Media organisations must understand how younger gen consume news, says Fahmi

The communications ministry has reportedly urged media organisations to better understand how younger generations, such as the Gen Z, consume news, in order to adapt their content strategies accordingly.

Speaking at Google's "Project Sigma: Engaging Malaysian Gen Z for news" event, communications minister Fahmi Fadzil was quoted saying that doing so will help the media organisations to remain relevant in today's rapidly evolving media landscape/

The minister explained that as younger generations engage with content differently, newsrooms must take these shifts seriously by getting up to speed with current research and experiment with new formats which align more closely to their preferences, The Sun reported. 

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The 10-week Google initiative, which was carried out in collaboration with the communications ministry, was aimed at exploring new approaches to information delivery for Gen Z. It involved multiple media organisations in different languages, such as REV Media (Media Prima), Astro Awani, The Star, Sin Chew Daily, Malaysiakini, FT Strategies as well as Google's APAC and SEA News Partnerships teams, Bernama reported. 

Meanwhile according to the Vibes, the publishers undertook a period of intense experimentation and strategic innovation to better engage younger audiences. Based on emerging case studies from the program, Astro Awani saw a 24% increase in newsroom confidence around engagement with Gen Z, while Malaysiakini ran tests and found that short-form videos outperformed long-form content 88% of the time.

Additionally, Chinese daily newspaper Sin Chew saw a 94% increase in users aged 18-24 within a month following the introduction of an infinite scrolling feature. The Star meanwhile, recorded a hike of 50,000 followers across its social media platforms in eight weeks and 1,500 YouTube subscribers after introducing Gen Z-focused short-form videos. 

Fahmi commended the project's success, which he deemed a testament to the fact that by understanding the unique habits of Gen Z, Malaysia's media landscape is robustly positioned to thrive in the evolving digital era.

The minister also reportedly said that he's hopeful about the outlook of future partnerships, just like this one with Google, which marks the beginning of many more meaningful collaborations to shape a more progressive media ecosystem for Malaysia. 

Separately, the communications ministry also said that the Tun Abdul Razak Broadcasting and Information Institute (IPPTAR) is set to play a pivotal role in extending AI literacy and digital media transformation beyond newsrooms, NST reported. Fahmi was quoted saying that the institute has been tasked with reviewing and adapting AI training modules for broader application across sectors.

Earlier in February this year, Fahmi Fadzil had also urged news agencies to leverage AI to combat misinformation in the digital media era. The minister said there was a need to "fight fire with fire", highlighting how AI was already being used by organisations such as Blackberry to enhance digital security and counter AI-driven threats.

Speaking at the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) 54th Executive Board Meeting dinner on Monday (17 Feb), the minister reportedly said that there's an opportunity to look at what AI can do for news organisations to fight the scourge or misinformation.

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