovelette Brooks, news editor, The Gleaner, Jamaica
• Gustavo Faleiros, Knight International Journalism Fellow; journalist, O Eco, Brazil
• Günther Mayr, head, science news department, Austrian Broadcasting Corporation, Austria

16:00: Session XII: “Moving from the Newsroom to the State House: The Journalist as Political Mouthpiece”

In this session, panellists will discuss the phenomenon of prominent journalists leaving their jobs with mainstream media to work for the government – often as press secretaries, spokespersons or communications directors. Can, or should, they use their media experience to enhance the relationship between government and media? Are their new jobs, by definition, partisan? Does their presence in the administration lead to favourable treatment of the government in the news media?

Moderator:
• Verena Nowotny, partner, Gaisberg Consulting; former spokesperson, Austrian Mission to the United Nations; former spokesperson of the Austrian federal chancellor, Austria

Panellists:
• Byron Buckley, associate editor, The Gleaner Company Ltd, Jamaica
• Andy Johnson, CEO, Government Information Services; former host, “Morning Edition,” TV6, Trinidad and Tobago
• Labaran Maku, minister of information and communication, Federal Republic of Nigeria
• Lance Price, writer and political commentator; former director of communications, Labour Party, UK

18:00: Closing Ceremony

Diplomatic Center, Port of Spain

• Kiran Maharaj, president, Trinidad and Tobago Publishers and Broadcasters Association; managing director, CL Communications

Keynote Speaker:
• Kamla Persad-Bissessar, prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago

Reception hosted by the prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago