The World Association of Newspapers and IFRA, the leading international associations for print and digital news publishing, have merged into a new organisation, the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).
The combined new organisation will represent more than 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3000 companies in more than 120 countries.
The merger, which becomes effective on July 1, has been approved by the membership of the two organisations. The new organisation will maintain the two current headquarters in Paris, France, and Darmstadt, Germany.
Gavin O’Reilly, the President of WAN and Group CEO of Dublin-based Independent News and Media, will serve as President of the new organization through 2010.
Horst Pirker, President of IFRA and CEO of Styria Medien AG in Austria, will serve as First Vice President, and become President in 2011.
The new organisation will appoint a Chief Executive Officer shortly.
WAN, founded in 1948, groups 78 national newspaper associations, individual newspaper executives and companies in more than 120 countries, 13 news agencies and nine regional press organisations.
IFRA, founded in 1961, groups more than 3,000 publishing companies and suppliers to the publishing industry from more than 70 countries. It is based in Darmstadt, Germany, with regional offices in the United States, Asia and Europe. |
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