CNN’s Errol Barnett to Lead IPI World Congress Discussion with Josh Cohen of Google News, Other Experts, on New Information Platforms * Panel to look at Impact of New Technologies on Mainstream Media and Press Freedom

Vienna (Austria) 18 March (PROTEXT/ots) - Errol Barnett, host of CNN International’s "Report for iCNN", will lead a panel discussion on Sunday, 12 September, during the IPI World Congress in Vienna and Bratislava this September. Titled "Found News? The New Platforms for Delivering Information," the panel will look at the explosion of information platforms and devices - the world of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Amazon’s Kindle and the Apple iPad - and their impact on the news industry and freedom of the press. Barnett, who also anchors CNN’s "World Report", has been integral in incorporating social media into CNN’s breaking news reports, including the aftermath of the Iran elections, the terrorist bombings in Jakarta and Israel’s offensive in Gaza in late 2008 and early 2009. "The new media technologies have proven to be a powerful ally of press freedom," said IPI Deputy Director Alison Bethel McKenzie. "As a means of disseminating information and countering government efforts to muzzle freedom of opinion and expression, they have often been invaluable, as witnessed everywhere from Iran to Tibet to Burma." The "Found News" panel will feature a leading line-up of expert speakers, including Josh Cohen, senior business product manager at Google News, where he is responsible for global product strategy, marketing and publisher outreach. Prior to joining Google, Cohen was vice president of business development for Reuters, where he was responsible for content distribution, revenue generation and strategic investment agreements with AOL, Google, MSN, Yahoo! and numerous other media companies around the world. In addition to Cohen, the other panellists slated to take part in the discussion are: Jeff Howe, contributing editor at Wired magazine, influential blogger and author of the seminal book, "Crowdsourcing: Why the Power of the Crowd Is Driving the Future of Business"; Hannes Ametsreiter, chairman of the management board of the Telekom Austria Group, the largest telecommunications company in Austria with international operations in seven additional European countries; and Rajesh Kalra, chief editor of Times Internet Ltd., the digital arm of The Times Group of India. To see the biographies of all the speakers, as well as more about the programme and the IPI World Congress in general, visit the official Congress website: http://www.ipiworldcongress.com. The 2010 IPI World Congress is the pivotal event of IPI’s 60th anniversary year and will be held in the "twin cities" of Vienna and Bratislava, Slovakia, from 11-14 September 2010. Previously an information hub between East and West, Vienna is host to many major international organisations, including the IAEA, OSCE and OPEC, and is the uncontested media centre of Austria, with the headquarters of all the major Austrian print and broadcast media located here. During the World Congress, IPI’s affiliate, the South East Europe Media Organization (www.seemo.org), will celebrate its 10th anniversary of fighting for press freedom in southeastern Europe. Parallel to the World Congress, IPI will also hold a "New Media & High-Tech Innovations Exhibition", showcasing the latest in new media technologies and information platforms. IPI’s partners for the World Congress include: Google, OMV, Samsung Electronics Ltd, Telekom Austria Group, the City of Vienna, Twin City Liner and Austrian Airlines, the official carrier. IPI’s media partners for the Congress include: Austrian Broadcasting Corporation, Der Standard newspaper and Austria Presse Agentur. Follow all the latest news about the World Congress on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/ipi_woco2010 or on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/International-Press-Institute/317946993679?ref =mf For more information, please contact: Michael Kudlak Conference and Events Manager, International Press Institute (IPI) Tel.: +431-512 90 11 E-mail: mkudlak@freemedia.at Web: http://www.freemedia.at