Media Coverage

The Annual Meeting 2020 generated more than 197,000 global media mentions, an increase of 11% compared to 2019. More than 700 journalists from more than 50 countries were on-site covering the meeting, including media from influential media outlets in all G20 countries. The sentiment of the coverage was mostly neutral or positive (80%) and focused on the key initiatives and themes of the meeting. The highly talked-about public figures were US President Donald Trump, climate activist Greta Thunberg, US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Forum experts gave more than 100 media interviews. Influential interviews include:

The Wall Street Journal: Davos’s Creator Still Believes the Conference Can Bridge Divides

The New York Times: In Its 50th Year, Davos Is Searching for Its Soul

NZZ: Gründer Klaus Schwab zur Geschichte des WEF und zum 50. Treffen in Davos: «Ich will mich von Greta nicht instrumentalisieren lassen»

SonntagsBlick: Das grosse Interview mit WEF-Gründer Klaus Schwab

NZZ am Sonntag:«In einer polarisierten Welt kann das WEF viel mehr Einfluss nehmen», sagt der Geschäftsführer des World Economic Forum

FAZ: „Die Welt braucht Davos heute mehr denn je“

Bloomberg: WEF Outlines Plans to Tackle Rising Income Inequality

CNBC-TV18: Davos 2020: Geopolitical tensions hurting global growth, according to WEF president Borge Brende

Asharq Al Awsat: Brende revealed the World Economic Forum's secret to success in its fiftieth edition

In honour of the 50th anniversary, 55 unique op-eds from Forum leaders and experts were featured more than 100 times in more than 50 influential publications across more than 30 countries and 12 languages. The op-eds featured key Forum initiatives, regional efforts and insights on the Annual Meeting's themes. Highlights from the Forum Managing Board include:

Klaus Schwab: What Kind of Capitalism Do We Want? (24 publications in nine languages)

Klaus Schwab: Capitalism Must Reform to Survive (Foreign Affairs)

Klaus Schwab: Avoiding Autarky (Foreign Policy)

Klaus Schwab: Young People Are Right to Be Angry, and They Deserve Seats at the Table (TIME)

Børge Brende: The New Nordic Model (Foreign Affairs)

Richard Samans: Walking the Talk of Stakeholder Capitalism (Project Syndicate)

Dominic Waughray and Sebastian Buckup: How to Reverse the World's Trust Deficit (Foreign Policy)

Julien Gattoni: It's Time for CFOs to Become Climate Heroes (The Straits Times)

Sarita Nayyar: The Case for Consumption Equality (Project Syndicate)

Emma Benameur: What Great Design Teaches Us About Leadership (Forbes)

Murat Sönmez: How the Fourth Industrial Revolution Is Transforming Turkey (Daily Sabah)

Alois Zwinggi: Why 2020 Is a Turning Point for Cybersecurity (Chosun Ilbo)

Saadia Zahidi: We Need a Global Reskilling Revolution - Here's Why (Agenda)

Find the full list of featured op-eds here.

The meeting featured 35 co-designed media sessions on topics of strategic importance to the Forum, resulting in more than 983,000 views on the Forum livestream and global media coverage. Some noteworthy sessions include:

Greta Thunberg’s powerful address in The New York Times session drove coverage in news media throughout the world.

Other teenage change-makers joined Thunberg in a TIME session on forging a sustainable path to a common future, driving coverage.

Bloomberg QuickTake hosted a session where plastic waste activists Melati Wisjen and Akira Sakano joined Al Gore and Tak Niinami to discuss how to break free from single-use plastic.

Christiana Figueres, the architect of the Paris Climate Agreement, spoke with Amin H. Nasser, the head of Saudi Aramco, in a session on the global energy challenge with CNN Business.

France 24 featured a session on a fairer tax system, taking a forensic look at the digital economy

CNBC interrogated world leaders on the future of financial markets.

Find the full list of media sessions here.

This year, the Forum held 19 press conferences during the Annual Meeting 2020, resulting in more than 352,000 views on the Forum livestream.

They varied on topic from the IMF economic outlook, to climate risk, response to the Rohingya refugee crisis and the launch of an interfaith alliance. The Forum also launched several major new initiatives such as the One Trillion Trees, Reskilling Billions, and the Africa Growth Platform.

We also provided a space for our partners to share their own news such as the European green deal, new partner in the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance and announced the first ever Anti-Corruption Conference for Africa by the government of Botswana and Transparency International.

Find the full list of press conferences here.

The countries with the most mentions were US, Germany, UK, Brazil, Switzerland, China, India, Canada, France and Spain. Here's an overview of regional coverage.

Africa

There was influential pickup on the Global Social Mobility Index (Daily Maverick) and the climate crisis and solutions (CNBC, Daily Maverick, SABC). An op-ed by Elsie S. Kanza, Head of the Regional Agenda, Africa, in Business Day shed light on the AM20 theme’s meaning for the continent, along with a special edition by Africa Business Magazine.

