World News Day, presented by The Straits Times and World Editors Forum

Mon, 28 Sep, 2020, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM (GMT+8.0)

A Zoom webinar

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World News Day WEBINAR
Covid-19: How can you contribute? A live deep-dive with youth & media on tackling the pandemic

Monday 28 September
1600-1730 SIN/HK / 1330-1500 IST / 0800-0930 GMT


Bogus remedies, misinformation, disinformation, rumours and conspiracy theories – the Internet has been flooded with inaccurate information as the world grapples with Covid-19, leaving authorities anxious, overwhelming medical services and even leading to assaults, arson and deaths in extreme cases.
The speed at which the infodemic has been spreading has been described as being as fast as that of the virus itself.
Are we doing enough to fight back? And can we do better? Join in the discussions to listen in, and contribute.

Don’t miss
# A critical appraisal of ongoing efforts to battle the pandemic
# An insider’s view on preparing the newsroom to cover the pandemic
# A global health expert’s take on why remaining vigilant is the only way forward
# Insights into opportunities during the pandemic


Presented by: 
The Straits Times & the World Editors Forum, in partnership with the National Youth Achievement Awards (NYAA) Council, the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) & the Singapore Press Club

PROGRAMME

4:00pm - 4:10pm
Welcome by Warren Fernandez, Editor-in-Chief, The Straits Times & SPH’s English, Malay, Tamil Media Group / President, World Editors Forum

Host: Yeo Sam Jo, Multimedia Correspondent, The Straits Times / Management Committee, Singapore Press Club

4:10pm - 4:40pm: The problem
Misinformation, rumours and conspiracy theories during the pandemic – Asian journalists discuss the perils of the infodemic during Covid-19

* Tama Salim, World News Editor, The Jakarta Post
* Pam Rances, Digital Content Manager, Manila Bulletin
* Zakir Hussain, Singapore Editor, The Straits Times / Vice-President, Singapore Press Club
* Discussion leader: Shefali Rekhi, Editor, Asian Insider, The Straits Times

Audience Q & A

4:40pm - 4:45pm: Inspiring action, making a difference
Small measures many a time make a big difference – in this short video, young changemakers share their efforts to improve the plight of those impacted by the pandemic

A video on youth efforts to make a contribution to dealing with Covid-19, by NYAA & SUSS

4:45pm - 5:25pm: Solutions
Tackling Covid-19: Getting it right and how you can contribute

* Dr June Tay, Head, Digital Media Programme, School of Science and Technology, SUSS
* Mr Warren Fernandez, Editor-in-Chief, The Straits Times & SPH’s English, Malay, Tamil Media Group / President, World Editors Forum
* Prof Dale Fisher, Group Chief of Medicine, National University Health System/Chairperson, Steering Committee (Global Outbreak Alert & Response Network) World Health Organisation
* Discussion leader: Mr Viswa Sadasivan, CEO, Strategic Moves and former Singapore Nominated Member of Parliament

Audience Q & A

5:25pm - 5:30pm
Conclusion and vote of thanks
*****************************************
 
Speaker Bios
 
TAMA SALIM
Editor & Head, General News Desk
The Jakarta Post  
Tama Salim is an award-winning foreign affairs journalist and a 2020 World Editors Forum Asia Young Media Leaders Fellowship recipient. Young Media Leadership Fellow. As head of The Jakarta Post’s General News desk, Tama leads a young team of journalists and directs the daily’s in-depth coverage on national and city issues as well as foreign affairs, ranging from politics, development, law, education, human rights, environment and governance. His interests include Indonesian foreign policy, ASEAN and Southeast Asian affairs, youth and new media.

 
 
PAM RANCES
Digital Content Manager
Manila Bulletin
 
Pam Rances pioneered the 7-yr old youthful but competitive digital team of Manila Bulletin, a broadsheet newspaper distributed daily all over the Philippines. Rances leads a team of young journalists tasked to deliver credible news suited for the online market and amplify the presence of the organization through its digital platforms.
Pam is a 2020 World Editors Forum Asia Young Media Leaders Fellowship recipient

 
 
 
ZAKIR HUSSAIN 
Singapore Editor
The Straits Times 


 
Zakir Hussain is currently Singapore Editor at The Straits Times. He has had stints as News Editor, Foreign Editor as well as Political Editor. He joined the newspaper in 2005 and has reported on local and regional political developments as well as Asean affairs, security issues, religion and community relations. He was based in Jakarta as the newspaper's Indonesia bureau chief from 2011 to 2014, before returning to Singapore. Zakir is a Vice President of the Singapore Press Club. He has a bachelor's degree in history and politics from the University of Oxford, and a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University.
 
