Centre for Investigative Reporting (CIR), Media Unlimited, in collaboration with the Media Unlimited, Pakistan and Meta Journalism Project will launch “The Future of Journalism in South Asia”, a four-part webinar series for newsroom members, news anchors, social media editors, bloggers and web developers/editors in Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The series will enable participants to understand the rising popularity of digital media and how to navigate it to practice free and fair journalism.
“The media in South Asia is witnessing a transition. While in print media we see a gradual decline in circulation numbers, there is a corresponding rise in audience numbers for digital media. It is estimated that as a result of the rise in audience numbers, in Pakistan alone advertising grew by 50 per cent in one year for digital media,” says Kamal Siddiqi.
Not surprisingly, jobs are being curtailed in the print media and the broadcast media remains largely unchanged but digital media is expanding. In all this, journalists are required to change with the changing media – learn new skills and adapt to new technologies.
In the region, censorship and increased surveillance from various quarters are posing further challenges to media personnel. There has been a significant rise in cyber-bullying from various quarters, in some instances from state agencies and ruling party mechanisms, a serious impediment to free and fair reporting.
This series of webinars will cover topics like protecting yourself online, launching a digital platform, engaging the next generation of journalists and elevating journalism standards. The proposed webinars will cater to not only journalists who are transitioning but also those who have launched their careers in the digital media such as bloggers, YouTubers and TikTokers.
The series will be launched on March 26 with the first webinar titled “Protecting Yourself Online” through which Facebook safety and community standards will be discussed with practical examples from the region.
The duration of each webinar will be two hours and limited seats are available on first- come, first-served basis.
Watch this space for further announcements.
