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Held every two years in a major Asia Pacific media hub, the International Media Conference offers a unique professional networking opportunity for journalists from the US, Asia and the Pacific to discuss key issues in the region and common challenges and trends in media. Recognized for its exceptional keynote speakers and in-depth panels of journalists and experts, this conference also offers media training workshops and networking social events with international journalists and other media professionals.

This year’s conference drew focus on the challenges faced by media connecting in a zero trust world. This was a timely theme as social trust in media, government, business, science, NGOs – even in the concept of society itself – has plummeted. Societies seem to be headed toward a zero-trust world. The growing presence of alternative realities makes verifying truth and restoring facts to the center of public discourse challenging, if not almost impossible. The 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer states this continued erosion of public trust has resulted in “a new era of information bankruptcy and a trust ecosystem unable to confront it”. We were honored to have Nobel Laureate, Maria Ressa deliver the keynote address of the conference.

Media’s responsibility is to report facts so publics and policymakers can make informed decisions. But in a world where there is no longer a common set of facts and little trust in media, journalists perhaps face their biggest challenges ever to remain society’s watchdog.

The four-day conference examined how media can rebuild trust, reconnect societies, and lead us back to a more fact-based world. It also featured international speakers discussing how societies can collaborate to better meet global challenges such as climate change, and how diplomacy and international relations are impacted in a zero-trust world.