The events, hosted by Vietnam, will see nine other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) participate, Timor-Leste as an observer, and three partner countries – Japan, the Republic of Korea, and China, the Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) told a press conference in Da Nang on September 18.

The meetings, themed “Media: From Information to Knowledge for a Resilient and Responsive ASEAN”, will discuss orientations for the ASEAN cooperation in information and communications. They will also develop a cooperation mechanism for coping with fake news in the internet, the promotion of digital transformation in the press and communication sector, application of modern technologies to the sector, and the promotion of information provision across ASEAN and for the dialogue countries, the MIC said.

MIC Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Lam said traditional forms of media are facing strong competition from new ones which are completely changing people’s information-seeking habits, and these changes will lead to many economic challenges.

Participants in the meetings will have a chance to share their countries’ experience, propose initiatives, and reach consensus on a common action plan to respond to this issue. This is also an occasion to affirm the indispensable role of the mainstream media, he noted.

Facing such global issues, ASEAN needs to devise solutions to fake news and limit adverse impacts of new technologies in the information sector, Lam added.

The 16th AMRI meeting will be a forum for ministers of ASEAN countries to discuss orientations for enhancing regional cooperation in the fields of journalism, radio and television broadcasting, the internet, and the improvement of ASEAN awareness.

At the 7th AMRI Plus Three meeting, ministers of ASEAN and the three dialogue countries will look into initiatives, priorities, and directions for boosting information cooperation.

Meanwhile, the 20 senior officials responsible for information (SOMRI) meeting, the SOMRI Plus Three meeting, and the SOMRI Plus Japan meeting will provide platforms for officials to discuss issues to be submitted to the AMRI and AMRI Plus Three meetings.

Some workshops will also be held to consider such issues as the response to fake news in the internet and digital transformation in journalism. Activities on the sidelines will include bilateral meetings, an ASEAN-themed photo exhibition, a zone for experiencing films and photos of the bloc, and cultural exchanges, according to the MIC./.VNA