A journalism workshop which aimed to update local journalists on ethical and legal challenges in the digital age was conducted on July 15th in a local hotel in Kuching.
Conducted by international trainer Dr Venkat Iyer, he said that in the interest of the wider society that the media being the Fourth Estate, the media has the responsibility to maintain their credibility and proper ethics when reporting especially with the rise usage of social media which added to the complex dynamic of the digital world.
Currently attached to the School of Law of the University of Ulser where he is teaching constitutional law, media law and business law, Dr Venkat runs courses on media law and media ethics for newspaper and media organisations globally.
Organised by Angkatan Zaman Mansang Sarawak (AZAM Sarawak) and the Commonwealth Journalist Association (CJA) Sarawak Branch in collaboration with Sarawak Energy, the one day journalism workshop on ‘Ethical and Legal Challenges for Journalists in the Age of Social Media’ was attended by 20 participants.
“This year, in line with the current scenarios and trends, we are focusing on the theme of the digital age, especially on the impact of social media,” said acting Chief Executive Officer AZAM Sarawak, Madam Leila Sim Ah Hua in her opening speech.
Apart from updating on the ethical challenges among local journalists, the workshop also aimed to enhance general of professionalism among media practitioners and those in related fields.