WAN-IFRA has unveiled the NextGen AI Leaders Programme, a 12-week initiative to help young media executives lead responsible AI adoption and strengthen newsroom management.
The tuition-free scheme reflects WAN-IFRA’s effort to back a more diverse generation of leaders and narrow the innovation gap between well-funded global publishers and smaller, mid-sized and local news organisations.
“To take full advantage of the opportunities AI provides news publishers, we need a strong and diverse leadership today and especially tomorrow. 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,” said Stig Ørskov, the new chief executive of WAN-IFRA.
Supported by the Google News Initiative, the programme will select 24 emerging executives aged 25 to 40 from Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Participants must hold leadership roles in product, audience, commercial or editorial teams at small, mid-sized or local news companies.
“As people’s preferences and technology evolve, we are continuing our long-standing commitment to helping journalists and publishers adapt to these types of 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,” said Jaffer Zaidi, vice-president of global news partnerships at Google.
The course is structured as an applied experimentation programme. Participants will tackle real management challenges through coursework and mentorship delivered via a mix of in-person and online sessions. The aim is to build AI fluency, encourage innovation and strengthen leadership capacity as participants shape how AI is developed and deployed in their organisations.
The programme will be led by Anita Zielina, chief executive of Better Leaders Lab, and Kaveh Waddell and Patrick Swanson, co-founders of the AI consulting lab Verso. Zielina focuses on organisational change, strategy and leadership development. Waddell and Swanson advise newsrooms and non-profits on AI training, product design and implementation. Support from the Google News Initiative includes sessions with specialists offering training on Google’s AI products and their use across editorial, product and commercial teams.
Applications open from 25 February to 15 March 2026. The first cohort begins on 14 April with an in-person leadership workshop held alongside WAN-IFRA’s Frankfurt AI Forum.
For inquiries, contact Kevin Anderson, director of the Digital Revenue Network at WAN-IFRA, at [email protected].
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