IT is currently an exciting and busy time particularly for media practitioners in Sarawak.
Kuching is currently hosting the 2024 National Journalists’ Day (HAWANA) celebrations which began yesterday.
The event is organised by the Ministry of Communications in collaboration with the Sarawak government with BERNAMA as the implementing agency.
HAWANA was first held in the federal capital in 2018, followed by subsequent celebrations in Melaka (2022) and Perak (2023).
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil is already in the state capital. Some 10 media practitioners from all over the country and international participants from Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Brunei, the Philippines, Timor Leste, Vietnam, China, Korea and Qatar are also here for the celebrations.
Until tomorrow, the media practitioners will be busy attending various programmes. The celebrations kicked off yesterday with ‘HAWANA 2024 Excursion with Students’ programme at the Sarawak State Library.
The programme, which will run until October, targets Communication and Media Studies students or those in related fields at Public Institutions of Higher Learning (IPTAs).
It features knowledge-sharing sessions and discussions on topics such as ‘Fact-Check” with MyCheck Malaysia and BERNAMA Data Journalism Unit editor Sakina Mohamed and Mobile Journalism (MoJO) by Bernama’s Digital Media Desk senior journalist Syed Iylia Hariz Al-Qadri Syed Izman.
One of the major attractions is the HAWANA Exhibition at the Main Atrium of the Plaza Merdeka Shopping Centre In Kuching City. The three-day event began yesterday.
Participants include BERNAMA, the Sarawak Public Communications Unit (UKAS), TVS, Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM), the Department of Information (Japen), the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) and the Kuching Division Journalists Association (KDJA).
Old media equipment and history of media in Sarawak are being exhibited there.
The two- day 2024 Sarawak Media Conference (SMeC), themed ‘Evolution of Media in the Digital Era’, also began yesterday with approximately 600 participants including local and international speakers. It will be declared open by Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg today.
Through the ‘Juh Raon’ programme, HAWANA 2024 participants will have the chance to experience the latest developments in the state and visit iconic locations like the Borneo Cultures Musuem , Darul Hana Bridge and Dataran Ibu Pertiwi in Kuching City.
Tonight, Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and Abang Johari will attend the gala dinner in conjunction with the HAWANA 2024 celebrations at Pullman Hotel.
Fahmi has revealed that tomorrow, on the last day of the HAWANA 2024 celebrations, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will announce some good news for media practitioners in the country.
With almost 50 years of experience in journalism, I wonder how good the good news will be for veterans like me and what the Prime Minister has in store for us.
Will Anwar allocate funds to all media organisations, especially those in Sarawak, so that they can also train everyone of their staff to utilise artificial intelligence (AI) technology?.
So much has been mentioned about AI and how it can help journalism and media.
The Ministry of Education has already announced plans to improve teacher competencies through suitable training so that they can guide students in using AI technology. The ministry deserves a pat on the back for its speedy response to an urgent situation.
If the media practitioners have to be proficient in AI, all of them, not just the junior staff, must be trained in the use of the technology. Many local media organisations, I’m sure, will welcome the federal government’s financial assistance to get the ball rolling.
I remember decades ago, when the old Sarawak Tribune wanted to computerise its workplace, all the reporters and editors underwent weeks and weeks of in-house training with the new software. Foreign consultants were also brought in to show them how to write proper reports and articles.
The typists, on the other hand, had their complex training with the help of technicians from outside the state.
Now, for their staff to be proficient in AI, what else do media organisations need besides lots of funds and good trainers?
It is good that Sarawak is hosting HAWANA 2024. Thanks to the high-profile event, this Land of the Hornbill is in the spotlight. Now, from the reports and stories filed by the media practitioners from many parts of the globe, the world will be very much aware how much the state has progressed, especially in the last seven years, ever since Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg became Premier.
I also hope media practitioners who are lucky enough to attend the various programmes and talks will later share the knowledge they gain with their colleagues who cannot be present.
Personally, I keep my fingers crossed for the good news from Anwar and I look forward to the insights into the future that HAWANA 2024 will provide to my colleagues and I and the sustainable policies the government will formulate for the future of the media.
