ASIATODAY.ID, PALEMBANG – Journalists in Southeast Asia met in Palembang, South Sumatra at the Indonesia Fact Checking Summit (IFCS) on May 2 and the Press Freedom Conference (PFC) on May 3 2024.
These two activities were initiated by the Indonesian Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) as a series of events at the XII AJI Congress.
The Indonesia Fact Checking Summit (IFCS) is a national forum that will discuss trends in information disruption, artificial intelligence and the media ecosystem during the 2024 Election.
The Press Freedom Conference (PFC) brings together a network of journalist organizations in Southeast Asia, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia and Timor Leste to discuss the relationship between the climate crisis, democracy and press freedom. This activity also commemorates International Press Freedom Day which is celebrated every May 3.
General Chairperson of AJI Indonesia, Sasmito, said that the two activities were a momentum for journalists in Indonesia and the region to strengthen solidarity amidst the similarities in internal and external threats in each country in Southeast Asia.
According to Sasmito, in the last five years, journalists and independent media have been faced with disinformation, AI developments, polarization and the climate crisis. In the midst of this situation, the role of journalists and independent media is much more needed.
However, attacks on the press are also quite massive, ranging from repressive regulations, various forms of violence, to censorship which has become a serious challenge.
“So AJI needs to take a role in strengthening collaboration with the regional press community and other civil society so that press freedom can be protected to maintain democracy,” said Sasmito.
The two activities were attended by around 300 participants from journalists, student press, academics, media managers, NGOs and embassies of a number of countries. (ATN)
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