More than 300 participants, many journalists from Asia, the Pacific and the US, joined the first day of discussions at the International Media Conference (IMC) on April 26.
Highlights:
Audio wrap Day 1
Lunchtime Keynote: Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Dr. Surin Pitsuwan (video highlights)
Dinner Keynote: U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Dr. Kurt Campbell. (low-resolution video stream)
Video Bites:
Professor Chan Yuen Ying, JMSC – Welcoming address
Professor Charles Morrison, EWC – Welcoming address
Dr Roland Chin, RGC – Opening address – Tertiary education in Asia
Jing Ulrich, JP Morgan – China post-financial crisis
Dr Sanjaya Baru, Business Standard, India – India-China interaction
Akira Kojima, CER, Japan Japan’s challenges
In her welcoming remarks, Director of the Hong Kong University Journalism and Media Studies Centre Professor Ying Yuen Chan, emphasized that Hong Kong’s media remained free and vibrant since the handover to China handover in 1997. Under the “one country, two systems” model, Chinese state media control and the Great Firewall stop at the border of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, she said.
“Hong Kong is the best location in terms of understanding China, in terms of serving as a bridge. Exciting things are happening in journalism in China, and you will hear about them in this conference,” she said.
LUNCHTIME KEYNOTE
Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Dr. Surin Pitsuwan (link) said the ASEAN group of 10 Southeast Asian Nations and its partnerships with other Asia Pacific powers, including China, Japan and Korea, could play a leading role in multilateral engagement throughout the region.
“In order to help East Asia grow, ASEAN is providing leadership, because we are a threat to none, and a friend to all,” he said.
Panel discussions and workshops addressed topics ranging from “Effective Communicating Behaviours for a Western Audience” to “Terrorism and Security in South Asia.”
CNN editor Elizabeth Yuan came specifically for a small panel discussion on elections in Asia. She said the topic was useful for her work.
“The Philippine election is a really big story,” Yuan said. “I wanted to hear what some of the people on the panel had to say, and then there’s the added benefit of hearing the other panelists, too.”
Journalists from Thailand, Sri Lanka, Burma and the Philippines joined the panel. Yuan said it provided a good opportunity for making contacts in the region and developing new story ideas.
“Journalists can give you the best briefing on any city, any region, any country because they are out there on the ground reporting the issues every day,” said Susan Kreifels, Media Programmes Coordinator for the East-West Centre.
Asep Komarudi is an online journalist from Indonesia who joined the conference for networking opportunities.
Komarudi said he has written about global warming, but he gained a new perspective on environmental coverage after listening to the panel “Asia’s Environmental Dilemma.”
“I think I got a very global frame from the panel. I’m interested in taking action to reduce climate change, so I think I got many new ideas,” he said.
Panelist Ronald Henkoff (Editor of Bloomberg Markets Magazine) said the issue of water is still an untapped story.
“Interestingly enough, we’ve come together as a global community to address the issue of global warming, but it’s not as here and now as the water problem,” Henkoff said during a panel discussion featuring journalists from China, India and South Korea.
“It’s a very challenging issue and I think we’ll all be writing about it more in the coming years.”
Lynette Lee Corporal visited the conference as a participant and a reporter covering the event for the Inter Press Service. She typed a story on her laptop while panelists conversed with one another and the audience of “Reporting on Minorities: Indigenous People, Ethnic Minorities and Children.”
Corporal joined a slew of other media professionals covering the event. Along with producing live video feeds, JMSC students are covering the event via twitter and coveritlive. Follow the coverage, tweets, and/or contribute to the discussion, at #imchk).
“We already had 30 people from outside Hong Kong join us online this morning, and we’re getting queries if we are having live feed of (the) Campbell (keynote address),” said Diane Stormont on Monday morning. The former Reuters’ Bureau Chief turned-JMSC lecturer in online journalism is leading the team of journalism students.
“The new technology simply brings together all the people who cannot make it. It’s more inclusive and more environmentally friendly,” she said.
Angharad Law, who lectures in radio broadcasting at the JMSC, led a team of students who put together a live radio show of the event. To hear the coverage of the afternoon’s session go to Blogtalkradio.
DINNER KEYNOTE:
During Campbell’s keynote dinner address, JMSC web programmer Cedric Sam rigged his Nexus One phone to broadcast the coverage live via qik.com.
The speech wrapped-up Monday’s events with an American perspective. Campbell said the current century is the “Asia Pacific Century,” and he emphasised that America is committed to strengthening ties with the entire region.
“We believe that the best way for the US to move forward in the Asia Pacific region is not just to engage China,” Campbell said, emphasising that ASEAN will play an especially important role in future trans-Pacific politics.
A media scrum followed Campbell’s speech. He entertained a packed room of international journalists grilling him on Washington’s reaction to the Cheonan—the South Korean warship that broke in two and sank last month, killing 46 sailors, supposedly because of a passing torpedo.
After dodging questions, Campbell returned to the banquet hall and sat with a table of mainland Chinese journalists for a meet and greet.
– Doug Meigs
