WAN-Ifra has gained support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to hold a strategic data journalism masterclass during the World Editors Forum in Bangkok in June.

“Big data has changed journalism forever, but many newsrooms need advice on launching, improving and managing data journalism projects,” says deputy chief executive and communications and public affairs director Larry Kilman.

The three-hour workshop is for participants of the 20th World Editors Forum, 65th World Newspaper Congress and 23rd World Advertising Forum, being held in the Thai capital from June 2-5. It will provide strategic insight, case studies and skills and tools to allow editors to ensure that data is being effectively analysed and used for improved storytelling. It will be conducted by Justin Arenstein, an investigative journalist, OpenData advocate and social entrepreneur who is working with Google, the African Media Initiative, the International Centre For Journalists and others to improve investigative reporting.

More than 1200 chief editors, publishers, chief executives, managing directors and other senior media executives from 60 countries are expected to attend the Editors Forum, World Newspaper Congress and World Advertising Forum.

Speakers include:



- Gracia C. Matore, the President and CEO of the United States’ largest newspaper chain, Gannett, Inc., publisher of USA Today;



- Kevin Beatty, CEO of A&N Media in the United Kingdom and Managing Director of Associated Newspapers Ltd, publisher of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday, Metro and Loot as well as a series of leading websites;



- Robin Wu, CEO of the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong and formerly Senior Executive Vice President of Singapore Press Holdings, where he headed the Chinese newspaper division;



- Tobias Trevisan, Managing Director of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, one of Germany’s leading dailies;



- David Rowan, Editor of Wired magazine in the United Kingdom and a well-known expert on future trends;



- Javier Moreno Barber, Editor of El País, who has taken the prestigious Spanish daily through significant economic and editorial change;



- Supakorn Vejjajiva, President and Chief Operating Office of Post Publishing in Thailand, publisher of the Bangkok Post, which is about to launch its second daily, Post Today, a Thai-language business newspaper;



- John Stackhouse, Editor-in-chief of Canada’s national newspaper, The Globe & Mail;

- Wong Chun Wai, Executive Director and Group Chief Editor of The Star, the largest English daily in Malaysia.

Full details at http://www.wan-ifra.org/bangkok2013



The Congress, which takes the theme, “Innovate. Inspire. Interact,” focusses on news media strategy and business issues. The Editors Forum examines newsroom issues in the transformational age, while the Advertising Forum deals with organisation of sales departments, research, sales techniques and trends in media advertising. Delegates can attend any of the conferences and sessions with a single registration.

An array of social events, gala dinners and lunches support the events.