Often editors express to us their need of in-depth training about the latest trends in the newspaper industry. In response to this, the World Editors Forum (WEF) organizes two to three day Master Classes with a maximum of 15 to 20 participants.

WEF Master Classes are based on case studies and best practices, specific to the region the class is held in, with a view to providing the attendees with practical tools for immediate use. The sessions are held in both English and the local language.

The most recent professional training was organized in January 2007 for Arab editors-in-chief in Cairo, Egypt. Twenty Editors-in-Chief and senior news executives from leading newspapers of the Middle East discussed "How to successfully reshape Arab newspapers" with industry leaders.

Speakers at this masterclass included:
- Khalid Belyazid, Editor, L'Economiste, Morocco
- Craig Duff, Consultant Editor, The New York Times, USA
- Werner Eggert, Senior Project Manager, International Institute for Journalism, Germany
- Mrs. Bachi Karkaria, Consultant Editor, The Times of India, India
- Douglas Okasaki, Regional director for Middle East, Society of News Design, UAE
- Bertrand Pecquerie, Director, World Editors Forum, France

The masterclass was split into four three-hour sessions each of which included:
- one and a half hours of general presentation of the topic and theory (45-minute presentation plus 45-minute discussion)
- one and a half hours of practical explanation using case studies (45-minute presentation plus 45- minute discussion)

Session subjects were based on a mixture of world wide trends and their effect on the Arabic press, and specific examples of success stories that could be used as a model for Arab newspapers. These sessions included:

- Major Press Trends 2002 - 2006 that could have an impact on Arab newspapers:
- Towards paper-online convergence :  what it means and how it can work in small organizations
- Reorganising the newsroom for a more Reader-Oriented Newspaper
- Latest design trends for Arab Newspapers.
- As-Sabah, a real Arab success story: how it became the first Moroccan newspaper
- Case study: within the newsroom of As-Sabah. Four years of re-engineering
- Case study: Gulf News and how design impacts on content and newsroom management
- Case study : Changing your paper as your city changes. The Times of India and its local editions

For more information on the training offered by the World Editors Forum please complete the form below.