Media Professionals Should Nurture Market-savvy, Entrepreneurial Skills -- Ashwad Ismail
KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 (Bernama) -- Media practitioners should equip themselves with entrepreneurial skills and a strong understanding of market dynamics, as Malaysia moves towards building a more robust entrepreneurial ecosystem, said Radio Televisyen Malaysia director-general of broadcasting Ashwad Ismail.
Ashwad said that amid growing emphasis on developing a broader base of entrepreneurs in the country, including among young journalists and content creators, it is crucial to support the target of strengthening small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) participation and fostering a more innovation-driven economy.
“I think to be a great entrepreneurial nation, we need more than 1.3 million SMEs in Malaysia. We need at least 25 per cent of our society to be entrepreneurs, which would be about seven million people.
“We should focus on this, especially the young ones (young journalists and content creators) who should also learn entrepreneurship,” he told reporters after a sharing session on “Sustaining Media in Times of Crisis: Challenges and Revenue Realities” at the National Journalists’ Day (HAWANA) 2026 Media Forum here today.
Commenting on the role of artificial intelligence (AI), Ashwad, who is also a board member of the Malaysian Media Council, said that among the key challenges are how media players can gain public trust and how mainstream media can be more effective in helping people make well-informed decisions in times of crisis.
“It is not just about social obligation, but also striking a balance and ensuring the media industry can sustain itself in the long run as a business. I think that balance is crucial.
“We understand that in the age of AI, and with much of the discussion happening around social media platforms, these are the areas we have to work on by continuing to engage not just the public and all stakeholders, but also international players,” he added.
Ashwad said it is important for the media industry to come together and engage more effectively with global technology companies, as collective action would strengthen the industry’s voice and better position it to adapt to rapid changes in the digital and AI-driven media landscape.
“There is no longer traffic migration solely from social media. Based on data, close to 40 per cent of people now search not only on Google but also on AI platforms such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek.
“So are we going to fight technology companies? In my personal opinion, do not fight them. Work with them, find ways to collaborate, and work across sectors,” he said.
The forum, organised by the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama), brings together heads of media organisations, including those from Sabah and Sarawak, representatives of foreign media agencies in Malaysia, and various stakeholders in the national media landscape.
For the first time, the HAWANA Media Forum is being held as a one-day event, in conjunction with the upcoming HAWANA 2026 celebration on June 20, to encourage more in-depth discussions and a more meaningful exchange of ideas.
-- BERNAMA