Hawana: The National Journalists' Day (HAWANA) 2026 celebration should serve as an important platform to strengthen Malaysia's media landscape towards greater ethics, competitiveness, and integrity. Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) deputy editor-in-chief (News Service) Mohd Shukri Ishak said the programme comes at a crucial time as the media industry faces major challenges in the digital era, including declining public trust in information.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Mohd Shukri emphasized the importance of media practitioners uniting to address these challenges and finding ways to restore public confidence in the media's role. He highlighted that HAWANA can also promote public awareness of the significance of accurate information in today's digital landscape. Speaking on Bernama TV's Apa Khabar Malaysia programme, he noted that HAWANA 2026 is not merely an annual event but a strategic platform for collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and upholding professional standards.
Mohd Shukri stated that these efforts are essential for the media industry to remain relevant, credible, and capable of delivering accurate and responsible reporting. He expressed hope that HAWANA 2026 would strengthen ties among media practitioners in Malaysia, contributing to a more united and dynamic media community. He concluded by emphasizing the expectation for HAWANA 2026 to unite the media community in delivering credible and responsible reporting that positively impacts society.
Elaborating on the event, Mohd Shukri, who is also project director of HAWANA 2026, announced that the main event would gather about 1,000 media practitioners from within and outside the country at the PICCA Convention Centre @ Arena Butterworth in Penang on June 20. Side programmes include Riuh@HAWANA, organised by MyCreative Ventures (MyCV), which will feature exhibitions, sales, creative workshops, and food and beverage offerings from June 19 at the convention centre grounds.
Other planned activities are the HAWANA 2026 Media Forum on May 7, the HAWANA-DBP Pantun Festival on May 9, and the HAWANA Fun Walk at Titiwangsa Lake Gardens on June 14. Organised by the Communications Ministry with Bernama as the implementing agency, HAWANA serves as the pinnacle platform in recognizing the contributions, dedication, and professionalism of media practitioners in Malaysia.