KUALA LUMPUR: A 'Journalism for an Equitable Asia" award was launched here on Wednesday (Dec 18), in an attempt to acknowledge the efforts of journalists highlighting issues of inequality.
The award was launched by global organisation OxFam and the Asia Centre think-tank.
Oxfam Asia's media and communications lead Nipuna Kumbalathara said that journalists play a very big role in influencing society's perceptions and challenges that lie ahead.
"We want to inspire more journalists to report on inequalities that hold back all Asians from enjoying a decent life.
"We believe, if we work together, all Asians can prosper with their environments safe and resilient. We want to give people a voice and power to make this happen – and journalists have the means if they pave the way by exposing truthful knowledge to build a fairer world," he said in his keynote address.
He said that with shifting news consumption habits and in a post-truth environment, strong journalism on critical issues of equality, rights and sustainability were often drowned out in favour of sensationalist, populist and politically-driven media narratives.
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