Asia

In ASEAN, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s panel discussion on multilateralism was featured in Singapore, including in The Straits Times, Channel News Asia and Today Online. The Global Social Mobility Index received special attention from Rappler (Philippines), The ASEAN Post (Malaysia) and VN Express (Viet Nam).

Deputy Prime Minister of Viet Nam Pham Binh Minh’s participation was highlighted in Vietnam plus and Viet Nam News. Australian Finance Minister Mathias Cormann’s comments on climate generated news in Australia Finance Review and The Australian. The Jakarta Post featured an op-ed on building a cohesive and sustainable future in Southeast Asia from Justin Wood, Head of the Regional Agenda, Asia-Pacific.

Media coverage in China kicked off with Chief Representative Officer, China, David Aikman’s op-ed on People’s Daily and interview on China Daily about China and the Forum’s engagement over the past 40 years. All major Chinese media reported on AM20, with major topics including sustainability, climate change, the coronavirus and China-U.S. relations. Forum interviews were featured in publications including CCTV Business Channel, CGTN, Xinhua News Agency and Iqiyi.

Coverage in India focused on reskilling and the economy (Financial Express, Economic Times, CNBC, Bloomberg Quint and The Telegraph) as well as climate (NDTV, Times of India, The Print, Economic Times). Also featured were the Crystal Awards (Jagran Josh), the Punjab Delegation’s strategic talks (Economic Times) and HCL Technologies' C Vijayakumar to chair the Forum IT Governors community (The Mint). An op-ed by Viraj Mehta, Head of the Regional Agenda, India and South Asia, was featured in India Today.

Media coverage in Japan was largely on President Trump and Greta Thunberg, including in Nikkei, Jiji Press, Yomiuri, NHK, Asahi and Kyodo News. Yomiuri Shimbun published a daily column by a Media Leader for the first time. Net Zero was taken up by a Media Leader of Kyodo News. Op-eds by Makiko Eda, Chief Representative Officer, Japan, were featured in Nikkei and Asahi Shimbun.

Europe

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s special address at the Annual Meeting was covered by many outlets including Die Zeit, DW and FAZ. Remarks from other European leaders including Ursula von der Leyen (Telegraphe, Independent, The Financial Times, Euronews) and Pedro Sanchez (El Mundo) also received widespread coverage. France-US talks on “digital tax” were also covered by the media (Le Figaro, Les Echos, Business Insider Italia). An op-ed by Martina Larkin, Head of Regional Strategies, Europe and Eurasia, was featured in La Tribune and El Mundo.

Latin America

Venezuela topped the agenda with the address by Juan Guaido, including coverage in The Washington Post, Reuters, The Guardian, CNBC, Infobae (Argentina) and La Nacion. There was also coverage of the President of Ecuador (La Republica, Xinhua and El Universo), the President of Colombia (La Republica, Caracol and El Universal), the environment debate (Globo), and sustainable and inclusive capitalism (Impulso, Valor Economico). The week ended with the announcement of next year’s meeting in Colombia Voice of America, Grupo La Provincia. An op-ed by Marisol Argueta de Barillas, Head of the Regional Agenda, Latin America, was featured in La Nacion (Argentina), ABC (Paraguay), and El-Tiempo (Colombia).

Middle East and North Africa

Coverage focused on economic issues (Arab News, Asharq Al Awsat) and The Return of Arab Unrest session by CNBC with Lebanon’s former minister of foreign affairs, Gebran Bassil (The National). In Turkey, the focus was on ministerial attendance (Anadolu Agency, CNN Türk, A Haber) and Murat Sonmez’s comments on the country’s potential (Daily Sabah, Anadolu Agency). An op-ed by Deputy Head of the Centre for Geopolitical and Regional Affairs Mirek Dušek, Rania Al-Mashat and Alain Bejjani was featured in The National.

North America

President Trump’s attendance brought in the most geopolitical coverage. His remarks and attendance at the Annual Meeting were covered in outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, and The Washington Post. Other members of the US delegation, including Ivanka Trump, Steven Mnuchin and Wilbur Ross also made headlines, including in The New York Times, CNBC and Barron’s. An op-ed on stakeholder politics from Paul Smyke, Head of the Regional Agenda, North America, was featured in Forbes.

The Open Forum is the public facing event of the World Economic Forum, which takes place in parallel to the Annual Meeting and brings together leading personalities from business, government, academia and civil society, as well as young people, to discuss and interact with the Swiss public on critical – and, at times, controversial – subjects, opening a unique window onto some of the world’s most challenging debates.

The Open Forum raised awareness and offered the opportunity to exchange about the danger of digitalization for youth, the impact of our current economic system creating a disposable society and modern slavery, the challenges of LGBTI youth, the integration of people with disabilities into society and how artists such as Will.i.am can inspire youth activism in transforming their will for change into action.

Also at the Open Forum, internationally renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma performed Bach’s Suite for Solo Cello No.1 and through his music inspired a conversation about how culture helps us to seek truth, build trust and act in service of one another.

Explore the overview, themes, audience breakdown and participants.