The 2008 Congress/General Assembly of the Association of European Jounalists (AEJ), organised by Otmar Lahodynsky, AEJ Austria President, in the Austrian city of Linz, became one of the best AEJ Congresses of the last years. The 80 delegates were offered an insight into the preparations and programme of Linz 2009 European Capital of Europe. A tour of this ancient city on the Danube resulted in a completely fresh perspective of the city.
The General Assembly started with a message of greeting of the Austrian Minister for European and International Affairs Ursula Plassnik. During the meeting a new international board and other officials as members of the Executive Committee, the Arbitration Committee and the Audit Committee, were elected. On the afternoon of the 22nd, during a four-hour meeting, the flagship project of the AEJ “Media Freedom in Europa” was on the agenda with reports by the AEJ sections about the situation in their country and very lively discussions. The meeting was prepared and chaired by William Horsley, AEJ Media Freedom Represented. Guest of honour was Mr. Matthias Traimer, chairman of the Council of Europe Media Steering Committee.
The delegates showed their thanks and appreciation to the sponsors who supported this annual AEJ event: Linz 209 Kulturhauptstadt Europas; Land OberOsterreich; IV Industriellenvereinigung OberOsterreich; Bundespressedienst Φsterreich; EPAMEDIA, Public Space Advertising; Schδrdinger (milk and cheese) and Brau Union.