Programme

It is difficult to imagine modern politics without the active participation of the media. Increasingly, the media not only performs an informational function but may also act as a participant in conflicts. Can we say that the media in the 21st century are merely observers of global affairs, covering international conflicts in an unbiased manner? What is the impact of media companies as information wars become increasingly important strategically and episodes have increased in frequency? If the media is indeed the fourth pillar of power, is the responsible use of the media essential to the world order? How might changes in the media impact global politics?

Moderators
Mikhail Gusman, Chairman, Russian National Committee of UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication; Vice-President, News Agency World Council (NACO)
Clive Marshall, Chief Executive Officer, Press Association Group

Mikhail Gusman

Chairman, Russian National Committee of UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication; Vice-President, News Agency World Council (NACO)

Born January 23, 1950, in Baku (Azerbaijan).
Graduated from the Azerbaijani University of Foreign Languages and the Department of journalism at the Baku Higher School of Political Sciences.
Worked as a Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Youth Organization of the Azerbaijani, Information Department Chief and Director of the Press center at the Committee of Youth Organization of the USSR, Director General of the "Infomol" Association for Cooperation in Information and then was a Vice-President of the "ANKOM-TASS" International Analytic Agency.
In 1998 joined ITAR-TASS News Agency as a Chief of the ITAR-TASS Department for International Cooperation and then became Deputy Director-General.
Mr. Gusman is Russian Federation Representative at UNESCO's Intergovernmental Program for the Development of Communication (IPDC), Executive Secretary of the World Association of the Russian Press (WARP), Vice-President of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA).
Author of scripts to numerous TV films and shows; author and presenter of the "Formula of Power" TV program.
In 2003 Mr. Gusman was awarded a State Prize of the Russian Federation for the "Formula of Power" television series.
Fellow member of the International Academy of Information, Professor, Doctor of Political Science.
Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation. Besides he was awarded the Ernst Muhlemann Prize in Journalism (Switzerland). He has state awards of Russia, Azerbaijan, Italy and other countries.

Clive Marshall

Chief Executive Officer, Press Association Group

Clive Marshall is Chief Executive of PA Group, the parent company of the Press Association, UK’s leading multimedia news agency and digital content & service provider.
Since taking up the role in February 2010, Clive has led the successful transformation of the business, implementing a strategy to reduce the Group’s reliance on the traditional media sector, and consolidate its position as the preeminent supplier of multimedia content and services to customers in the UK, while the Group has grown profit in several non‐media sectors including racing and betting, marketing services and video streaming.
Clive was previously Chief Executive of the Australian Associated Press (AAP).
With nearly 40 years of experience in the international media industry, he has held senior positions at a number of news organisations, including Canada’s CNW Group, Reed Elsevier Plc and Trinity Newspapers Limited.
In addition to his executive responsibilities Clive is chairman of Baize Group a leading provider of editorial, events and PR services to the motoring industry, a member of the Advisory Board of Sheffield University’s Department of Journalism, and a Trustee of the Royal National Children's Springboard Foundation.

Panellists
Armela Krasniqi, General Director, Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA)
Sergey Mikhaylov, General Director, Russian News Agency TASS
Gary Pruitt, President, Chief Executive Officer, Associated Press (AP)
José Manuel Sanz, Director of International Relations, EFE
Hiroki Sugita, Executive Director, Kyodo News
Fabrice Fries, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, AFP

Armela Krasniqi

General Director, Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA)

WORK EXPERIENCE
23/11/2017-Present Director General of Albanian Telegraphic Agency
01/11/2013–22/11/2017 Director of the Department of Communication and Public Relations
Office of the Prime Minister of Albania
01/04/2007–01/11/2013 Director of Communication and Public Relations / Spokesman of Socialist Party of Albania
01/02/2003–31/03/2007 Media and Communication Advisor
General Directorate of Taxation
2002–2007 Reporter / Anchor Woman / Program Director
News 24 (Private Television) and TVA (Private Television), Tirane (Albania)
www.balkanweb.com
Business or sector Information and communication
01/01/2000–31/12/2002 Director of News Department of Albanian Public Television
01/10/1999–31/01/2001 Anchor Woman / Moderator of Albanian Public Television
01/06/1998–31/12/1999 Anchor Woman / Reporter of Shijak TV (The first Albanian private television), Tirane (Albania)
01/04/1991–01/06/1998 Reporter (part-time) at Albanian Public Radio and Television

