NEWS WORLD SUMMIT Organized by the Global Editors Network November 27-30, 2011 Hong-Kong

Ehsan Ahmed Sehar  Imtiaz Alam and Mehmal Sarfraz represent Pakistan

The Global Editors Network is a new media association launched in 2011 by 26 of the world’s leading news executives and media thinkers. Its aim is to build a coalition of talent from across all platforms (print, broadcast, mobile) and to become the first international association dedicated to promoting high-quality journalism in the world of media convergence. Bertrand Pecquerie CEO of the Global Editors Network says that GEN’s objective is to define the future of journalism by empowering the editors-in-chief and senior news executives looking for the preservation of editorial quality and ethical standards. He informed that GEN’s founding members come from CNN,The New York Times, BBC, El PaisThe Guardian, Aftenposten,Le Monde, Zeit Online, IndiaToday, Clarin, Nation Group,Cosas…….. and all of them are producers of world-class journalism.

Global Editors Network  organized the first News World Summit  in Kowloon Shangri La hotel Hong Kong from November 27-30,2011 which brought more than 200 Editors-in-Chief and news executives from all  platforms including print ,broadcast, digital and mobile. GEN sponsored 25 media persons from third world including three Pakistanis Ehsan Ahmed Sehar President Rural Media Network Pakistan, Imtiaz Alam Secretary General South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA) and Mrs. Mehmal Sarfraz Op-ed Editor Daily Times Lahore. Participants gathered in the lobby of the Kowloon Shangri La hotel at 6 PM on 27th November to attend Welcome Dinner co-hosted by Hong Kong Tourism Board and The Information Services Department, The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region at the Jumbo Floating Restaurant. Members of the organizing committee and GEN General Secretary Marie Pecquerie were present there who earlier gave conference badges to all participants. Participants were taken to Jumbo restaurant in buses who entered its premises while boarding on boats. They enjoyed with the hospitality of Hong-Kong Tourism Board and Information services Department as vegetarians also tasted special Chinese dishes served in dinner ceremony.

The Honorable Donald Tsang, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrator Region of the People’s Republic of China inaugurated News World Summit on November 28, 2011 at 9 A.M. President Global Editors Network Xavier Vidal-Folch while welcoming chief guest told that we are delighted for our first global summit, to be in Hong Kong one of the hubs of Asian influence and innovation in the world of mobile news. He informed Mr. Donald Tsang that GEN’s theme for three days conference is “GO EAST WHAT TO LEARN FROM ASIAN MEDIA” .He thanked GEN’s friends at the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the Information Services Department of the Government of Hong Kong, for all the help they have extended to GEN in making this event a success. Mr. Donald Tsang welcomed the delegates and highlighted the importance of Hong Kong in Communication & Information Sector.

Julian Assange, Founder and Editor-in-Chief Wikileaks,Ms Meredith Artley Vice President CNN Digital, Jim Chisholm, Media Consultant UK, Fan Gang, Director National Institute of Economic Research of China, Joichi Ito, Director of the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),Wadah Khanfar, Former Director General of Al Jazeera Network, Jimmy Lai,Chairman, Next  Media and Paul Steiger, Editor-in-Chief and Founder, ProPublica were the keynote speakers in three days long GEN’s conference. Participants took deep interest in various presentations and joined the discussions in different sessions especially on mobile newsgathering, social networks, the Wiki leaks effect, newsroom management China’s soft power rising, adopt a four screen strategy; mobile, tablet, Pc,ipTV and Ethical Journalism. President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar, Secretary General SAFMA Imtiaz Alam and Chairman Press Council of India Justice Markanday Katju spoke in two sessions and presented their point of view. President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar demanded of GEN’s management to include Press Freedom Roundtable in next conferences. He congratulated CEO Bertrand Pecquerie and President Xavier Vidal-Folch and GEN management for organizing a splendid event in Hong Kong. Former General Secretary General International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Consultant Global Editors Network Aidan White held a meeting with sponsored editors and stressed on ethical journalism. He also conducted a session on Ethical journalism after News of the World on November 29,2011 as a moderator while Cliff Buddle Acting Editor-in-Chief South China Morning Post, Hong Kong, Francois Dufour,Editor-in-Chief, playbac  Presse, France,Tom Kent,Standards Editor,AP,USA, Aroon Purie,Editor-in-Chief and Publisher India Today,India , Mr Aardian Stoop,Board Member Stiching Democracie en Media,The Netherlands and Bambang Harymurti, CEO Tempo Indonesia were the panelists of this session. Mr Aidan white who is leading and famous press freedom advocate announced to launch a multiplatform Coalition for Ethical Journalism in 2012.