Founded in 1948, the World Association of Newspapers groups 76 national newspaper associations, individual newspaper executives in 102 nations, 10 news agencies, and 10 regional press organisations. It is a non-profit, non-government organisation.

In all, the Association represents more than 18,000 publications on the five continents.

The World Association of Newspapers has three major objectives:
  Defending and promoting press freedom and the economic independence of newspapers as an essential condition for that freedom.
  Contributing to the development of newspaper publishing by fostering communications and contacts between newspaper executives from different regions and cultures.
  Promoting co-operation between its member organisations, whether national, regional or worldwide.

In pursuit of these objectives, the World Association of Newspapers notably:
  represents the newspaper industry in all international discussions on media issues, to defend both press freedom and the professional and business interests of the press.
  promotes a world-wide exchange of information and ideas on producing better and more profitable newspapers;
  opposes restrictions of all kinds on the free flow of information, on the circulation of newspapers and on advertising;
  campaigns vigorously against press freedom violations and obstacles;
  helps newspapers in developing countries, through training and other co-operation projects;
  channels legal, material and humanitarian aid to victimized publishers and journalists;

Through its Research & Development department, the World Association of Newspapers:
  identifies and analyses media trends, new technology, new business models, multi-channel distribution and the impact of convergence, etc.;

Through its Training & Events Division, the World Association of Newspapers:
  helps newspapers to increase readership and sustain and increase advertising and other revenues through study tours, seminars, publications and so on;Through the World Editors Forum, the World Association of Newspapers:
  provides opportunities for senior news executives to exchange ideas and information about the business of editing newspapers.

Through The Fund for Press Freedom Development, the World Association of Newspapers:
  promotes the growth of free and independent newspapers in developing countries through training and other forms of assistance.

Through its Newspapers in Education programme, the World Association of Newspapers:
  organises international co-operation to encourage the culture of reading newspapers through the establishment and development of NIE activity world-wide.

The World Association of Newspapers has formal consultative status to represent the newspaper industry at UNESCO, the United Nations and the Council of Europe.

The full members of the World Association of Newspapers are:

Argentina	Asociación de Editores de Diarios de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires Asociación de Entidades Periodísticas Argentinas
Albania	Association of Albanian Publishers
Algeria	L’Association Algérienne des Editeurs de Journaux
Austria	Verband Österreichischer Zeitungsherausgeber und Zeitungverleger
Belgium	Association Belge des Editeurs de Journaux
Bolivia	Asociación Nacional de Prensa - Bolivia
Bosnia	Independent Publishers of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil	Associaçao Nacional de Journais
Bulgaria	Bulgarian Association of Newspaper Publishers
Burkina Faso	Société des Editeurs de la Presse Privée
Canada	Canadian Newspaper Association
Chile	Asociación Nacional de la Prensa
Colombia	Asociación de Diarios Colombianos
Cyprus	Cyprus Newspaper & Magazine Publishers’ Association
Czech Republic	The Czech Association of Newspaper Publishers
Denmark	Danske Dagblades Forening
Dominican Republic	Sociedad Dominicana de Diarios
Ecuador	Asociación Ecuatoriana de Editores de Periódicos
Estonia	Eesti Ajalehtede Liit
Finland	Sanomalehtien Liitto
France	Syndicat de la Presse Parisienne Syndicat de la Presse Quotidienne Régionale
Great Britain	Newspaper Society Newspaper Publishers Association
Germany	Bundesverband Deutscher Zeitungsverleger e.V.
Gabon	Association dÕEditeurs de la Presse Libre et Indépendante
Ghana	PRINPAG
Greece	Athens Daily Newspaper Publishers Association Association of Local Daily Newspaper Publishers Daily Regional Newspaper Association
Hungary	The Hungarian Publishers Association
India	Indian Newspaper Society
Indonesia	Serikat Penerbit Suratkabar
Ireland	National Newspapers of Ireland
Israel	The Daily Newspaper Publishers Association of Israel
Italy	Federazione Italiana Editori Giornali
Japan	Nihon Shinbun Kyokai
Korea	Korean Newspapers Association
Latvia	Latvian Publishers and Editors Association
Luxemburg	Association Luxembourgeoise des Editeurs de Journaux
Mali	Association des Editeurs de la Presse Privée du Mali
Mauritius	Newspaper Editors & Publishers Association of Mauritius (NEPA)
Mexico	Asociación de Editores de los Estados (AEE)
Macedonia	Association of Printed Media & Agencies of Macedonia
Moldova	API Moldova
Mongolia	Association of Free and Independent Newspapers Newspaper Association of Mongolia
Netherlands	Vereniging de Nederlandse Dagbladpers
New Zealand	Newspaper Publishers Association
Norway	Norske Avisers Landsforbund
Paraguay	Asociación de Entidades Periodísticas del Paraguay
Peru	Asociación de Diarios del Perú
Philippines	Philippine Press Institute
Poland	The Polish Association of Newspaper Publishers Association of Local Publishers
Portugal	Associaçao da Impresa Diaria Portuguese Press Association
Romania	Romanian Press Editors Association Romanian Press Club
Russia	The Guild of the Periodical Press ANRI - Alliance of Independent Regional Publishers of Russia
Serbia	Association of Private Media
Slovak Republic	The Slovak Union of Newspaper Publishers
South Africa	Print Media SA
Spain	Associación de Editores de Diarios Españoles
Sri Lanka	Independent Newspapers Ltd.
Sweden	Svenska Tidningsutgivareforeningen
Switzerland	Presse Suisse
Turkey	Gazete Sahipleri Birligi
Uganda	Uganda Newspaper Editors and Proprietors Association
Ukraine	Ukrainian Association of Press Publishers (UAPP) Independent Regional Press Publishers of Ukraine
United States	Newspaper Association of America
Uruguay	Uruguay Newspaper Association
Venezuela	Bloque de Prensa Venezolano

Publishers, directors and chief editors in most of these countries are also individual members of the World Association of Newspapers. In addition, newspaper executives in the following countries belong to the World Association of Newspapers as associate, or honorary associate, members: Barbados, Benin, the Cameroon, Chad, Costa Rica, the Gambia, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, the Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad, United Arab Emirates, Zaire and Zimbabwe.

The following agencies and industry suppliers are associate members:
  Agence France Presse
  Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau (The Netherlands)
  Athens News Agency (Greece)
  Deutsche Presse Agentur (Germany)
  Kyodo News Service (Japan)
  MAN Roland
  New York Times Syndication Sales Co. (USA)
  Press Association (United Kingdom)
  Publigroupe
  Reuters
  Ritzau (Denmark)
  Telenor
  Tidningarnas Telegrambyra (Sweden)
  UPM-Kymmene

The following organisations are Affiliate Members of the World Association of Newspapers:
  CPU, the Commonwealth Press Union
  DISTRIPRESS, the Association for the Promotion of the International Circulation of the Press
  ENPA, the European Newspaper Publishers Association
  IAPA, the Inter-American Press Association
  ICMA, the International Classified Media Association
  IPTC, the International Press Telecommunications Council
  MEPA, the Middle East Publishers Association
  PANPA, Pacific Area Newspaper Publishers Association
  PFA, the Press Foundation of Asia
  SOPA, the Society of Publishers in Asia