Star Media Group and Sin Chew Daily co-host Asia News Network Summit 2024
Star Media Group and Sin Chew Daily are co-hosting the Asia News Network Summit 2024 which is a landmark year for the alliance as it celebrates its silver jubilee.
Held in Malaysia for the first time, the Summit this year also coincides with the 25th Anniversary of Asia News Network, with the theme centred around the ‘Future of Asia’, cognisant of the challenging media landscape, coupled with the increasing need to strengthen journalistic professionalism and foster deeper regional collaborations.
The four-day regional Summit, held from 4 to 7 September 2024 at Hilton, Petaling Jaya, aims to promote journalistic professionalism and foster deeper collaborations among its 20 media delegates across Asia.
Established in 1999 with the founding principle of ‘Bringing Asia Closer’, ANN has grown into a leading alliance of 20 established media titles across Asia.
The Summit’s dialogue session on the third day was graced by Communications Minister, Fahmi Fadzil, demonstrating the Malaysian government’s unwavering support for journalistic ethics and the professionalism of the media industry, locally and regionally.
The third day of the Summit featured a full day of panel discussion and inauguration of the Asia Dialogue sessions covering various topics that focus on the Summit’s theme as well as ANN’s 25th Anniversary Cake-Cutting Ceremony. Key discussions are centred around the current challenges and opportunities faced by journalists, highlighting areas on the future of journalism, the rise of digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI), the impact of the upcoming elections in the US on Asia and the resiliency of the contributions from future generations to the region’s economic growth.
Mahfuz Anam, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of The Daily Star, Bangladesh and Chairman of ANN said, “Asia’s influence in global affairs has been on the rise in recent years as the region has emerged as a critical voice in world affairs. Home to more than half of the world’s population, Asia is fast becoming the epicentre of innovation and economic growth, as businesses are increasingly gravitating towards this region. This region is also fast becoming the hub for global connectivity and trade.
“What began as the rise of a few tiger economies such as Japan, South Korea, and Singapore has now expanded to include vibrant growth stories of other nations like Malaysia, India, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Even China has captured global attention with its success.
“It is only a matter of time before stories of hope emerge from countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the Philippines, and other places, driven mainly by its youth who are striving for change.
“Asia’s time is now. We need to share our stories with the world so that humanity can reap the benefits of our progress. The Future of Asia Summit is one of our key initiatives to highlight the potential of this region and to bridge Asia to the rest of the world. This fulfils ANN’s mandate of bringing Asia to the global stage,” he added.
As founding members of ANN, both SMG and Sin Chew are honoured to host this summit.
Commented Paduka Esther Ng, Chief Content Officer of SMG, Malaysia and Director as well as Member of the Board of ANN, “Star Media Group has always believed in the power of collaboration. Since our inception with ANN, we have been committed to fostering the right platform to amplify Asia’s media voices. Echoing our mission as one of the leading ‘people’s paper’ media groups in Malaysia, we remain committed to delivering accurate, unbiased and quality news to our readers. Our participation in ANN has been both beneficial and significant for us. It has allowed us to contribute to a stronger and more connected media landscape across Asia.”
Kuik Cheng Kang, Editor-in-Chief of Sin Chew and Member of the Board of ANN said, “As a member of ANN, Sin Chew Daily is proud to co-organise this year's Summit with Star Media Group. We believe this partnership will provide all participants with a truly enriching and informative experience. Through this Summit, we aspire to amplify the voices of Asia, ensuring they are effectively communicated and shared by ANN members across the region.”
Starting as a group of nine media titles in 1999, ANN is now a leading regional alliance of news titles striving to bring Asia closer through the active sharing of editorial content on happenings in the region.
