Overview COVID-19 has posed a serious threat to the sustainability of Indonesia’s media industry. According to Asmono Wikan, the Secretary-General of the Newspaper Publishers Union (SPS), which represents more than 400 media companies in Indonesia, many media professionals are at risk of losing their jobs. Nearly half of SPS’ members have retrenched staff or are planning to do so. The pandemic has also posed risks health risks to some media professionals in the country. According to findings from the Independent Journalist Association (AJI), more than 70?media professionals tested positive for…

Overview ?One of the fastest?emerging?economies?in Asia, Vietnam is home to a digital population that is highly connected to the Internet and mobile?devices. In a country of 96.9 million people,?there is a 70% internet penetration rate – the number of internet users in the country?increased by 10% to 68 million last year. There are also 145.8 million?mobile phone?connections and 65 million active social media users as?of January 2020, according to the 2020 We Are Social Vietnam Report. Despite?the?strong digital presence, the popularity of traditional media?has?not diminished in Vietnam. Television remains a…

Overview The COVID-19 outbreak has left a significant impact on almost every industry and the Korean media industry was no exception. According to a 2020 Media Report by Korea Press Foundation, 84.2% of newspaper and magazine businesses said they are experiencing a state of financial crisis. The situation is even more dire for daily and weekly newspapers and they have been suffering a dramatic dip in advertising revenue from last year. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="805"] South Korea has one of the world’s lowest rating in public trust of its news,…

Overview Media Consumption Inflated during the Pandemic The COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia has spurred media companies to pivot their business strategies to meet the new needs and concerns of consumers in the new normal. In 2020, media consumption habits saw a major shift. The Malaysian Digital Association (MDA) analysed the viewership of key media publishing outlets to evaluate the media consumption patterns of Malaysians during the nationwide lockdown and Movement Control Order (MCO) that started last March. With many forced to spend most of their time at home, mainstream media…

Overview Singapore’s media scene was a hive of activity during the circuit breaker period in the first half of 2020. From April to June, the government enforced movement restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19. Acting as a main source of information, the media was heavily relied upon for news on the outbreak and public service announcements on safe distancing and hygiene measures. News websites and channels saw a spike in viewership during this period when more people wanted to be kept updated on the developing situation. According to a…