EANA Conference Taking Place in Slovakia for First Time Ever
Bratislava, September 21 (TASR) – Directors of prominent European news agencies are set to meet in Bratislava for a three-day conference (September 21-23) in order to discuss the strengthening of the independence of agencies in the digital era, TASR learnt on Wednesday.
This is the first time ever that a conference of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) and the EANA General Assembly is being hosted by the News Agency of the Slovak Republic (TASR) in Slovakia. As many as 33 delegations, with EANA President Clive Marshall of Great Britain’s Press Association (PA) at the forefront, have accepted invitations.
“More than 30 directors and CEOs of renowned agencies, including France’s AFP, Germany’s DPA and Britain’s PA, will come to Bratislava. I can’t remember any such concentration of media leaders ever taking place in Slovakia,” said TASR general director Jaroslav Reznik.
“The agencies perceive their new role in the digital era as an opportunity, not as a threat,” said TASR editor-in-chief Marian Kolar, adding that the conference will deal with the development of news agency services that boost their independence. “EANA encompasses agencies with various kinds of ownership – private, public, owned by media or acting as public service agencies. All their work is based on editorial independence,” stressed Kolar.
Facebook Head of Media Partnerships EMEA Nick Wrenn will be in attendance as well.
According to EANA Secretary General Eric Nylen, the conference involves both powerful delegations and a strong agenda. He considers the choice of Slovakia as the host country to be a logical and justified move. “TASR has been one of the active members of our organisation in the long term,” he noted.
In addition, DPA will receive the EANA award, and the EANA General Assembly will elect the new EANA president.
EANA is a professional organisation of European news agencies based in Geneva, Switzerland. It was established in 1956 and is an association of the dominant agencies from individual countries, but with only one agency from each state.
