Latest news with #YongSooHeong
The Star
5 days ago
- Business
- The Star
AI transforms journalism, ethics must guide the future
KUALA LUMPUR: Artificial Intelligence (AI) has entered the newsroom, transforming how journalists work while raising serious questions about ethics, accuracy and trust. According to Malaysian Press Institute president Datuk Yong Soo Heong (pic), these have been the ethical crossroads confronting today's media landscape. "Falsehoods are costly. Journalistic integrity demands rigorous fact-checking and transparency. "Trust is a journalist's currency and those who mislead readers will inevitably face serious repercussions,' he told Bernama recently. Yong acknowledged the undeniable benefits of AI in boosting newsroom productivity, but stressed that the core values of journalism — the truth, accountability and human judgement — must never be compromised. He also expressed concerns over the increasing reliance on AI-generated content and the alarming rise of deepfakes, warning that if left unchecked, these trends could severely erode public trust in the media. Yong noted that AI had transformed newsroom operations, enabling faster editing, personalised content delivery and more efficient workflows, especially among younger journalists who preferred AI-generated summaries over traditional face-to-face interviews. "Context, tone and human expression are irreplaceable. Only direct engagement captures the nuances that make a story resonate,' he emphasised. He warned that AI-generated visuals had become a new frontier of misinformation, citing several recent incidents in Malaysia and the region involving misleading or doctored imagery. These developments, Yong said, underscore the urgent need for rigorous verification protocols before publishing any content created or enhanced by AI. He emphasised that AI should be seen as a tool for empowerment, not a replacement for human creativity. Echoing these sentiments, Prof Dr Manjit Singh Sidhu, an expert from the College of Computing and Informatics at Universiti Tenaga Nasional, observed that Malaysian media organisations had been integrating AI at varying speeds, depending on their readiness and strategic focus. He said journalists who embraced change and learned to work with AI would not only survive the evolving landscape but also shape the future of trustworthy, meaningful journalism. He suggested news organisations develop and adhere to strict ethical frameworks when using AI, ensuring transparency in how the technology is applied throughout news production. To deepen media practitioners' knowledge of AI technology, Bernama has coordinated five AI training sessions, one each in Kuala Lumpur, Cyberjaya, Sarawak, Sabah and the East Coast. Meanwhile, recognising the rapid pace of AI advancement, including in journalism, this year's National Journalist Day (Hawana) celebration adopted the theme Journalism in the New Era: Embracing AI, Safeguarding Ethics. When announcing the theme on Tuesday, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the rise of AI had rapidly transformed the gathering, processing and dissemination of information, but emphasised that it must not come at the expense of journalistic ethics. The Hawana 2025 celebration will be held at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur from June 13 to 15, with the highlight, its opening on June 14, scheduled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. More than 1,000 media practitioners are expected to attend the event.
Borneo Post
5 days ago
- Business
- Borneo Post
AI transforms journalism, ethics must guide the future
Yong acknowledges the undeniable benefits of AI in boosting newsroom productivity, but stressed that the core values of journalism, namely truth, accountability and human judgement, must never be compromised. – Bernama photo KUALA LUMPUR (June 5): Artificial Intelligence (AI) has entered the newsroom, transforming how journalists work while raising serious questions about ethics, accuracy, and trust. According to Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) president Datuk Yong Soo Heong, these have been the ethical crossroads confronting today's media landscape. 'Falsehoods are costly. Journalistic integrity demands rigorous fact-checking and transparency. Trust is a journalist's currency, and those who mislead readers will inevitably face serious repercussions,' he told Bernama recently. Yong acknowledged the undeniable benefits of AI in boosting newsroom productivity, but stressed that the core values of journalism, namely truth, accountability and human judgement, must never be compromised. He also expressed concerns over the increasing reliance on AI-generated content and the alarming rise of deepfakes, warning that, if left unchecked, these trends could severely erode public trust in the media. Yong noted that AI had transformed newsroom operations, enabling faster editing, personalised content delivery, and more efficient workflows, especially among younger journalists who preferred AI-generated summaries over traditional face-to-face interviews. 