Miami (July 16, 2025) – With the participation of more than 160 journalists, editors, media executives, and entrepreneurs from 19 countries in the Americas and Europe, the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) inaugurated a new edition of SIPConnect today in Miami—its flagship conference on digital transformation and media sustainability.
Under the theme “Reinventing the Future of Media,” IAPA President José Roberto Dutriz welcomed participants with a clear message: “Free, independent, and quality journalism remains essential to our democracies. But the environment in which we work is redesigned at an unprecedented pace. If we are not the protagonists of that change, we will be its victims.”
The conference is structured around three strategic pillars: Explore, Co-create, and Connect. According to Dutriz, CEO and General Manager of La Prensa Gráfica in El Salvador, this means understanding phenomena like artificial intelligence, fostering inter-institutional collaboration, and rebuilding networks of trust in an increasingly fragmented information ecosystem. “It’s no longer enough to produce good journalism; we must find sustainable ways to fund, scale, and distribute it,” he added.
Dutriz highlighted the valuable presence of directors and representatives of national press associations that make up the IAPA. “Their participation in this conference is concrete evidence of the collective commitment we share. These regional alliances are essential to amplify our efforts, exchange best practices, defend freedom of expression more effectively, and develop joint strategies to address challenges that know no borders.”
IAPA’s Executive Director Carlos Lauría emphasized that the gathering is “not just an event about innovation, technology, or sustainability, but a space to reaffirm our core values. Because there can be no innovation if journalists are forced to self-censor. And there can be no sustainability if media outlets face economic suffocation as a form of punishment.”
Both leaders stressed that freedom of the press must be at the center of any conversation about the future of journalism. Lauría warned of the growing authoritarianism in the region, with governments of various ideological leanings adopting increasingly hostile positions toward the press. “Journalists forced into exile, newsrooms shut down, ambiguous laws enabling censorship—this all marks a critical stage for journalism in the Americas,” he said.
Over the coming days, SIPConnect 2025 will feature sessions on artificial intelligence, business models, audience development, emerging storytelling formats, press freedom, and sustainability. Participants include leaders from major newsrooms, independent media outlets, and tech startups from across the region.
AI will not only be a topic of discussion but also a hands-on, collaborative experience. Three intensive workshops have been designed for journalists, editors, and media executives. On Tuesday, Google’s AI-powered tool NotebookLM was presented in a workshop led by Mariana Alvarado of the Google News Initiative. This afternoon, Néstor Altuve will lead a strategic session on integrating AI into sustainable business models. And on Friday, Álvaro Liuzzi will conduct the AI First bootcamp, part of the Redacciones5G program—an immersive experience to redesign newsroom workflows through creativity, strategy, and journalistic judgment.
"May these days inspire us, challenge us, and help us build stronger, more innovative journalism—deeply connected to our communities," concluded Dutriz as he formally opened the conference.
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.