MELAKA: After two years of being the unsung heroes in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and going through various events and developments that changed the country's landscape, journalists and media practitioners are finally able to gather in Melaka on Sunday, May 29 for a very meaningful occasion of the profession.
For this year, those who are at the forefront of delivering news and information will assemble in this historic city to celebrate National Journalists Day (Hawana) 2022 , a day to commemorate and appreciate the journalism profession in Malaysia.
Various programmes will be held for the celebration which will be attended by representatives of journalists from neighbouring countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam and culminating with its launching by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Yaakob at Hatten Hotel, Bandar Hilir here.
Themed 'People's Voice, National Aspiration', the highlight of Hawana 2022 celebration is expected to be attended by about 700 media practitioners, including national journalist Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar, Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) chief executive officer Datuk Dr Chamil Wariya, media agency leaders, authors as well as the country's young journalists.
The culmination of the celebration was the handing over of the Melaka Declaration 2022 to the Prime Minister as well as the presentation of the Hawana 2022 Award aimed at recognising the services and contributions in empowering and developing the country, industry and the journalism profession.
In conjunction with the celebration, the Malaysian-Indonesian Journalists' Association (ISWAMI) Malaysia invited 17 key media leaders from Indonesia including ISWAMI Indonesia, ANTARA, TVOne & VivaNews, DetikCom, Kompas TV, Kompas, The Jakarta Post and Metro TV.
The Hawana 2022 celebration will begin with two sessions of the National Media Forum themed 'Journalism in the Fourth Era of the Industrial Revolution: Challenges and Opportunities'.
Commencing with a welcoming speech by the president ISWAMI Datuk Mokhtar Hussain, the programme would be followed by a discourse entitled 'Understanding the Changing Media Landscape and New Model Journalism: Sustainability Challenges'.
Three panelists have been invited to discuss the matter, namely Free Malaysia Today managing editor Jasbant Singh Partap Singh, former Malaysiakini.com chief executive officer Premesh Chandran and Mulia Media Group editor Azlan Jaafar.
The second discourse entitled 'Journalism 2030: Looking at the Future Landscape of Media' has lined up three panelists, namely Tan Sri Johan, Daily Express chief reporter Zulhayati Dzulkifli and president of the Malaysian Journalism Teachers Association (MJTS) Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Murad Merican.
The ceremony will also see the honouring of professional journalists/individuals/organisations through the Hawana 2022 Award for recipients who have made significant contributions not only in the field of journalism but also in shaping the minds of the people through their work.
Hawana 2022 recipients will receive trophies, cash and certificates of appreciation.
May 29 was gazetted as National Journalists Day in conjunction with the publication of the first newspaper edition in Malaysia, which was Utusan Melayu on May 29, 1939, which became the first media platform in Malaysia.
The first time Hawana was held on April 11 2018 at Matrade Exhibition and Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur. The inaugural celebration themed 'Defending the Nation, Building the Country' was attended by about 1,000 media practitioners from all over the country.
On Nov 30 2021, the government agreed to maintain May 29 each year as National Journalists Day.