'Context, tone, and human expression are irreplaceable. Only direct engagement captures the nuances that make a story resonate,' he emphasised. He warned that AI-generated visuals had become a new frontier of misinformation, citing several recent incidents in Malaysia and the region involving misleading or doctored imagery. These developments, Yong said, underscore the urgent need for rigorous verification protocols before publishing any content created or enhanced by AI. He emphasised that AI should be seen as a tool for empowerment, not a replacement for human creativity. Echoing these sentiments, Prof Dr Manjit Singh Sidhu, an expert from the College of Computing and Informatics at Universiti Tenaga Nasional (Uniten), observed that Malaysian media organisations had been integrating AI at varying speeds, depending on their readiness and strategic focus. He said journalists who embraced change and learned to work with AI would not only survive the evolving landscape but also shape the future of trustworthy, meaningful journalism. He suggested news organisations develop and adhere to strict ethical frameworks when using AI, ensuring transparency in how the technology is applied throughout news production. To deepen media practitioners' knowledge of AI technology, Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) has coordinated five AI training sessions, one each in Kuala Lumpur, Cyberjaya, Sarawak, Sabah and the East Coast. Meanwhile, recognising the rapid pace of AI advancement, including in journalism, this year's National Journalist Day (Hawana) celebration had adopted the theme Journalism in the New Era: Embracing AI, Safeguarding Ethics. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, when announcing the theme on Tuesday, said the rise of AI had rapidly transformed the gathering, processing and dissemination of information, but emphasised that it must not come at the expense of journalistic ethics. The Hawana 2025 celebration will be held at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur WTC KL) from June 13 to 15, with the highlight, its opening on June 14, scheduled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. More than 1,000 media practitioners, locals and from abroad, are expected to attend the event, organised by the Communications Ministry with Bernama as the implementing agency. AI ethics Hawana Manjit Singh Sidhu MPI Yong Soo Heong
Barnama
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Barnama
MPI Receives Over RM1 Mln To Hold MPI Journalism Night 2025
PETALING JAYA, May 13 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) has received over RM1.24 million to hold the Malaysian Journalism Night 2025 and the MPI Petronas Journalism Awards 2024 on June 20. Its president, Datuk Yong Soo Heong said RM450,000 was from Petronas for the award winners while were from 51 organisations, including corporations, ministries, government agencies and media outlets to organise the event, in collaboration with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). 'Thanks to the generosity of all the sponsors, we can continue to recognise and honour the best work in the world of Malaysian media. The support is a manifestation of the confidence towards journalism as a core to an informed society,' he said at an sponsor appreciation event here today, with MIP chief executive officer Ainol Amriz Ismail and MPI deputy president Farrah Naz Abd Karim present.
New Straits Times
08-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Building stronger, competitive nation through constructive journalism
GEORGE TOWN: Mainstream and alternative media must continue to play a major role in disseminating positive narratives to help build a strong and competitive nation on the global stage, Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) president Datuk Yong Soo Heong said. He said constructive or positive news reporting could highlight the country's achievements and development plans, thus providing a true picture of the nation's progress to both local and international communities. "In efforts to build a healthy, strong and competitive nation, we need positive content and values that can be shared, even internationally, to show how good and extensive the country's development plans are. "So, we must emphasise important developments in this country because, on one hand, the government may say many things have been done, but the public may not feel it. "In reality, there are many good things to highlight, for instance, economic growth, the expansion of the tourism sector, palm oil commodity exports, electronic chips, and so on," he said when met at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) here today. Yong was one of the panellists at a mini forum organised by MPI titled "Solo and Brave: The New Dynamics of Journalism," which was also attended by MPI chief executive officer Ainol Amriz Ismail and television personality Margaret Gambang, at USM's School of Communication. Yong said although social media is currently seen as the dominant news platform, excessive focus on sensational and negative issues could erode the country's development image. Hence, he said, mainstream media needed to be more active in delivering messages that foster public awareness and intellectual growth. He believed some citizens might not directly feel the impact of development, and it was the media's responsibility to highlight high-impact issues to help people better understand government policies. He also encouraged journalists to use creative storytelling when reporting serious topics like the economy, to make them more relevant and engaging, especially for younger audiences. "It is very important today for every message about the economy and development to be delivered in an engaging and easy-to-understand format, especially for the younger generation. "For example, we can relate economic stories to daily life or tie them to market sentiments, this makes economic stories more relatable to young readers," he said. He also emphasised the importance of mastering analytics and algorithms in modern journalism so that media organisations can better identify readers' interests and preferences. "Although it is difficult and tedious, mastering analytics is important. "It helps us understand readers' preferences and take appropriate actions. "In this regard, MPI will continue to run courses to help journalists grasp this area," he said. The forum also served as a platform to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and need for professionalism in the modern journalism landscape, acting as a bridge between the industry and academia, particularly for communication and journalism students at USM.
