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President of Journalists Association of Korea (JAK) Kim Dong Hoon has said science and digital technology are evolving faster than ever and journalism may face “unprecedented crises” if they do not prepare for the future.
“This is why we must reflect on issues and develop solutions now,” he said while speaking on the first day of the five-day World Journalists Conference-2023 that began in Seoul on Tuesday, seeking collaborative efforts for a brighter future for journalism globally.
Kim said although participants from around the world have different nationalities, races, genders, and ideas, they all share the same identity as journalists who strive for truth, freedom, and peace with sharp reasoning and warm hearts.
“We now live in an era where we can access the news and information we need anytime, anywhere with a single smartphone. Things that were unimaginable just a few years ago have become a reality,” he said.
Under the topic of “The Challenge of Journalism for Regional Development”, journalists discussed solution case studies that examine local community issues and propose solutions.
The session was moderated by Professor Emeritus at Chungnam National University Cho Sung Kyum.
The session titled “Leadership in the Digital Transformation Era and the Future of Journalism” was moderated by Jung Min Ho from Journalists Association of Korea
Korea Press Foundation Chairperson Pyo Wan Soo, in his congratulatory address, said the conference will serve as a plat-form for journalists from around the world to reflect, share ideas, debate, and collaborate.
“A unified heartbeat”
Anupa Kurian Murshed, senior digital content planning editor at Gulf News, said the end goal must be the same — to sus-tain a brand, and its leadership, through quality and trusted content.
She said leaders must ensure everyone is inspired to come along on this exciting new journey filled with challenges, unex-pected surprises, and successes too.
“The unity of vision is imperative. This holds especially true in the digital age. To use the Latin phrase — Unus pro-omnibus, omnes pro uno — which means all for one, one for all. And that’s the core of what a successful newsroom of the future will be,” Murshed said.
She said it needed a consistent, content-focused strategy while incorporating and adapting to trends, technologies, and tools. “The keywords — sustained innovation but managed by following the ‘fundamental tenets’ of journalism.”
“Everything was fact-checked, proofed, bias-cleared and double-sourced, no matter what the competitors did. We suc-ceeded because it was a constant thought process that was filtered down from top management to the very last employ-ee,” she said, highlighting the newsroom leadership and journalism in the time of AI.
And therein lies the core truth of what the future holds for the newsrooms and journalism at large — media houses, its in-vestors, journalists, and support teams, including finance and marketing, have to all function on a unified heartbeat.
Losing best brains
Mohamed Asmieu Bah, director of media and public affairs of Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation, said the smartphone circulates the news before the newspaper, radio and television can do so.
