Southeast Asian media and crisis management symposiums

In October 2026, regional organizations held symposiums to address the evolving landscape of communication and media management.

In Malaysia, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) hosted the Strategic Crisis and Media Management Symposium (SiSMED 2.0) in Kuala Lumpur. The event focused on organizational reputation protection, strategic leadership, and the integration of artificial intelligence in corporate communications to prevent misinformation.

Concurrently, the Indonesian Cyber Media Association (AMSI) held the 2026 Indonesia Digital Media Conference (IDMC) in Surabaya under the theme ‘Media Reborn: Reinventing News Media in the Era of AI & Content Creator’. The conference addressed the challenges and opportunities facing the industry amidst rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and the rise of content creators.

Key discussions at the IDMC highlighted the need for media companies to diversify revenue streams to maintain editorial independence and journalistic quality, noting significant economic imbalances caused by a small number of dominant advertising platforms. Specifically, experts noted that approximately 80 percent of Indonesia’s Rp71.5 trillion advertising market is controlled by three major digital platforms, leaving media companies to bear production costs without proportional economic returns. Additionally, a high dependency on government advertising was identified as a vulnerability.

To combat declining public trust—noted by a Reuters Institute survey citing trust levels at 33 percent—AMSI outlined five strategic agendas: redefining journalism through fact-based verification, strengthening the media’s role as a community connector, developing tailored business models, increasing inter-media collaboration, and rebuilding public trust. The event also included the AMSI Awards 2026, recognizing innovation in AI utilization, inclusivity, and sustainable business models.