EDUCATION AND TRAINING
01/09/1996–01/07/1998 Bachelor in Journalism and Communication
University of Tirana
Fakulteti i Historisë dhe i Filologjisë | Rr. Elbasanit, Tiranë, Tirane (Albania)
01/09/1998–01/10/1999 Master of Science in Journalism and Communication
University of Tirana
Fakulteti i Historisë dhe i Filologjisë | Rr. Elbasanit, Tiranë, Tirane (Albania)
01/09/1994–07/07/1998 High School Diploma

PERSONAL SKILLS
Mother tongue(s) Albanian
Other language(s) English – Italian – French
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Work Practice Work practice in the Presidency of Umbria Region in Italy, attached to the spokesman of the President during the whole 2 months practice. Meanwhile, i was also employed without remuneration from the regional newspaper, "Corriere Del Umbria", acting as a reporter for this newspaper in italian language.
Duration: January and February 2003
Location: Umbria, Italy
Projects Institution: Baltic Media Center
Topic: Woman and Human Rights in Balkans Dates (from-to): 1999-2000 (4 months)
Location: Athens
Courses Institution: South East Europe Institute
Topic: Investigative Journalism (2002)
Location of courses: Montenegro

PUBLICATIONS
▪ The End of Portrets, 1992 (poetry)
▪ The eclipse of silence, 1995 (poetry)

Sergey Mikhaylov

General Director, Russian News Agency TASS

Sergey Vladimirovich Mikhaylov was born in Arkhangelsk on March 17, 1971.
He graduated from the Faculty of International Information (Journalism) of Moscow State University for International Relations (MGIMO), Department of Public Relations.
1990 - 1991 - President, Association of Young Journalists “OKO”.
1992 - 1993 - Co-founder and partner of the “Ya” Corporation” advertising agency.
One of the founders of Russia’s PR industry. 1993-2004 - Founder and Managing Partner, “Mikhaylov & Partners” Public Relations Agency.
2004 - 2005 - Advisor to the President and Board Member, Russian Railways (RZD OJSC).
2005 - 2006 - Head, Public Relations Department, Board member, Russian Railways.
2006 - September 2012 - Head, Corporate Communications Department, Board member, Russian Railways.
From September 17, 2012 - TASS Director General.
Sergey Mikhaylov is one of the founders of the Russian Public Relations Association of (RPRA), Honorary Member of RPRA.
2000 - 2001 - President of the Russia section of the International Communications Consultancy Organization (ICCO).
Member of the Russian Union of Journalists. Author of over 200 publications.
Member of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) and Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).
A shareholder and publisher of “So-Obshcheniye” Magazine.
In 2002 and 2003, Sergey Mikhaylov was rated among the 1,000 most professional managers in Russia (Professional Services category) conducted by the Russian Association of Managers and the “Kommersant” newspaper.
In 2006 - recognized as one of the most professional directors of public and corporate affairs in the country, according to the rating of the TOP-1,000 Russian Managers.
In 2011 - took premier place in the rating of the TOP-1,000 Russian Managers of the Russian Association of Managers in the Rating of Directors of Public and Corporate Affairs for 2011.
Included in the personnel reserve of the Russian President.
Awarded the Medal for the Development of Railways by the RF Presidential decree.

Gary Pruitt

President, Chief Executive Officer, Associated Press (AP)

