Miami (September 11, 2024) - The deterioration of democracy and its impact on freedom of expression and press freedom, the sustainability of media companies and the possibilities and threats that artificial intelligence poses to the media will be the main topics of the 80th General Assembly of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), to begin in just over a month in the city of Cordoba, Argentina.
During the meeting and considering the profound technological advances of the last six years, the IAPA will update the Salta Declaration on Freedom of Expression in the Digital Age, which was also approved in Argentina, during the 74th Assembly held in the city of Salta in 2018. The new text will seek to reflect IAPA's continued commitment to freedom of expression in the face of the challenges of new technologies, and especially artificial intelligence.
The assembly, under the slogan "Journalism of the present, journalism of the future", will feature distinguished speakers, such as Marty Baron, former editor of The Washington Post, who will offer his perspective on the presidential elections in the United States, to be held on Tuesday, November 5, a little more than two weeks after the end of the continental summit.
In addition, the special rapporteur for freedom of expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Pedro Vaca, will refer to the recent IACHR report on "Digital Inclusion and Internet Content Governance". And Gina Chua, executive editor of global news startup Semafor, will present on a panel on artificial intelligence applied to journalism.
During the event, the IAPA awards for journalistic excellence will be presented in its 13 categories, with which the organization distinguishes journalistic works of exceptional quality produced by reporters and media outlets in the continent.
In addition, the Grand Prize for Press Freedom, awarded this year to Journalism in Exile, will honor colleagues and media outlets in Latin that have increasingly been forced to internally displace or migrate to other countries due to violence, threats, and persecution by criminal groups, corrupt officials, and authoritarian governments. This award highlights the resilience and continued commitment of journalists and media to the truth, despite facing extremely difficult circumstances.
The Chapultepec Grand Prize, the organization's highest distinction, will be awarded in 2024 to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). This award highlights "commendable work in favor of press freeodm and freedom of expression as part of its fight and promotion for human rights," principles embodied in the Chapultepec Declaration." CPJ's CEO Jodie Ginsberg will receive the award.
The IAPA will also honor the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas with the Great Friend of the Press Award. This recognition is due to the Center's fundamental role in the training and development of journalists in Latin America and the Caribbean, thus strengthening the foundations of free and informed journalism. Rosental Calmon Alves, its founder and director, will receive the award.
The preliminary program is available at this link.
The presentation of these awards not only recognizes individual and organizational achievements, but also reaffirms the IAPA's commitment to the defense of press freedom and the protection of journalists throughout the region.
A previous activity is also scheduled for Wednesday 16 at the Siglo 21 University, with its state-of-the-art facilities designed based on a master plan drawn up by the renowned architect César Pelli, to analyze, together with academics from that university, the challenges that the context poses to media management.
The IAPA General Assembly will be an opportunity to enjoy the historic center of the city of Cordoba, with its four-hundred-year-old national university, its churches and civil buildings from the colonial era and its latest architectural developments.
Registrations are still open and those interested can register at this link. Additional details about the event, or specific inquiries, should be directed to Ms. Paola Dirube, [email protected]. The Quinto Centenario Hotel will host the event and reservations are available at this link.
The IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 publications from the western hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.
