How do we discern the hype from hope when covering information and communication technologies, or ICTs?

Where are the real stories of ICTs’ value addition to lives and livelihoods across the developing world?

With ICTs making it easier for citizens to become journalists themselves, how can the mainstream media adjust to this new phenomenon?

These were some of the more interesting questions that were raised and discussed at a day-long workshop on ICTs and Prosperity: Potential and Challenges for Broadcasters during Asia Media Summit 2006.

The workshop, held on 28 May 2006 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was co-organised by Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) and TVE Asia Pacific (TVEAP).

It brought together some 30 TV and radio broadcasters, civil society activists and media regulators from Asia and Africa for a nine hours of reflection and debate on the nexus between ICTs and broadcasting.

Synthesis and recommendations of the workshop were reported to the Asia Media Summit, organised by the Asia Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD), held from 29 to 31 May 2006. The Summit, the region’s leading industry gathering, was attended by over 350 decision-makers, media professionals and scholars from 70 countries.

The ICT workshop, taking place six months after the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was held in Tunis in November 2005, looked at the role of broadcasters in bridging the digital divide and other socio-economic disparities. It also discussed some practical aspects of how broadcasters can pursue digital opportunities to create a better, healthier and safer world.

Read our full announcement about the workshop

The workshop recognised that radio and television are ICTs themselves – with greater public outreach and social influence than the newer ICTs such as mobile phones, personal computers, Internet, communications satellites and other data management devices.

It also noted how the newer ICTs are completely transforming radio and TV broadcasting through media convergence and the creation of more interactive opportunities for audiences.

The meeting started with opening remarks by Rinalia Abdul Rahim, Executive Director, Global Knowledge Partnership, and Nalaka Gunawardene, Chief Executive Officer, TVE Asia Pacific.

In his keynote presentation, Abdur Rauf, Director – Infotainment from Geo TV, Pakistan, posed the question: “DVR, IPTV, VOD, User-generated content….Is this the death of TV? No, it’s just evolution!”

He added: “The age of passive television watching is over. The audiences are increasingly taking part in shaping and deciding broadcast content. This has implications for film-makers and social activists: we can’t any longer send out any message we want.”

Rauf noted that the big challenge for TV and video professionals is to get the right mix and balance of content, formats and packaging.

Alan Alegre, Executive Director of the Foundation for Media Alternatives, the Philippines, surveyed the current ICT landscape in the second keynote presentation. He looked at technology, policy and

societal aspects of ICTs to ask how broadcasters could use the newer ICTs to promote the public interest.

He said: “ICTs are not just for techies. They are for everyone. All our future interests are being determined so we must all get involved.”

“There is digital hype and digital hope,” he added. “We need to harness the tremendous amount of hope, effort, energy and goodwill that exist among many of us.”

A lively panel discussion on ‘Where are the real ICT stories for broadcast?’ was moderated by Nalaka Gunawardene. “All the ICT policy, regulation, diplomacy and inter-governmental debates don’t excite the average viewer – in fact, they are complete non-starters,” he said. “That’s why the Tunis Summit wasn’t a big story for most broadcasters. The real stories of ICT lie beneath all the hype, where technologies – smartly applied - solve real world problems for real people.”

Participants from three sub-regions in Asia Pacific offered their perspectives on the panel:

Pipope Panitchpakdi, Director of Documentary at Nation TV, Thailand, spoke about the rise of citizen journalists and its impact on mainstream broadcasters. He described his stations attempts to develop interactive TV content that can be accessed using low bandwidth Internet connections.

Hu Jing Cao, a reporter with China Central Television’s investigative programme ‘News Probe’ described how ICTs have opened up new ways of communicating information and opinions in China. There are many more voices and sources, which are making the media in China more open and democratic. With 100 million Chinese people going online, ICTs are having a major impact on Chinese public life and society, she said.

Peter Lane, representing Australia’s Open Channel, talked about a campaign that his organisation and other media activists are carrying out for greater community use of the digital television spectrum. He said that community broadcasters are like ‘test beds’ where new formats are being tried out, some of which is later picked up by commercial broadcasters. With ICT proliferation, the challenge is to find new and better ways to engage increasingly fragmented audiences.

In the afternoon, TVE Asia Pacific launched its TV series Digits4Change that captures Asia Pacific stories of ICTs solving real world problems. The series was introduced by Manori Wijesekera, executive producer, who invited all broadcasters to take up the series – and to contribute future stories to the on-going series.

During its concluding hour, the workshop discussed how TV and radio broadcasters could strategically use new ICTs to promote the public interest and socio-economic development. It emphasised the need for greater capacity building among journalists, and more partnerships with civil society and advocacy groups.

For specific recommendations, please see below the workshop’s report presented to AMS 2006 plenary.
Workshop’s brief report to presented to Asia Media Summit 2006