The World Press Institute fosters understanding among international journalists about the role and responsibilities of a free press in a democracy and promotes excellence in international reporting.

The Institute brings 10 international journalists to the United States each year to experience the complexities of U.S. life through the prism of a reporter working under First Amendment conditions. The WPI fellowship provides immersion into the governance, politics, business, media, journalistic ethics and culture of the United States for experienced international journalists, through a demanding schedule of study, travel and interviews throughout the country.

The Institute was first formed in 1961 and since then has made significant differences in the lives of the many participating journalists.

Here's just one testimonial from a WPI alumnus:

"The WPI fellowship was a dramatic paradigm in my life. There is little or nothing of substance in my career as a media person that I would not say came from having the privilege of the WPI experience. First, it solidified my love for the craft and for the profession by being able to travel and share so many experiences with journalists who in many ways at that time had a much richer background than mine.

"It also raised my hopes about being able to be a decent journalist in Mexico and survive when, in my country, corruption in our ranks was more than pervasive. It also changed dramatically my views about the United States; I learned to appreciate how truly kind and also complex this nation is, and this shift of heart made me learn to see U.S.-Mexico relations and the overall relation of the world with the United States less in absolute black and white terms."

Bruno Lopez
U.S. UNIVISION