The UNESCO has released the Guidelines for  the Governance of Digital Platforms. 

The Guidelines are the result of an extensive and collaborative effort that started in September 2022. It brought together a wide array of stakeholders through three global consultations, including one held during the Internet for Trust conference organized by UNESCO last February 2023.

The consultative process involved the engagement of people from 134 countries, including marginalized and vulnerable groups, generating over 10,000 comments. This made it one of the most extensive consultation projects ever conducted by a UN agency.

What are the Guidelines?

The Guidelines aim to safeguard freedom of expression and access to information online in the context of the development and implementation of digital platform governance processes. Specifically, the Guidelines outline a set of duties, responsibilities, and roles for states, digital platforms, intergovernmental organizations, civil society, media, academia, the technical community, and other stakeholders to enable the environment where freedom of expression and information are at the core of digital platforms’ regulatory processes.

Who will benefit from the guidelines?

The Guidelines will serve as a resource for a range of stakeholders – policymakers in identifying legitimate objectives, human rights principles, and inclusive and participatory processes that could be considered in policymaking; regulatory and other governance bodies dealing with the implementation and evaluation of policies, codes of conducts, or regulation; digital platforms in their policies and practices; and other stakeholders, such as civil society, in their advocacy and accountability efforts. News media can also benefit from these Guidelines in their ongoing efforts to hold powerful actors accountable.

An initiative within the UN Framework to Combat Global Information Threats

The Guidelines align with UNESCO’s commitment to the UN on the development of Our Common Agenda Policy Brief “Global Digital Compact” which sets the stage for a global, multi-stakeholder framework to ensure an open, free, and secure digital future based on the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the 2030 Agenda. They also echo to the UN’s Code of Conduct for information integrity on digital platforms, currently being developed, which seeks to guide Member-States, digital platforms, and other groups in their efforts to make the digital space more inclusive and safer for all. 

What’s next?

UNESCO is supporting the creation of a network of networks of regulatory authorities including electoral management bodies and the epistemic community that together will work to monitor and evaluate the efficient implementation of the Guidelines at the global, regional, and national levels. 

By AMIC Secretariat

The Editor of Media Asia conducted a three-day training on election coverage for Bhutanese journalists.

Danilo Araña Arao, an associate professor of journalism at UP Diliman and a convenor of election watchdog Kontra Daya (Against Fraud), held it from November 13 to 15, in time for the 4th National Assembly elections scheduled on November 30.

Seventeen journalists from The Bhutanese, Business Bhutan, Kuzu FM, and Gyalchi Sershog participated in this activity.

The training aimed to have an overview of the election system in Bhutan; share knowledge, skills, and values in election coverage; and assess the participants’ knowledge, skills, and values through workshops.

Arao designed the program, in consultation with the Bodhi Media and Communication Institute (BMCI). Aside from Arao who discussed the basics of election coverage during the first day, other resource persons from the Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) and the Journalists’ Association of Bhutan (JAB) presented election regulations and media guidelines during the second and third days.

Aside from inputs and case study presentations, the training consisted of workshops in news writing, interviewing and analyzing election coverage guidelines.

Embracing Digital Technology and Knowledge Brokering & Sharing

Participants emphasized the importance of tacit knowledge brokering and sharing, particularly the exchange of best practices, to address common communication media issues. Special attention was given to the implications of digital technology disruptions and the advent of Super Smart Society 5.0, driven by machine-learning-based artificial intelligence.

Media, Information & Digital Literacy and Communication Education for All

The continuous onslaught of disinformation in the global and local media ecosystem demands integration of media, information and digital literacy (MIDL) which empowers individuals to be critical and discerning media users and consumers as well as responsible and ethical content creators using various formats and platforms.

A critical priority highlighted during the conference was the need to enhance society’s competencies in digital literacy through “Communication Education for All” curricula. These curricula should be integrated into formal, non-formal, and informal education at all levels and across all fields.

Towards Consensus, Facilitating Cohesion on Global Communication Issues

The conference also advocated for more extensive efforts to explore the feasibility of adopting a mechanism for inter-continental consultation, aiming to build consensus, promote tolerance and societal cohesion on current and emerging global communication issues.

Promoting Networking and Collaboration

Recognizing the need for more venues for networking and collaboration, the conference called for increased cooperation among Asian and African communication professionals, practitioners, and institutions. This includes collaborative programs and activities in such areas as research, publications, capacity building, and faculty/students exchanges.

In conclusion, the AMIC’s 29th Annual Conference served as a bridge, connecting the past achievements of the 1955 Bandung Asia-Africa Summit Conference with the contemporary challenges and opportunities in the realms of communication and information. It reaffirmed the commitment to dialogue, cooperation, and shared learning between Africa and Asia to closer friendship and partnership, paving the way for a brighter, more interconnected future.

AMIC@50: Turning Gold
A History of the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC) 

Finally, we have a history of Asia’s oldest association of media communication educators, scholars, and practitioners. AMIC was founded in Singapore in 1971.

The book narrates the founding of AMIC by the first secretary-general Lakshman Rao and the contribution of succeeding SGs—P.R. Sinha, Vijay Menon. Jose Ma. G. Carlos, Indrajit Banerjee, Sundeep R. Muppidi, Chi Chi F. Robles, Martin Hadlow, and Ramon R. Tuazon. American scholar John Lent contributed an epilogue. Forewords were written by Eddie C.Y. Kuo, Ang Peng Hwa, and Arun Mahizhnan.

It is edited by Crispin C. Maslog, current AMIC chair of the board, who is one of two surviving members of the travelling seminar. The book is informative and loaded with historical facts, but is easy to read and illustrated with pictures.

This 2021 edition of COMMUNICATION THEORY THE ASIAN PERSPECTIVE published by AMIC is now available. The book’s editor, Dr. Wimal Dissanayake, asks and answers key questions: 1) Why is it important to direct our attention to Asian approaches to communication research and theory? 2) In what ways does research into Asian communication theories offer challenges to the ruling intellectual cartography of communication studies? 3) What progress have we made so far in Asian communication research and theory and what is its significance and impact? 4) What are some of the obstacles and challenges we still are likely to encounter? and 5) In what ways can we productively overcome these challenges?

2021 AMIC Annual Conference Book of Abstracts is now available at https://amic.asia/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/AMIC-BOOK-OF-ABSTRACTS-2021.pdf. It contains 124 abstracts of 167 papers presented during the conference with the theme, Science Communication: Managing the Now and the Future.

The book will be useful for communication educators, researchers and students as reference for ongoing research or as leads to future research studies.

Terima Kasih!

The Asian Media Information and Communication Centre Inc. (AMIC) extends its appreciation to our speakers, presenters, participants, and guests who ensured the resounding success of the 29th AMIC Annual Conference held in Bandung, Indonesia from 28 to 30 September 2023. The conference recorded almost 300 participants including 237 parallel paper presenters. Our plenary and parallel speakers came from 22 countries and territories. The conference adopted the 29th AMIC Annual Conference Resolution which commits to further strengthen networking and partnership among communication professionals in Asia Pacific and Africa.

AMIC recognizes the valuable support of our co-hosts, Universitas Padjadjaran (UNPAD) and Far Eastern University (FEU), Manila. We also acknowledge the support of the government of West Java.

For the coming days, AMIC has lined up various projects and activities for our members and friends. We are confident that you will sustain your interest and commitment to your AMIC. If you have suggestions on how to strengthen your organization, please email us at info@amic.asia.

AMIC Secretariat