Digital Discourses
Is There A Place For Journalism In Social Media?

Panel 1

The public increasingly uses social media as the primary source of news. It is also a stage for personal opinion and unverified information, thus a challenge for users to figure out the veracity of the news it disseminates. How will journalism evolve in the face of social media? How can news organizations build trust in the midst of information overload?

Speakers

Privat: © Imam Safingi

Imam Safingi

was engaged in self-learning video production and graphic design throughout his university years, Imam’s professional experience ranges from TV journalism, video production, graphic design, content creation and communication. Imam’s area of expertise is creative communication for humanitarian, advocacy, empowerment and sustainable activities. He has worked with various organizations, including media companies, non-profits, social enterprises and the government. Based on the perception that various information sources increasingly flood media channels, in 2020 he founded Perupadata, which filters, compiles and visualizes current information in a single infographic.

Privat © Dr. Le Thu Mach

Dr. Le Thu Mach

is a lecturer of Journalism at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics in Hanoi, Vietnam, and an associate lecturer for the Academy of Journalism and Communication, and Swinburne University in Vietnam. She earned her PhD in Journalism from Monash University, and gained global media experience from several countries. Dr. Le Thu Mach’s focus of research is using digital media for social movement and the public sphere in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Besides academia, Dr. Le Thu Mach also works as a communication consultant for government relations, and a collaborating writer for some media outlets.

Yasmina Al-Gannabi

is a highly passionate and experienced audience development manager, trainer, and social media consultant with a demonstrated history of working in the broadcast media industry. She is currently working for Deutsche Welle (DW), Germany’s international broadcaster. On behalf of the DW Academy and other organizations she travels around the world training journalists and NGOs in data-based work on social media, storytelling, newsgathering, and safety on social media.

Sophia Smith Galer

is a multi-award-winning senior news reporter for VICE World News. She has pioneered how TikTok can be used as a newsgathering and publishing tool for journalists and was the first journalist to have been selected for the TikTok Creator Council. She has broken stories on the misuse of influencer advertising for political gain, Donald Trump's TikTok campaigning (despite simultaneously trying to ban the app), how anti-vaxxers have gamed the algorithm, and how moderated TikTok ads have sold everything from laughing gas to fake diet products through fraudulent use of the videos by bona fide doctors. Harper Collins will publish her first book Losing It: Sex Education for the 21st Century next April.

Moderator

Prita Kusumaputri

is currently a correspondent for Deutsche Welle Indonesia, where she is also part of the Instagram team that manages the @dw.nesia account, which has developed well since its launch and achieved its targets. Prita has more than five years of experience in journalism. She has been a reporter at NET MEDIATAMA and became a content writer at MRA Media Group. She has a special interest in communication, digital media, research, facts and data, and layout design.

Digital Discourses

Digital Discourses Is There A Place For Journalism In Social Media?