Daily Wrap Ups

Diverse Voices Call Out Threats to Press Freedom

Edited by Brolley Genster

Day 2 of N3Con 2020 featured programming ranging from the future of the Olympics to how newsrooms are dealing with challenges to press freedoms all across Asia. With the help of volunteer student journalists, every part of the action-packed slate of panels and discussions was covered. Check out the highlights from another exciting day from #TheNewFrontlines.

Winning Strategy of Covering Sports and Esports in Asia

Written by Carol Mang

Growing up in Hawaii, Sakura Kokumai found it difficult to express herself through words. But through karate, she was able to find her true self. Kokumai, who has spent most of her life shuttling back and forth between the United States and Japan, will represent the US at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, where karate competitions will take place for the very first time.

As the sport of karate awaits its Olympic debut, some esports fans, many of whom are in Asia, wonder if they’re going to be next. Moderated by Joe Pan of Forkast.Studio, a panel of sports journalists, an athlete and an esports advocate discussed the important relationship between sports, athletes and the world of journalism.

For Associated Press reporter Stephen Wade, being a journalist came first. He emphasized the importance for those interested in sports reporting to have some journalism experience covering other fields. “Sports is a business, it moves a tremendous amount of money, behind the athletes is the business story, it’s a political story and it’s a financial story.”

South China Morning Post Sports Editor Noel Prentice shared how his newsroom has evolved to include innovations over the years such as esports. Having worked in newsrooms all over the world, Prentice has learned to be adaptable and welcomed the opportunity to learn about the excitement behind gaming culture, even getting on game streaming platform Twitch himself to see what all the excitement was about.

Bryan Huang, the Lead Producer at Yahoo eSports SEA, had a background in entertainment and sports reporting before switching to esports coverage. It was there that he learned that having a conversation with an interviewee ahead of time helps them feel comfortable when going into an interview. Athletes come from diverse backgrounds and have different language skills, so he tries his best to make them comfortable in all situations.

As a professional from the esports world, Riot Games’ Chris Tran wants to work with journalists to help them understand the complex and varied world of esports. Gamers and gaming companies are working to change people’s perceptions of gaming and engage with them to show that the industry is a combination of entertainment, technology and sports.

Top, left to right: Joe Pan, Noel Prentice, Stephen Wade. Bottom, left to right: Sakura Kokumai, Bryan Huang, Chris Tran.

Fact-Checking an Infodemic

Written by Karen Ng and Sheryl Lee 

Driven by fear and anxiety, a pandemic and social crises can quickly evolve into an infodemic of misinformation. Conspiracies, false claims and scams are as contagious as the virus itself.

Moderated by Eric Wishart, AFP’s special projects editor, the panel concluded that the war against misinformation is impossible to win in the short term, and has been fueled by distrust in public institutions and viral spread on online platforms.

Rachel Blundy, senior editor at AFP Fact Check, said that while the wire service has published less Covid-19 fact checks after seeing a peak in April, misinformation is still prevalent. “What we see is a lot of old theories being recirculated throughout this pandemic,” she explained.

Further, as the pandemic continues, misinformation has morphed into conspiracy theories, which are impossible to debunk with obvious facts, she added.

“There’s no possible evidence I can give you that will ever 100% disprove that (conspiracy theories), because it’s a belief,” said Blundy.

Cheng Ka Yue, executive editor of Factcheck Lab, a Hong Kong based fact-checking organization, argued that a proliferation of fake news was essentially a symptom of eroding trust in societal institutions, noting the rise of misinformation as anti-government protests intensified in Hong Kong over the past year.

“Lack of trust, fear, anger, all the emotions will just enhance the rumours and any unverifiable claims,” he said.

But Kirsten Han, an independent journalist, worries that legislation aimed at fighting fake news, like an anti-fake news law passed last year in Singapore will be co-opted by governments in the region to further limit free speech.

The law, she said, “is one example of how this whole discourse on fighting misinformation has been appropriated by a government to give itself more power,” noting how it was used against critics of the government and opposition political parties in recent elections held in July.

Aya Lowe, who oversees strategic partner development in the APAC region for Facebook, acknowledged that the social media giant should step up to further combat misinformation.

Measures it has implemented to do so, she said, are already having their intended effect. More than 95% of users choose not to engage with misleading content after warning labels generated with a mix of human fact checkers and artificial intelligence were applied.

Top, left to right: Eric Wishart, Cheng Ka Yue, Kirsten Han. Bottom, left to right: Aya Lowe, Rachel Blundy

Hot Ideas for Climate Reporting

Written by Dexter Low

Climate and environmental reporting is one of the most pertinent and exciting beats in today’s world, but it remains a complex topic to cover.

The panel, moderated by Grace Lee, the Tokyo correspondent of Feature Story News, featured tips and advice on an issue which most panelists agreed is a topic many newsrooms still don’t give enough attention to.

