Daniel Franklin, executive editor of The Economist and editor of the annual report 'The World in 2011', spoke to the BBC College of Journalism about his predictions for the year ahead.
'The World in 2011' looks at the issues, challenges and trends that will shape the world's future, particularly in the areas of technology, the economy, media, science and politics.
The report covers several themes - for example:
The value of words (in journalism) - the year of the paywall.
Anniversaries - 400 years of the King James Bible; US president Barack Obama's 50th birthday; ten years of Facebook and five years of Twitter.
Countries to watch: Sudan, Iran, Ghana, Poland and Britain.
People to watch: France's president Nikolas Sarkozy, Bank of England governor Mervyn King and US politician Sarah Palin.
Also worth mentioning is that two of Franklin's forecasts have come to pass since the report went to print: the release of Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and a royal wedding announcement.
