BEIJING: Mainstream media plays a vital role in ensuring only factual information reaches the public in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, say industry players from Asean.

       Addressing the Asean Media Partners Forum held here yesterday, they said the Internet was filled with fake news and hoaxes concerning the coronavirus and vaccines.

       There was also a call for stronger media cooperation to bring about more open and unbiased content across diversified forms.

       “Mainstream media must become a cleaning house to separate reliable information from hoax news, ” said Indonesia’s Metro TV president director Don Bosco Selamun.

       He said that with Indonesia struggling to contain the Covid-19 outbreak, the media was also battling to “clarify fake news”, adding that the Information and Communications Ministry had received reports of some 2, 000 fake news related to the pandemic.

       “The fake information has gone viral across social media. Our main job is to publish the most credible and reliable information for the public, ” he said.

       Star Media Group (SMG) chief executive officer Alex Yeow said The Star was committed to presenting unbiased and factual information to its readers and audiences.

       He said in the case of the US-China trade war and human rights concerns in Xinjiang, the English daily had carried news from the international as well as Chinese media.

       “Audiences in Malaysia are presented with a different perspective that is not merely shaped by the international mainstream media. It is openness like this that shows we can no longer confine ourselves to our own viewpoints.

       “There is a need for deeper media cooperation to bring about more open and unbiased content across diversified forms, ” he added.

       Yeow said that living in an era of inter-dependence, the world relied on the development of each and every country.

       “Malaysia and China have always shared close relations that have stood the test of time. Our mutually beneficial cooperation in various areas have not only strengthened our bilateral relationship but also allowed media on both sides to share valuable knowledge for mutual learning, ” he added.

       National Television of Cambodia deputy director-general Pang Nath said both the new and traditional media were as important.

       “We must work together to provide quick information to the public while taking up the responsibility to filter out hoaxes, ” he added.

       The forum, themed “Strengthen Media Collaboration, Promote Mutual Development”, was held in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of dialogue relations between Asean and China. The overseas speakers were connected online.

       The forum also saw the launch of the Asean Media Partners cooperation mechanism between China Media Group and a dozen stakeholders from Asean, including SMG.

       With this, the media companies involved would be able to bring wider and deeper coverage to their audiences.