East-West Center 2016 International Media Conference in New Delhi Expected to Attract Hundreds of Journalists
Focus is on linkages between South and East Asia, as well as global media trends
Conference website:EastWestCenter.org/imc2016
HONOLULU (June 28, 2016) — Several hundred journalists from Asia, the Pacific and the United States will gather in New Delhi September 8-11 at the East-West Center’s 2016 International Media Conference, on the theme of “South Asia Looking East.”Distinguished keynote speakers and panels of working journalists will discuss the increasing links between South and East Asia, the future of the U.S. rebalance to Asia and the Pacific, and the latest information on the global news industry.
The conference at the India Habitat Centre will also include on-the-ground updates on news and media issues in the region; opportunities to learn about the complexity and diversity of India, the largest democracy in the world; a wide range of practical skill-building workshops; and unique opportunities to network with hundreds of international media professionals.
“The global influence of India and its South Asian neighbors has been rising significantly in recent years,” said conference director Susan Kreifels, EWC Media Programs Manager, about the gathering’s theme. “India’s Act East policy has accelerated under Prime Minister Modi’s administration, promoting new connections and areas of cooperation among East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia. These new dynamics and relationships in return have also created new challenges, making New Delhi an ideal location for this year’s media conference.”
Confirmed speakers so far include:
- Mr. Mahfuz Anam, Editor and Publisher of The Daily Star in Dhaka, Bangladesh, who faces scores of defamation lawsuits, will speak on silencing media and threats to free speech.
- Dr. Jeffrey Herbst, President and CEO of the Newseum, Washington, DC, on “The Algorithm Is an Editor.”
- Ms. Anja Manuel, American author of “This Brave New World: India, China, and the United States.”
- Mr. C. Raja Mohan, Director of Carnegie India, on political-security links across Asia.
- Ms. Karuna Nundy, Supreme Court Advocate, New Delhi, who works on women’s rights and empowerment, including the Womanifesto bill of rights for Delhi women.
- Mr. Nikhil Pahwa, Founder of MediaNama and Co-founder of SaveTheInternet grassroots campaign for Net Neutrality in India.
- Ms. Ritu Sarin, Executive Editor (News and Investigation) at The Indian Express, who will discuss cross-border investigative journalism and her work on The Panama Papers. She will be joined by other international journalists who reported on this worldwide project.
- A senior U.S. State Department official will discuss updates on the U.S. rebalance to the region.
- A keynote panel will feature journalists who have displayed extraordinary courage in their work.
Registration:
Online registration is now open for the International Media Conference. An early international registration fee of US $295 will include opening reception, three lunches, a keynote dinner banquet, special tour of Gandhi Smriti, afternoon study tour, coffee/tea breaks throughout the day, and all program materials. (*After July 31, the fee will increase to $350.)
Special registration rates are available for citizens of India and SAARC nations.
EWC 2016 International Media Conference sponsors:
- Co-hosts: AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia; Konrad Adenauer Stiftung
- Conference sponsors: Pacific Century Institute, KIIT, Open Society Foundations
- Conference supporter: crowdtangle
About EWC Media Conferences:
The only international media conference held regularly with an Asia Pacific-U.S. focus, these biennial gatherings have grown into one of the region’s most influential media events. The 2014 conference in Yangon drew close to 500 participants from 31 nations.
Coverage inquiries: For questions about media coverage of the conference, please contact Derek Ferrar: +1 (808) 944-7204;ferrard@EastWestCenter.org.
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The East-West Center, based in Honolulu, Hawaii, promotes better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue. Close to 3,000 journalists have participated in EWC media programs. The EWC’s Asia Pacific Center for Journalists is a premier resource for media on Asia and the Pacific, offering travel and dialogue programs for journalists, news and analysis, access to the East-West Center’s specialists, and a network of more than 62,000 alumni around the world.