Crystal Chow, a freelance journalist based in Hong Kong who covers climate issues, said that it is important to find points of interest to relate stories to readers, such as how huge demand for a popular food item there, abalone, is endangering the species and driving crime in South Africa.

Imelda Abano, a content coordinator for Internews Earth Journalism Network and founding president of the Philippine Network of Environmental Journalists, added that journalists should also focus on showcasing solutions — how communities are responding to the impact of climate change.

Even as issues over climate change become increasingly politicised, Audrey Tan, the science and environment correspondent for The Straits Times newspaper in Singapore, noted that it is important to stick to the science and use data rather than superlatives in a story to maintain balance and objectivity.

Being able to prove the science from inception to the end is therefore an essential skill, said Joydeep Gupta, South Asia director of The Third Pole, which covers environmental issues in the Himalayas and other river basins in Asia.

“It’s extremely important to cross-check what activists tell us, just as important as checking what a company spokesman or bureaucrat tells us,” said Gupta, who warned that editors will not accept a pitch just because it touches on environmental issues. “The news value of a story is of paramount importance.”

The panelists also shared a range of web resources for aspiring environmental and climate journalists that can be accessed here.

Top, from left to right: Audrey Tan, Crystal Chow, Joydeep Gupta. Bottom, from left to right: Imelda Abano, Grace Lee.

Diversity Matters: How a Diverse Newsroom Gets you Better Stories

Written by Cassie Zhang and Dexter Low

Whether it’s Black Lives Matter or the Me Too Movement, increasing public awareness of diversity issues means media companies now have to constantly reconsider the make-up of their newsrooms and how stories are covered.

Natalie Koh, a news editor at the South China Morning Post, said that gender imbalance favouring men is prevalent in Asian newsrooms and the Hong Kong-based paper is trying to ensure more women’s voices are reflected in its stories.
When newsrooms embrace diversity, it improves their coverage, added Janet Paskin, a senior enterprise editor at Bloomberg who moderated the session.

Joanna Chiu, Toronto Star reporter, noted that welcoming reporters from non-white backgrounds allowed the newspaper to break stories that it would otherwise have missed. She cited an example of how these reporters were able to spot the story of local politicians circulating racist remarks in Chinese via WeChat.

Vinod K. Jose, executive editor of The Caravan magazine in India and Carlos Tejada, deputy Asia editor at the New York Times, both said that their newsrooms seek local reporters and minorities, although this comes with challenges.

The Chinese government for example, limits the number of local journalists foreign outlets like The Times can hire, said Tejada. He added that this was in recognition of their ability to navigate local conditions and expose hard-hitting issues.

Tamala Chirwa, director of Africa for Women in News emphasised the need for newsrooms to think beyond simplistic definitions of diversity.
‘‘We are in a different space because we deal with ethnicity issues here, religious issues. So when we talk about diversity, it’s got so many facets to it,” she said.

Challenging the New Frontlines: Press Freedom in Asia

Written by Hanzhang Xu and Dexter Low

There is little doubt that press freedom is increasingly under assault across Asia and the wider world. And few are more familiar with the assault on a free press than Regina “Ging” Reyes, the head of the integrated news division at ABS-CBN.

The Philippines’ biggest news broadcaster was forced to close regional news operations and cut over 4,000 jobs on August 28, after a government-forced shutdown of its main channels in May wiped out advertising revenue.

The shutdown is a big loss for rural communities that remain largely without internet access, and are left clamoring for essential information as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread rapidly in the country.

Even in traditional bastions of press freedom like Hong Kong, a clampdown by Chinese authorities in recent months that includes the adoption of the National Security Law and visa denials for journalists have sent chills through newsrooms. The new legislation has been criticized for suppressing free speech.

For international outlets based in Hong Kong, the uncertainty around the law has forced them to take action, said Adrienne Carter, the Asia editor of The New York Times, which has opted to relocate a third of its staff from Hong Kong to Seoul.

For The Stand News, relocation is less of an option. Journalists will continue to fight for press freedom, even if they have to fight with top management to publish a sentence or a word, said Ronson Chan, the independent news outlet’s deputy assignment editor.

Both Carter and Chan said sources and interviewees are increasingly reluctant to speak to them even for trivial stories, part of the chilling effect of the new law.

“We are living in the worst of times these days,’’ said Reyes. “These are dark days,”

As AAJA-Asia President K. Oanh Ha closed off the discussion, she and other panelists urged attendees to remain engaged and connected with other passionate journalists for support.

“Journalists are not going to win the battle alone,” said Cédric Alviani, the director of Reporters Without Borders’ East Asia Bureau, adding that the public would be an important ally. “They work for the public and need the public at this time to stay alive.”

Experience our last panel and share its message with friends here.

