Several hundred journalists and media professionals from the US, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa converged at Singapore Management University for the 2018 International Media Conference from 25 to 27 June. Hosted at SMU’s School of Law building, distinguished speakers and working journalists addressed the question of “What Is News Now?” by exploring the new trends and upheavals disrupting the business of news and storytelling today.

Co-hosted by East-West Centre (EWC), SMU and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), the Conference provided a platform for policymakers, tech companies and members of the media to discuss how to best tackle disinformation, as well as the transformative issues shaping today’s world, particularly in the Asia Pacific region. The issues discussed ranged from artificial intelligence and Big Data, China’s rise in political power and technology innovation, the future of trade, smarter cities, to emerging issues that may not have yet made the news.

The stellar line-up of keynote speakers and moderators at the three-day Conference included Jason White, Facebook Director of News Partnerships, on future connections between news and the social media platform; US Assistant Secretary of State Michelle Giuda, Singapore Senior Minister of State Dr. Janil Puthucheary and Warren Fernandez, Editor-in-Chief of the English/Malay/Tamil Media Group, SPH on tackling “fake news” and disinformation; Tencent Vice President Caitlyn Chen on artificial intelligence and other tech innovation in Chinese media; GovTech Singapore Chief Executive Kok Ping Soon on “Digitising Singapore Government.”; Prof Steven Miller, SMU Vice Provost (Research) and Professor of Information Systems, on “Singapore Smart Cities Initiatives”; and The Economist Senior Editor of Digital Products Kenneth Cukier on the upsides and downsides of Big Data.

Addressing the delegates at the start of the Conference, SMU Provost Prof Lily Kong said, “The accelerating pace of technological advancement and the explosive growth of social media are transforming the business of news and storytelling. Big data, mobile journalism and ‘fake news’ are woven into the fabric of our daily lives. To navigate through such developments, businesses and governments across the world will increasingly require employees to be tech-ready, globally aware and adept at managing ambiguity locally and across borders.”

Prof Kong took the opportunity to share what SMU is doing as a knowledge institution to meet the demand for such talent. “First, at the undergraduate level, we announced in March this year that beginning with the incoming cohort joining the University from August 2018, global exposure will be a graduation requirement. We believe that through such global exposure, our graduates will learn the skills of interacting effectively with others of diverse backgrounds; and in discerning how geopolitical developments and disinformation can impact trade policies and socio-economic movements. In today’s globally connected environment, global exposure from the vantage of a university education is invaluable for developing intercultural sensitivities, international networking and opening doors to opportunities for collaboration.”

“As we face an ever more digitised news environment and increasing global disinformation, this year’s conference will bring hundreds of media professionals together to focus on the intersection of media, technology and social change, and the new-era disruptions and transformations this has brought to the business of news, consumers of information and the stories themselves,” said conference director Susan Kreifels, East-West Center Media Programme Manager.

Keynote speaker Mr Kok Ping Soon, who took on the position of Chief Executive of the Government Technology Agency (GovTech) Singapore on May 1, 2018, described efforts to transform technology in the city-state’s public sector. His energetic and engaging presentation included a snapshot of the digital products recently developed for the benefit of citizens, including the Parking.sg mobile application and OneService app, as well as innovative solutions in the pipeline to facilitate everyday life.

Mr Kok was joined by an expert panel in a discussion that evaluated Singapore’s Smart Nation Journey and its priorities for the next five-year chapter. Panellists included Dr Limin Hee, Director, Centre for Liveable Cities, Singapore Ministry of National Development; Chris Zegras, Associate Professor of Transportation and Urban Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston and Lead Principle Investigator for Future Mobility, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research & Technology (SMART); as well as moderator Prof Steven Miller, Vice Provost (Research); Professor of Information Systems; SMU.

“Behavioural change in the population is key to sustaining a Smart Nation initiatives,” said Prof Miller. Citizens using smartphone apps to check the availability of buses, shared bikes or autonomous vehicles could gain a better sense of their mobility options. With such convenience afforded by technology, citizens would gain confidence in the public transportation system and be prompted to change their behaviours in terms of moving towards a car-lite society.

The Conference, besides holding plenary sessions, offered attendees opportunities to select workshops of their choice. The 45-minute workshops, which took place at SMU's School of Law Seminar Rooms, were deliberately capped in size to encourage dialogue among participants. Facilitated by experts from organisations such as Google, Facebook and Reuters, the topics discussed at the workshops included mobile journalism, trauma and censorship, audience engagement, data and investigative journalism and the challenges of covering the Middle East and North Africa. 

The biennial Conference, which was held in Singapore for the first time since its inception in 2008, allowed conference delegates the opportunity to experience the culture and contemporary efficiency of the Lion City. Friendships were renewed and new ones forged during the three-day programme. EWC President Richard R. Vuylsteke commended the attendees for their commitment to the profession in challenging times. “We hope this meeting in the next few days will not only rejuvenate your commitment to being great journalists, but also a commitment to working together across nationalities and cultures, and to being connected in a very personal way. There’s nothing better than making friends from the same profession to talk and think together in mutually productive ways, which is exactly what this conference is about.”

About The East-West Center

The East-West Center, based in Honolulu, Hawaii, promotes better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue. Since 1967, East-West Center media programs have provided more than 3,000 American and Asia Pacific journalists with opportunities to expand and enhance their reporting on the region. The EWC’s Asia Pacific Center for Journalists is a premier resource for media on Asia and the Pacific, offering travel and dialogue programs for journalists, news and analysis, access to the East-West Center’s specialists, and a network of 65,000 alumni around the world.

[Featured photo: (from left) Moderator Torben Stephan, Director of Media Programmes Asia, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung; Alvin Tan, Head of Public Policy ASEAN, Malaysia and Singapore, Facebook; Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of StateMinistry of Transport & Ministry of Communications and Information, Singapore; Warren Fernandez, Editor-in-Chief, English/Malay/Tamil Media Group, SPH; and Cherian George, Professor, Department of Journalism at Hong Kong Baptist University; tackled the topic of “Fighting fake news” at the 2018 International Media Conference held at SMU School of Law.]