HAWANA 2025: Celebrating Media Literacy at Sunway Putra
KUALA LUMPUR: The National Journalists' Day (HAWANA) 2025 celebration, which kicks off today for a three-day run, serves as a platform to bolster the media's role in promoting information literacy, while also strengthening public engagement through a range of educational, entertainment and interactive activities.
Communications Ministry deputy secretary-general (Telecommunication Infrastructure) Mano Verabathran said HAWANA is not just a platform to recognise media practitioners for delivering accurate information, but also affirms the media's role as a public education agent in an era of information overload.
'We need to educate the public on various issues related to media and information dissemination, including the importance of media literacy, fact-checking, and the dangers of spreading false information which could affect social harmony and national security,' he said when launching the HAWANA 2025 Carnival at Sunway Putra Mall here.
Also present were Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chief executive officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin and its editor-in-chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj, who is also HAWANA 2025 project director.
Mano said that since its inception in 2018, HAWANA has stood as a symbol of recognition for the vital role journalists play in shaping public opinion, defending freedom of expression, and articulating the aspirations of society.
'I would like to extend my congratulations to the organisers, particularly the Communications Ministry and Bernama, for their continued commitment to empowering journalism in Malaysia through inclusive and innovative approaches,' he said.
Additionally, Mano said Bernama's fact-checking desk (MyCheck Malaysia) is an independent initiative by the news agency to educate the public on media literacy, with a focus on issues that impact people's lives and livelihoods.
'More than 400 fact-checking reports have been produced since 2020 and can be read at www.mycheck.my. MyCheck reports are also published on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok,' he said.
The three-day HAWANA 2025 Carnival features activities such as casual talks with agencies, quizzes, performances by invited artistes, colouring sessions, meet & greet events, as well as forums and workshops on creative writing, photography, podcasting, and media literacy, targeting teenagers and senior citizens.
At the media interactive zone, visitors can experience the world of broadcasting through booths by Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM), Media Prima Berhad, Astro and TV AlHijrah, as well as live crossovers via the HAWANA Mini Studio by Bernama TV, the 'Breaking News' interactive game by Bernama Radio, and the 'Kempen Internet Selamat' exhibition by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
The exhibition and interactive booths also showcase digital broadcasting technology by the New Straits Times Press (NSTP) group, photo book sales, and media archives.
The carnival is also joined by government agencies such as the Information Department and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), along with stalls run by young entrepreneurs and a community market involving media cooperatives, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and journalist alumni.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to launch the main event of HAWANA 2025 at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) tomorrow.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Tabung Kasih@HAWANA inspires seniman to set up artistes welfare fund
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Artistes Association (Seniman) views the success of Tabung Kasih@HAWANA as a model worth emulating to safeguard the welfare of local artistes and arts industry practitioners. Its president, Rozaidi Abdul Jamil, better known as Zed Zaidi, said the HAWANA fund is an inclusive initiative that can provide ongoing benefits to media practitioners. 'The successful establishment of a fund to look after the welfare of media practitioners has inspired Seniman to create a similar fund for local artistes. 'At the moment, we do not yet have a welfare fund, but under the Malaysia Film Association Coalition (Gafema), we are planning to establish a special fund similar to Tabung Kasih@HAWANA to protect the welfare of those in the arts industry,' he said when met at the HAWANA 2025 Carnival at Sunway Putra Mall here today. Zed Zaidi also sees potential collaboration between Seniman and the National Journalists' Day (HAWANA) platform through MyCheck Malaysia (Bernama's fact-checking unit) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to educate artistes on efforts to combat false information. 'This is my first time hearing about MyCheck Malaysia. It has the potential to become one of the platforms for special programmes with celebrities as agents to create awareness for the public,' he said. He said apart from celebrities, Seniman also comprises influencers who often lack clear guidelines for information sharing. 'Sometimes when they share something, it may be based on facts but gets distorted until it turns into falsehood, which the public may then perceive as fact. This contributes to the spread of fake news and misinformation. 'Therefore, we can combine suitable programmes, including workshops or awareness sessions involving the media to educate the public about the importance of fact-checking,' he said. The HAWANA 2025 Carnival runs for three days starting today and is part of this year's HAWANA celebration, themed 'Journalism in the New Era: Embracing AI, Safeguarding Ethics'. The highlight of HAWANA 2025 will be the official launch by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur tomorrow. Over 1,000 media practitioners, representatives from local journalist associations and media organisations from ASEAN member states have been invited, bringing together media professionals and industry experts to exchange ideas and foster strategic partnerships.
Barnama
12 hours ago
- Barnama
Tabung Kasih@HAWANA Inspires Seniman To Set Up Artistes Welfare Fund
KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Artistes Association (Seniman) views the success of Tabung Kasih@HAWANA as a model worth emulating to safeguard the welfare of local artistes and arts industry practitioners. Its president, Rozaidi Abdul Jamil, better known as Zed Zaidi, said the HAWANA fund is an inclusive initiative that can provide ongoing benefits to media practitioners. 'The successful establishment of a fund to look after the welfare of media practitioners has inspired Seniman to create a similar fund for local artistes. 'At the moment, we do not yet have a welfare fund, but under the Malaysia Film Association Coalition (Gafema), we are planning to establish a special fund similar to Tabung Kasih@HAWANA to protect the welfare of those in the arts industry,' he said when met at the HAWANA 2025 Carnival at Sunway Putra Mall here today. Zed Zaidi also sees potential collaboration between Seniman and the National Journalists' Day (HAWANA) platform through MyCheck Malaysia (Bernama's fact-checking unit) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to educate artistes on efforts to combat false information. 'This is my first time hearing about MyCheck Malaysia. It has the potential to become one of the platforms for special programmes with celebrities as agents to create awareness for the public,' he said. He said apart from celebrities, Seniman also comprises influencers who often lack clear guidelines for information sharing. 'Sometimes when they share something, it may be based on facts but gets distorted until it turns into falsehood, which the public may then perceive as fact. This contributes to the spread of fake news and misinformation. 'Therefore, we can combine suitable programmes, including workshops or awareness sessions involving the media to educate the public about the importance of fact-checking,' he said.
Barnama
17 hours ago
- Barnama
Malaysia Showcases Heritage At AAWAG Festival In Geneva
KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 (Bernama) -- The aroma of authentic 'nasi lemak' and 'teh tarik', set against the cultural charm of 'Joget' and 'Zapin', brought Malaysia's unique culture and cuisine to the global stage at the Asian Ambassadors' Wives Association Geneva (AAWAG) Asian Festival in Geneva on Wednesday. Held at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), the annual festival, themed 'Jewels of Asia,' has gathered participation from 23 Asian countries, with each country showcasing their national identities through handicrafts, traditional costumes, cultural shows, and traditional cuisines. In a statement, the Permanent Mission of Malaysia to the United Nations (UN) and World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva said Malaysia promoted traditional local fare such as nasi lemak, satay ayam, karipap, and teh tarik, alongside traditional Malay dances such as Joget, Zapin, and Inang, and traditional costumes of Puteri Perak and Orang Ulu.