Top, from left to right: K. Oanh Ha, Adrienne Carter, Cédric Alviani. Bottom, from left to right: Regina Reyes, Ronson Chan.

Hostile Environment Logistical Preparation (H-E-L-P) Workshop

Contributed by Karen Ng, Sammy Heung and Shameel Ibrahim

Journalists can easily find themselves in danger reporting in hostile environments from warzones to places hit by Covid-19.

Kevin Sites, who spent half of his 30-year career covering wars and natural disasters, shared advice and tips on how to prepare ourselves for hostile situations such as protests and wars.

Sites, who is now an associate professor at the Journalism & Media Studies Centre at the University of Hong Kong, told the N3Con audience that the world has become increasingly dangerous for journalists. In 2019, the deaths of journalists were mostly a result of targeted killings, he said.

Hostile environments are inherently highly unpredictable. Sites noted that it’s absolutely crucial for journalists to have situational awareness and ensure their safety, as well as protect their sources and local colleagues.

“I want you to report the story. I don’t want you to become the story like I did,’’ said Sites, who was captured by a militia in Iraq in 2003. “You certainly don’t want to be harmed or become captured or the focus of the media that you are actually reporting for.”

Among his many tips was to wear personal protection gear such as body armor and helmets, or  face masks for Covid-19 related stories. The same equipment should be provided to local journalists one works with, he said. When working among civilians, it’s important to blend in, dress and act like a local in order to avoid drawing attention, he added.

“We have to report the fighting, but we also have to protect ourselves, so we can tell the truth,” said Sites, who lost three colleagues in 2001 while covering the Afghan war. “The more journalists we lose, the more truth takes a defeat.”

In order to keep sources safe, it may be necessary to hide their identities, Sites noted. Journalists should also make sure their faces are covered so well that their own mothers wouldn’t be able to recognize them, he advised.

Sites shed light on police dispersal tactics and the use of water cannons, tear gas and pepper spray during Hong Kong’s 2019 anti-extradition bill protests. He also spoke about the weapons journalists may be confronted with in hostile situations, including small arms and AK-47 rifles.

He also shared basic first aid skills to handle situations like exposure to tear gas and pepper spray. Closing of the presentation by explaining how quickly things can change in hostile environments, Sites emphasized the necessity of planning escape routes while reporting.

Kevin Sites during his online session at N3Con on 30 August 2020

N3ConU

Contributed by Dexter Low

What does it take to break into journalism today? For speakers at a jam-packed N3Con workshop, the answers reflected their own challenging but fruitful experiences in the industry.

Self-doubt is sometimes part of the journey for an aspiring journalist, but participants were urged to set goals and proactively seek networking and writing opportunities.

“If you don’t know anyone in the industry, it feels impossible, it feels like you’re facing Mount Kilimanjaro,” said Kari Lindberg, an intern-turned-reporter at Bloomberg. She added that it was vital for aspiring journalists to reach out to mentors for advice.

Gavin Huang, editor at Goldthread, a culture publication from the South China Morning Post, suggested taking on graduate fellowships, while Rebecca Isjwara, a reporter at S&P Global Market Intelligence, shared her efforts to contact newsrooms to ask about internship opportunities even if they aren’t being advertised.

Lindberg compiled a list of over 200 publications to pitch stories to as a freelancer, and even designed her own business cards and wore colorful blazers at conventions to stand out during networking sessions. Isjwara further encouraged students to tap opportunities in organizations like AAJA to find mentors and develop skills, such as podcasting, that are now in demand.

She also advised those seeking to enter financial journalism to pick up basic knowledge like how to read a company statement and read up on publications in other languages to find stories editors might otherwise miss.

Huang said that picking up technical skills like coding were also useful, but students should consider applying it to address a specific task, noting the example of a colleague who used Python to investigate a possible spike in births in South Korea during Christmas.

“This is the best time ever to be a journalist today but also the worst,” said Lindberg of the challenges and opportunities that the global pandemic presents.

“Everyone will tell you that you can’t do it,” she said. “But don’t give up, otherwise everyone will give up on you.”

For more resources shared by the panelists, click here

IWMF: Strategies to Protect Your Online Profile

Contributed by N3Con Newsletter team

With global “bad actors” increasingly targeting journalists, Ela Stapley, digital security consultant at the International Women’s Media Foundation, urged media workers to think carefully about their digital risk and take action to protect themselves, their families, colleagues and sources.

“There’s always going to be risk in terms of digital safety,” Stapley said. Before travelling on assignment, most employers would require risk assessments, but digital risk assessments are increasingly important, she said. Here’s a helpful downloadable form from the Rory Peck Trust, which Stapley helped create.

She also urged participants to consider the safety of data storage, internet service providers (ISPs), virtual private networks (VPNs), devices (don’t forget those software updates), the use of password management software and the importance of 2-factor authentication.