Journalists in last touches as WJC2021 is set for promising presentations, exciting debates

SEOUL: Asian Journalists Association members and other international journalists participating in the World Journalists Conference 2021 were on Sunday updated on the program of the annual them to open on Monday amid high expectation.

WJC2021 Moderator Jung Min-ho, the Korea Times, Digital Content Editor and head of International Relations Department, also led the last rehearsal to assess the technical readiness and ensure the success of the forum to be held online for the second consecutive year.

Time differences between participants from Far East Asia and Latin America did not dampen the enthusiastic attitudes and vivacious spirt that the participants shared as they tested their devices by introducing themselves and sharing their views and wishes for the conference.

On Monday and Tuesday, Korean officials and media figures and around 60 journalists from 50 countries will team up to discuss the role of journalism in the post-COVID era and in global climate issues.

The two themes will debated over two days, as the journalists will share their views, concerns and ambitions on two issues that have overwhelmed the world.

The annual media event, organized by the Journalists Association of Korea with support from the Asia Journalists Association, has been held without interruption since 2013, addressing various themes related to media choices, outlooks and strategies regarding prominent global issues.

“Our work in the field and at the editor’s desk has shown us the extent of the difficulties that have plagued many people’s lives since last year,” JAK President Kim Dong Hoon said.

“Our imperative for this conference is to cooperate and coordinate information in preparation for the post-COVID era. After all, our existence in the global village taught us that a single state’s precautionary measures are insufficient to end the spread of infectious diseases.”

On the first discussion day, journalists will debate the sweeping changes across people’s lives, assess the role of the media and how the media landscape is likely to look in the post-COVID era.

“The global climate issues theme of this year’s World Journalists Conference will allow us to discuss the accelerating crisis of climate change and environmental damage,” Kim Dong Hoon said.

“We are focusing on issues of great importance that must be addressed to ensure peace and prosperity across the globe.”

The 2020 conference, dedicated to the themes of fake news virus, COVID-19 measures, and peace policy, was the first to be held online following travel and quarantine restrictions imposed by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The World Journalists Conference has grown into one of the foremost journalist conferences in the world with rich discussions on relevant and prominent issues in journalism,” Kim Dong Hoon said.

The Journalists Association of Korea, founded in 1964, has more than 10,000 members from 188 media companies.