| NEW
DELHI: The World Newspaper Congress, World Editors Forum and Info Services Expo,
slated for March this year in Hyderabad, has been postponed due to the impact
of the global financial downturn on newspaper companies. The
meet, organised by the World Association of Newspapers and scheduled from 22 to
25 March, has been put off to be held from 30 November to 3 December, subject
to confirmation. "These
events have been hugely successful in recent years, with growing participation
and great programmes. We want our first Congress and Forum in India, the world’s
biggest democracy and a flourishing press market, to continue this trend. But
the economic conditions simply don¹t allow that at this precise moment,"
said Paris-based WAN Chief Executive Officer Timothy Balding.
"The
economic crisis has hit travel and conference budgets and has had a profound impact
on participation in the events. Our belief is that newspaper companies will, by
necessity, learn to live with the crisis over the year and be more willing to
invest again in conferences and travel by the end of the year," he added.
Last year’s event drew more than 1,800 participants from 113 countries
to Göteborg, Sweden, a record for the 61-year old conference. The
Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry, defends and
promotes press freedom and the professional and business interests of newspapers
worldwide. Representing 18,000 newspapers, its membership includes 77 national
newspaper associations, newspaper companies and individual newspaper executives
in 102 countries, 12 news agencies and 11 regional and worldwide press groups. | 
