IAPA finalizes preparations for 81st General Assembly in Punta Cana

Punta Cana.- The Dominican Republic has begun welcoming the authorities of the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) and international guests who will attend the 81st General Assembly, taking place from October 16 to 19 at The Westin Punta Cana Resort & Club. The four-day event will bring together journalists, editors, and media executives from across the Americas to discuss the future of journalism, focusing on press freedom, media sustainability, and the impact of artificial intelligence on the profession.

The opening ceremony, scheduled for October 16, will feature President Luis Abinader and Laura Gil, Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), alongside José Roberto Dutriz, IAPA President and CEO of La Prensa Gráfica of El Salvador.

Throughout the Assembly, participants will review reports on the state of press freedom in 24 countries and take part in panels and workshops on innovation, digital transformation, new business models, and the role of the press in democracy.

The event will conclude with the presentation of the 2025 IAPA Awards for Journalistic Excellence, recognizing outstanding achievements such as the Chapultepec Grand Prix awarded to the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the Grand Prize for Press Freedom to Daniel Coronell of Univisión Noticias, the Great Friend of the Press recognition to Redacciones5G, and the Executive of the Year award to René Picado Cozza, president of Teletica in Costa Rica.

The IAPA, headquartered in Miami, Florida, represents more than 1,300 media organizations across the Western Hemisphere and is dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression throughout the Americas.