KUCHING: The 2024 National Journalists' Day (Hawana 2024) celebration, which commences tomorrow, is not just about discussing ethics in the field of journalism, it is also the best platform to unravel important issues in the media industry, in line with today's technological developments.
The Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chief executive officer Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin said the current technology boom is somewhat affecting the revenue of media companies in the country, which also rely on advertisements as a source of income.
"Due to the technology boom, there is information which is easily obtained online, and there are those who do not consider media companies, such as print media, to have a role for advertising.
"Hence, we bring the topic of this matter to Hawana 2024 to help media companies in Malaysia prepare themselves, and take steps to increase and improve their capabilities so that they remain in the media world," she said in a special interview with Bernama Radio today.
Themed 'Etika Teras Kewartawanan Mapan', the three-day Hawana 2024 is the largest gathering of Malaysian journalists, and the highlight of the celebration will be officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on May 27.
Hawana 2024 is organised by the Ministry of Communications, in collaboration with the Sarawak government, with Bernama as the implementing agency.
Meanwhile, Nur-ul Afida, who is also Hawana 2024 working committee chairman, said that the development and changes in technology need to be accepted by all parties in the media industry, as it helps hugely in the field of journalism, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the ChatGPT application.
However, Nur-ul Afida said despite the development of technology, all media practitioners must report ethically at all times, maintain journalistic principles and use human instincts to produce news in the best possible way.
"We cannot depend on the old traditions; we have to think and be aware of the current trends, even though learning is not easy we have to accept this technological change," said Nu-rul Afida who has been involved in the world of journalism for 40 years.
Asked about the special features of Hawana 2024, Nur-ul Afida said two things will be the focus, namely the proposal on the establishment of the Malaysian Media Council, and efforts to help part-time journalists or stringers who do not have a regular income.
In February, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the Malaysian Media Council Bill is expected to be tabled in Parliament next month.
Hawana 2024 opens tomorrow, with the Excursion with Students programme, to be launched by Fahmi at Pustaka Negeri here, apart from Hawana 2024 Exhibition at the Main Atrium of the Merdeka Mall, which will also run for three days starting tomorrow. – BERNAMA
