Asean Newsrooms Unite to Battle AI and Big Tech Threats

Prominent media outlets across Southeast Asia come together to address industry challenges

Apr. 10, 2026 at 6:33am

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A vibrant, abstract painting in the style of Giacomo Balla, featuring overlapping, fractured shapes and geometric patterns in bold colors, representing the dynamic and rapidly changing media landscape in Southeast Asia.Asean newsrooms unite to confront the challenges of AI and big tech, seeking collaborative solutions to protect independent journalism in the region.Today in Pittsburgh

In a critical meeting last November, representatives from six leading Asean newsrooms, including Tempo, Malaysiakini, Mizzima, Kiripost, The Straits Times, and Rappler, gathered at the Rappler headquarters to tackle the persistent challenges facing their operations and revenue streams in the face of relentless pressure from AI and big tech companies.

Why it matters

The meeting reflects the growing concerns among Southeast Asian media outlets about the threats posed by the rapid evolution of technology and the dominance of large tech platforms. As democracy faces increasing pressure in the region, these newsrooms are on the frontlines, seeking collaborative solutions to ensure their survival and ability to continue serving their communities with independent, quality journalism.

The details

During the daylong discussions, editors, managers responsible for growth marketing, community engagement, and digital product development, shared best practices and explored potential areas for collaboration. The conversations focused on navigating the rapidly changing media landscape and identifying ways to strengthen their operations and revenue streams in the face of the AI and big tech onslaught.

  • The critical meeting took place in November 2026.
  • The newsrooms have been facing these challenges for several years.

The players

Tempo

An Indonesian media outlet that participated in the meeting to address industry challenges.

Malaysiakini

A Malaysian news organization that joined the discussion on tackling threats from AI and big tech.

Mizzima

A media outlet from Myanmar that was part of the Asean newsroom gathering.

Kiripost

A Cambodian news organization that attended the meeting to collaborate on solutions.

The Straits Times

A prominent Singaporean newspaper that participated in the Asean newsroom meeting.

Rappler

A Filipino news organization that hosted the critical meeting of Asean newsrooms.

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What they’re saying

“We must work together to protect the integrity of our journalism and ensure our newsrooms can continue to serve our communities in the face of these mounting challenges.”

— Maria Ressa, CEO, Rappler

“The dominance of AI and big tech platforms is a threat to media pluralism and independent reporting. We need to find innovative ways to safeguard our operations and revenue streams.”

— Jahabar Sadiq, Editor-in-Chief, Malaysiakini

What’s next

The Asean newsrooms plan to continue their collaboration, exploring opportunities for resource-sharing, joint investigations, and collective advocacy to address the common challenges they face.

The takeaway

The meeting of Asean newsrooms highlights the urgent need for media outlets in the region to unite and find innovative solutions to safeguard their operations and independence in the face of the growing influence of AI and big tech companies, which pose a significant threat to the future of quality, independent journalism.