First, make certain your company supports a national press association. These groups lobby governments and represent the national industry to important publics such as lawmakers, regulators, and national advertisers. National press associations are sometimes fraught with internal politics and bickering, but they're ultimately worth it -- certainly for the betterment of newspapers in each country.

Beyond this imperative, find a primary association with whom you feel comfortable, and build your network from there. Multiple association memberships are common.

While there are, literally, thousands of membership associations worldwide, here are the big ones:

• ENPA (European Newspaper Publishers Association): Brussels-based continental press association for the European newspaper industry that focuses efforts on lobbying issues related to the European Union, among others. Key focus: lobbying.

• IAPA/SIP (Inter-America Press Association): Founded as a cooperative association among publishers from Latin America and North America, the Miami-based association focuses on press freedom in Latin America, and occasionally on training and development for newspaper employees. Key focus: press freedom in Latin America.

• IFRA: A Germany-based international service association for newspaper and media technology. Key focus: technical/operations.

• INMA (International Newspaper Marketing Association): A U.S.-based international association that provides marketing ideas, best practices, and case studies for members, and influences the development of marketing in the newspaper industry. (INMA sponsors this web site, The Newspaper Industry.) Key focus: marketing.

• IPI (International Press Institute): An Austria-based global network of journalists and editors dedicated to freedom of the press and improving the standards and practices of journalism. Key focus: journalism education, press freedom.

• NAA (Newspaper Association of America): The national press association for the United States focuses on legal/regulatory matters and representation to the national advertising community and other publics. As part of this, the association offers fraternal federation memberships (retail advertising, classified advertising, co-op advertising, circulation, research, promotion/market development). Key focus: lobbying, advertising sales.

• PANPA (Pacific Area Newspaper Publishers Association): Founded as a technical/operational association among newspapers in the South Pacific, Australia-based PANPA is the main gathering point for publishers. Key focus: technical/operations.

• WAN (World Association of Newspapers): France-based international association that fights for press freedom around the world. Includes supporting activities such as an editors' forum, NIE, management/marketing forum, and others. Key focus: global press freedom.