WAN-IFRA Launches AI Leadership Program for Emerging News Executives
PARIS – The World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) announced Wednesday the launch of the NextGen AI Leaders Programme, a 12-week initiative aimed at equipping young media leaders with the skills to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence in journalism. The program, supported by the Google News Initiative (GNI), will focus on responsible AI adoption and strengthening newsroom management within smaller and mid-sized news organizations.
The tuition-free program seeks to bridge the innovation gap often seen between well-funded global newsrooms and their smaller counterparts, according to WAN-IFRA. It will select 24 emerging news executives, aged 25 to 40, from Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) currently in leadership roles within product, audience, commercial, and editorial departments.
“To take full advantage of the opportunities AI provides news publishers, we need a strong and diverse leadership today and especially tomorrow,” said Stig Ørskov, WAN-IFRA’s CEO. “WAN-IFRA is proud to support those rising through the ranks to lead the charge in using AI to ensure journalistic excellence and resilient news media businesses.”
The program will be structured as an “applied experimentation journey,” offering participants coursework and mentorship to address real-world management challenges. Live and online sessions will be combined to foster innovation and build AI fluency, ultimately empowering participants to shape how AI is developed and utilized within their organizations.
Google’s support will include training sessions led by experts on Google’s AI products and their application across various newsroom functions. Jaffer Zaidi, VP Global News Partnerships at Google, emphasized the GNI’s ongoing commitment to supporting journalists and publishers as they adapt to technological shifts. “Our latest collaboration with WAN-IFRA builds on years of partnership, now focusing on upskilling the next generation of news leaders to use AI tools for deeper audience engagement and digital storytelling,” Zaidi said.
The program will be facilitated by Anita Zielina, CEO of Better Leaders Lab, and Kaveh Waddell and Patrick Swanson, co-founders of the AI consulting lab Verso.
Applications are open from February 25 to March 15, 2026. The inaugural cohort will kick off on April 14 with a workshop held in conjunction with WAN-IFRA’s Frankfurt AI Forum. Participants will also have the opportunity to present AI system prototypes developed during the program at WAN-IFRA’s World News Media Congress in Marseille from June 1-3.
Those interested in learning more can contact Kevin Anderson, Director, Digital Revenue Network, WAN-IFRA, at [email protected].