The Weakness of Asian Media
— ikram • June 22nd, 2007
Why has Asian media failed in delivering news about the region?
According to a report by ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau, it is mainly because they are narrow-minded and limited in scope. This is just one of the topics debated at the 4th Asia-Europe Foundation’s Asia Europe Journalists’ Seminar on May 27 in Hamburg, Germany.
Executive editor of Bangkok’s The Nation Kavi Chongkittavorn said, the Asian media fail because they are too parochial. “When we report, we report our self, we report what is linked to us and then this self-censorship is based on non-interference.”
There is also an unwritten rule, “So you don’t write about sensitivity, about leadership. Let alone other more sensitive issues like racial or religious issue.”
17 senior journalists from ASEF-member countries were invited to the seminar to discuss the theme “Strategic Issues in Asia-Europe Relations: Perspectives from the Media.”
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau represented the Philippines. The other Asian participants are from: Khemara Times, Cambodia; Wenhui Daily, China; The Times of India, India; Deccan Herald, India; Gatra Weekly News Magazine, Indonesia; Al Jazeera International, Malaysia; UB Post, Mongolia; The News, Pakistan and Tienphong Newspaper, Vietnam.
To read the full story on the seminar, please click here.
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