Gary Pruitt is the 13th person to lead The Associated Press since its founding in 1846.
Pruitt became president and chief executive officer of the AP in July 2012. He had also served three terms on the AP board of directors, including as vice chairman.
Under his leadership, AP has continued its long legacy of fighting for freedom of the press and the public right to know. Pruitt received the Constitution Project’s 2014 Champion Award for his work defending the First Amendment and also received the First Amendment Award from the Radio Television Digital News Foundation.
Prior to AP, Pruitt was chairman, president and CEO of The McClatchy Company, the third largest newspaper company in the United States. During his tenure, McClatchy’s operations included 30 daily newspapers, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning Miami Herald and The Sacramento Bee. A First Amendment lawyer by training, Pruitt steered McClatchy toward financial diversification and oversaw robust growth of digital revenue.
Pruitt earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Florida where he was named the Outstanding Four-Year Scholar. He concurrently attended graduate school and law school at the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned a master’s degree in public policy and a law degree.
Pruitt began his professional career at the Miami law firm of Paul & Thomson, concentrating on First Amendment, libel and public access issues for such media companies as The New York Times and CBS.
In 1984, Pruitt joined McClatchy in Sacramento, Calif., where he served as general counsel until 1991. He managed the company’s legal affairs, including libel and First Amendment issues.
From 1991 to 1994, he was publisher of The Fresno Bee. From 1994 to 1995, he was vice president of operations and technology for McClatchy and from 1995 to 1996 was president and chief operating officer. He was named CEO in 1996 and became chairman in 2001.
In 2004, Pruitt was honored as the Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Florida. In 2008, he was named Outstanding Alumnus of the University of California, Berkeley, Goldman School of Public Policy.
He serves on the board of directors of the Mutual Insurance Company, the advisory board of the International Center for Journalists and the board of the Center on Communication Leadership & Policy (CCLP) at the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. He is the former chairman of the Irvine Foundation.
Pruitt was born in Alexandria, Va., but spent most of his youth in Satellite Beach, Florida, a small town near Cape Canaveral. He now resides in New York City. He and his wife, Abby, have two daughters, Katherine and Allison.

José Manuel Sanz

Director of International Relations, EFE

- Director of International Relations - Agencia EFE (Madrid, since March 2019)
- Director of Agencia EFE's worldwide network (Madrid, October 2014-February 2019)
- Head of EFE's bureaus in the United States and executive vicepresident of EFE News Services (Washington, June 2011-September 2014).
- Head of EFE's bureau in Brussels where he coordinated the largest group of Spanish journalists dedicated to cover the European Union (EU). Direct witness of all the milestones of European integration since 1987 (Brussels, 1996-2011)
- Under his leadership, EFE's journalists won in 2004 the European Journalism Award (honorable mention) “Salvador de Madariaga”, sponsored by the European Commission and the European Parliament.
- Creates and manages, within EFE's headquarters, the first on line service on the EU activities for Spain and Latin America, EUROEFE (Madrid, 1993-1996)
- Joined the staff of EFE in Brussels, where he dealt successively with the information related to the European Parliament (as special envoy to Strasbourg, France), foreign affairs and defense (NATO) (Brussels, 1987-1993)
- Member of the first Press and Communication team at State Company organizing 1992 Universal Exhibition in Seville (Sevilla, 1985-1986)
- Member of the team that produced the first EFE's Latin American Yearbook (Madrid, 1984)
- Born in Madrid in 1963. Married. Three children.
- He studied Philosophy and Mathematics (Rome, Madrid).

Hiroki Sugita

Executive Director, Kyodo News

He joined Kyodo in 1980 and served as Tehran Bureau Chief, New York Correspondent, Washington Bureau Chief, and Senior Feature Writer and Editorial Writer. He has been Managing Chief Editorial Writer of Kyodo since 2016.
He writes about international affairs, and frequently interviews global leaders including George W. Bush and Vladimir V. Putin. His current career includes Planning Committee Member of Japan National Press Club; Selection Committee member of Abe Fellowship Program and Lecturer at Waseda University.　
He is the author of many books including “Kensho Hikaku no Sentaku” (Japan’s non-nuclear weapon policy); “Amerika wa Naze Kawarerunoka” (Why can the United States change?); “Nyumon Trump Seiken” (A Guide of Trump Administration): “Posuto Grobaru Jidai no Chiseigaku” (Geopolitics in the era of Post Globalization).

Fabrice Fries

Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, AFP

Fabrice Fries was elected Chairman and CEO of Agence France Presse in April 2018.

He started his career at the French Ministry of Finance and at the European Commission (Jacques Delors’ staff), then moved to the private sector where he held several management positions in media, IT and communication companies: Havas (head of strategy), Vivendi Universal Publishing (CEO of press division), Atos (MD for France), Publicis (Group general secretary, then president of Publics Consultants).

Fabrice studied at French Ecole Normale Superieure and ENA.