Yang Berhormat Teo Nie Ching
Deputy Minister of Communications
Yang Berusaha Encik Nik Kamaruzaman Nik Husin
Deputy Secretary-General (Strategic Communications and Creative Industry), Ministry of Communications
Yang Berbahagia Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai
Chairman, BERNAMA
Yang Berusaha Encik Arul Rajoo Durar Raj
Editor-in-Chief, BERNAMA, and Deputy Chairman, HAWANA 2026 Working Committee
Distinguished guests, speakers and panellists
Members of the media
Academicians, strategic partners, ladies and gentlemen
Assalamualaikum and Good Morning.
It is my great pleasure, on behalf of the Malaysian National News Agency, BERNAMA, and the HAWANA 2026 Committee, to welcome all of you to the HAWANA 2026 Media Forum.
This forum is held in conjunction with the Malaysian National Journalists’ Day or HAWANA – a day set aside not merely to celebrate the profession, but to reflect on its responsibilities, its challenges, and its future.
Today’s gathering brings together an impressive cross-section of the media fraternity – editors, reporters, broadcasters and digital practitioners – as well as academics, public relations professionals, and students who represent the next generation of journalists.
Your presence underscores the importance of collective reflection at a time when the media landscape is undergoing profound and rapid change.
Ladies and gentlemen,
For the first time in six years, the HAWANA Media Forum is being held on a separate date from the main HAWANA celebration, with a full day dedicated to discussion rather than the half-day format of previous editions.
This allows for deeper engagement and a more meaningful exchange of ideas, and we hope all participants will fully benefit from this expanded platform.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The media industry today stands at a critical juncture. Across the world, and here in Malaysia, media organisations are navigating a complex and often unforgiving environment. Traditional revenue streams are under pressure. Audience behaviour is shifting rapidly. The demand for immediacy has intensified, sometimes at the expense of depth and verification.
At the same time, public trust, arguably the most valuable currency of journalism, is being tested as never before.
These realities form the backdrop to today’s forum.
Our first session, Sustaining Media in Times of Crisis: Challenges and Revenue Realities, will examine the pressing question of financial sustainability. How do media organisations remain viable in an environment where business models are under strain, yet editorial integrity must never be compromised?
The second session, How Journalists Navigate the Evolving Media Landscape, turns the focus to the newsroom itself. How do journalists adapt to new tools, platforms, and audience expectations while firmly anchored in the core principles of accuracy, fairness, and responsibility?
Finally, our third session, Shaping the Future of Malaysian Media in the Digital and AI Era, invites us to look ahead. As digital technologies and artificial intelligence reshape the way news is gathered, produced, and consumed, how do we ensure that innovation strengthens, rather than undermines, credibility?
Ladies and gentlemen,
While these sessions explore distinct themes, a common thread runs through all of them: the enduring role of journalism as a public trust.
At its best, journalism informs, explains, and connects. It equips citizens with the knowledge they need to make decisions. It holds institutions to account. It gives voice to the voiceless. These functions do not diminish in times of change; if anything, they become even more essential.
In this context, the responsibility borne by journalists and media organisations is immense. It calls for vigilance in verification, discipline in reporting, and integrity in judgment. It also calls for a willingness to evolve, to embrace new skills, new technologies, and new ways of engaging audiences without losing sight of the fundamental purpose of the profession.
Equally important is the need for collaboration within the industry. The challenges we face are not confined to any one organisation. They are shared challenges, and they require shared responses, through dialogue, partnerships, and a collective commitment to raising standards.
Ladies and gentlemen,
This forum provides a platform for such dialogue – open, candid, and constructive.
We are privileged to have with us distinguished panellists and speakers who bring a wealth of experience and insight. I am confident their contributions will deepen our understanding and stimulate meaningful discussion.
As we engage in today’s sessions, let us do so with clarity of purpose and a spirit of solidarity. The future of our industry depends not only on how we respond individually, but on how we think and act collectively.
On that note, I thank you once again for your presence and participation.
Thank you.