 
SHEFALI REKHI
Asian Insider Editor 

The Straits Times













 
Shefali Rekhi is the Editor of the Asian Insider with The Straits Times. ST’s steadily growing ST Asian Insider title strives to provide independent, insider insights on fast-changing Asia through its platforms - a monthly magazine, a daily newsletter, weekly videos; podcasts and a Facebook page.
Shefali also serves as a Director on the Board of Asia News Network, an alliance of 24 regional media titles. The 20-year-old network of regional publications works to bring Asia closer through content sharing and editorial collaboration efforts.
In addition, she anchors the paper’s international media partnerships and the annual World News Day initiative. Shefali is the lead on the paper’s efforts to fight fake news and has participated in various forums as a moderator or panellist. She held various positions within the newsroom before taking up her current responsibilities.
Before joining ST in 2000, she was a Special Correspondent with India's leading news magazine India Today, in New Delhi & reported on business and investigative affairs.
She holds a Masters degree in Public Administration from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore and a Bachelors degree in Psychology from the University of Delhi.
 
DR JUNE TAY 
Head, Digital Media Programme, School of Science and Technology
Singapore University of Social Sciences
Dr June Tay is the Head of Digital Media Programme at School of Science and Technology in SUSS. Prior to joining SUSS, Dr Tay worked for a government agency and taught ICT and Electronics courses for several universities. She has produced several publications and six granted patents in the fields of computer networks and security.






 
 
WARREN FERNANDEZ
Editor-in-chief, The Straits Times & SPH's English, Malay, Tamil Media Group / President, World Editors Forum






 

Warren Fernandez is Editor-in-Chief of English/Malay/Tamil Media in Singapore Press Holdings. He is also Editor of The Straits Times, Singapore’s biggest selling English daily newspaper. He joined the paper in 1990 as a political reporter and rose to become News Editor. He later also served as Foreign Editor and Deputy Editor. He left to join Royal Dutch Shell in 2008 as a Global Manager for its Future Energy project, before returning to the paper in February 2012 as its editor.
He graduated with First Class Honours from Oxford University, where he read Philosophy, Politics and Economics, and also has a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Both degrees were obtained on Singapore Press Holdings scholarships.
He is a board member SPH (Overseas) Ltd, The Straits Times Press (1975) Limited, Asia News Network (ANN), Singapore Symphony Group (SSO), National Arts Council and Chairman of The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.
He is also the President of World Editors Forum (WEF), the leading network for print and digital editors of newspapers and news organisations, within the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).

 
 
 
PROF DALE FISHER
Group Chief of Medicine, National University Health System/Chairperson, Steering Committee (Global Outbreak Alert & Response Network) World Health Organisation


 
Professor Dale Fisher is an Australian senior consultant infectious disease physician who moved to Singapore during the SARS outbreak in 2003. He is the National Chair of the Infection Prevention and Control committee and has been heavily involved in infection control and outbreak response trainings internationally through this time. He has been a part of many missions to support country level requests to respond to outbreaks across Asia as well as during the West African Ebola response.
He has around 200 peer reviewed publications in the medical literature and has given over 100 plenary and invited lectures at scientific meetings.
Since 2018 he has been Chair of the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) and in Feb 2020 was part of the 13-person international technical team to travel to China to understand the COVID-19 outbreak.

 
 
VISWA SADASIVAN
CEO
Strategic Moves 








 
Viswa Sadasivan is CEO of Strategic Moves, a corporate leadership & strategy consulting practice. He started his career in broadcasting in the 1980s with then-Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) and made a name as anchor presenter of popular current affairs programmes such as Feedback and Talking Point. His last held position was Senior Controller overseeing English current affairs programmes. Over the years, Viswa served on several national committees, including the Economic Review Committee, and also on government boards such as Media Development Authority, SPRING Singapore and SINDA. In SINDA he was Vice President of the Executive Committee for a decade, before being appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2017. An accomplished mediator for 23 years, Viswa serves as a board member of the Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC). He was a Nominated Member of Parliament. Viswa holds a Master in Public Administration degree from the Kennedy School of Government and Administration, Harvard University.

 
YEO SAM JO
Multimedia Correspondent 

The Straits Times 



 
Yeo Sam Jo is a Singapore Press Club management committee member. A multimedia correspondent with The Straits Times video team, Sam Jo specialises in creating content for young audiences on social media. When he is not busy scripting and fronting videos, Sam Jo hosts and produces #PopVultures, a pop culture podcast that analyses the ins and outs of Hollywood and Asian entertainment. He was also one of the co-founders of Stirr, a social media initiative by The Straits Times that drew younger eyeballs with its quirky social experiments and satirical skits. As a writer, Sam Jo has covered a broad range of topics, from gruesome murders and contentious housing policies to travel and lifestyle features
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