Journalists Stress Need To Uphold Integrity While Embracing AI

KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 (Bernama) -- Amidst the rapidly changing tide of the digital era, media credibility is increasingly tested by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), which continues to reshape the world of journalism.

Sinar Harian executive editor Ruzy Adila Idris describes the relationship between media and AI as collaborative and not substitutive, proposing the 3C1H formula — cekap (efficient), cermat (meticulous), cerdas (intelligent) and hati (heart) — as a guiding framework.

“AI serves as a tool to ease journalists’ work, especially in research and data gathering. However, we must still be efficient in monitoring and managing that information to ensure accuracy and authenticity.

“Being meticulous means every piece of content produced must be carefully reviewed and verified by the relevant authorities. AI may suggest topics based on data, but judgment (intelligence) and ethics, which I refer to as the heart, can only be understood and applied by humans,” she said. 

Ruzy Adila said this on Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme titled “Media Credibility in the Era of Prompts and Algorithms”, which also featured Bernama journalist Syed Iylia Hariz Al-Qadri Syed Azman. 

The programme was aired last night in conjunction with the National Journalists’ Day (HAWANA) 2025 celebration, which will be held at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur from June 13 to 15.

Syed Iylia spoke about the challenges faced by journalists in upholding integrity in an environment that is so easy for the public to spread speculation on social media.

“The recent case of the bus accident involving Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students in Gerik (last Monday) illustrates how quickly people express opinions without waiting for the full facts. What we as journalists must hold firmly to is the principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty’,” he said.

He stressed that journalists should be patient and not rush their reports, as it is important to seek views from both sides to produce fair and comprehensive stories.

On the challenges of working in an age of rapidly moving information, he said journalists today face added pressure as they must not only write, but also be skilled in photography, video production and live-streaming on social media.

He added that mainstream media must now adapt to the evolving landscape of social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok, each with its own style of news delivery.

“The main challenge is how to produce content that still captures viewers’ attention while maintaining quality and accuracy,” said Syed Iylia.

Ruzy Adila also rejected claims that media outlets have lost their identity due to using the same data sources, stressing that every outlet has its own house style and ‘signature’ tone in both writing and delivery.

“Some media do not use certain terms in their writing — this is part of the identity that differentiates one outlet from another. We must remain ethical and respect one another in carrying out our duties,” she said.

-- BERNAMA