European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) elected new President and members of the Board, Secretary General reelected

During the General assembly held in Vienna on Friday, October 8th, 2021, members of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) elected Mr Clemens Pig, Chairman and CEO of APA (Austria), as new President of the organization, for a 2 year mandate. Mr Fabrice Fries, President of AFP (France), and Mr Elmir Huremovic, General Manager of FENA (Bosnia & Herzegovina), were elected Board Members, joining Mr Clive Marshall, CEO of the PA Media Group (UK), who remains a member of the Board of EANA for one more year. Mr. Alexandru Giboi was reelected as the Secretary General of EANA for a mandate of three years.

“European news agencies are in the midst of the digital transformation of the entire media and communications industry. At enormous speed, the pandemic has presented all of us with additional major challenges: work processes in newsrooms have been radically disrupted by the mobile workplace, users’ digital media use has massively increased, and global technical networks have flushed phenomena such as disinformation and fake news from the margins of society into the digital centre of society,” Clemens Pig said in Vienna today.

“All of these developments also bear extraordinary opportunities and responsibilities for the European news agencies. Now in particular, professional exchange and cohesion within the European agency alliance is especially important, also and specifically when it comes to protecting individual news agencies from political pressure and attacks. I can build on the successful work of my predecessor Peter Kropsch, CEO of the German news agency dpa; our top priority remains the long-term safeguarding of independent news agency reporting,” added Clemens Pig, the new EANA President.

Fabrice Fries, the President of Agence France Presse, said: "I am honoured to join the board of EANA, which is a great forum to discuss and when possible address the many challenges news agencies face today.”

Elmir Huremovic, General Manager of FENA, underlined the importance of cooperation and the impact of EANA on the members: “I am sure that the new Board of EANA will help the organisation become even more important at the European and global level, and I am happy to be a part of this project”.

Clive Marshall, already 2-years member of the Board of EANA, said: "I congratulate my colleagues on their election to the board and I look forward to working with them under the guidance of our new President Clemens Pig.”

Alexandru Giboi, reconfirmed as Secretary General of EANA, underlined that he will always look towards the future of the organization: "Although I was the only one nominated for the position, it was not much easier for me than for the other candidates, because the trust shown by the EANA members only adds to the pressure and pushes me to constantly become better. I am looking forward to working with the new Board for the evolution and benefit of our organisation, in order to bring forth constant insight and opportunities for our members. Change has already begun, and EANA can only improve in the future."

About EANA

Founded on August 21st 1956, after a conference in Strasbourg, EANA is a cooperation and information exchange forum of European news agencies. EANA consists of 32 news agencies promoting and respecting quality journalism, copyright, access to quality information, technological development of media and, last but not least, freedom of press.