Kuala lumpur: If journalists were once considered to have completed their task after filing a report to the editor's desk, technological advances and changes in the media landscape now demand a much broader role than simply reporting the news.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, in an increasingly competitive digital environment, journalists no longer serve merely as information gatherers. Instead, they are expected to think as content creators who can identify opportunities, understand audience preferences, and produce reports that have both commercial value and audience impact.
New Straits Times (NST) associate editor (Content and Digital) Najmuddin Najib emphasized that journalists today must move beyond the basic task of reporting events and constantly seek added value that can be generated from an issue. He noted that NST trains journalists to explore assignments from various angles and develop them into broader narratives.
Najib highlighted that technological advancements have provided various analytical tools that enable media organizations to understand reader behavior in real-time, aiding in planning more effective content strategies. He explained that at NST, an analytics platform near the editors' and journalists' workstations allows for live monitoring of report performance.
Meanwhile, Sinar Harian Group editor-in-chief Zamri Rambli discussed the concept of content creation, urging journalists to view news as a valuable asset with its own identity. He stressed the importance of crafting stories that resonate with people and align with the editorial DNA of their media organizations.
Zamri also addressed the challenge posed by news portals that copy content from mainstream media for easy profit, describing it as an unfair business practice. He called for discussions at HAWANA and the Malaysian Media Council (MMM) to address content theft and unethical news practices to ensure industry sustainability.
Scheduled for June 20 at the PICCA Convention Centre @ Arena Butterworth in Penang, HAWANA 2026 will be officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.