Shenzhen, China. US news broadcaster CNN on Saturday joined major media organizations from across the Asia-Pacific in welcoming closer regional collaboration to address some of the most pressing challenges facing the news industry, from artificial intelligence and misinformation to the financial sustainability of credible journalism.

The Asia-Pacific is home to extraordinary economic dynamism, technological innovation and cultural diversity, connecting countries with different histories, perspectives and media traditions.

“That diversity should not be seen as an obstacle. It can be a source of strength,” CNN Senior Vice President Konstantinos Oikonomou said at the Asia-Pacific Media Forum in Shenzhen, China.

Oikonomou said CNN has long recognized the importance of Asia and developed partnerships with media organizations across the region.

“At CNN, we have understood the value and power of the Asian continent, and we have several partnerships in the region that we greatly cherish,” he said.

“In China, our partnership with Xinhua has enabled millions of people around the world to gain access to content from this wonderful country. Forums such as this one are important to listen to one another, exchange ideas and build relationships that can continue long after these meetings in Shenzhen are over.”

Indonesia's Antara News Agency also expressed its full support for the Asia-Pacific Media Partnership, with the national news agency becoming one of the founding members of the program's steering committee.

“Antara fully endorses and stands ready to promote the 2026 Asia-Pacific Media Forum Shenzhen Consensus,” Antara News Director Virgandhi Prayudantoro said.

“Working alongside the Asia-Pacific Media Forum, we aim to tackle the challenges of digital information disruption. Together, we can deepen media cooperation through joint reporting initiatives, collaborative learning, and regional knowledge-sharing -- providing a robust platform for intellectual exchange and support for APEC members,” he added.

Founded in 1937, Antara serves as Indonesia's national news agency and has played a prominent role in the country's modern history, including being among the first media organizations to disseminate news of Indonesia's proclamation of independence in 1945.

“Today, Antara operates across every province in Indonesia through 32 domestic bureaus, complemented by two international bureaus in Kuala Lumpur and Beijing, reinforcing our global and national reach,” Virgandhi said.

“We maintain commercial and non-commercial partnerships with media outlets worldwide, including a news exchange collaboration with Xinhua that dates back to 1957.”

AI Brings Opportunities -- and Risks
Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin, CEO of Malaysia's Bernama News Agency, said regional cooperation could help build a better-informed and more connected Asia-Pacific while confronting what she described as one of the most difficult questions facing mainstream media: How can credible journalism remain financially sustainable?

She said the challenges confronting established media organizations have become increasingly complex, with the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence providing a clear example.

“AI helps newsrooms produce more efficiently, but the very same technology can create misinformation and manipulate content,” Nur-ul said.

Despite those technological challenges, she stressed that the fundamental principles of journalism must remain unchanged.

Accuracy, balance, transparency and human responsibility must remain at the heart of journalism, she said.

Closer cooperation among Asia-Pacific media organizations could provide practical ways to address some of those shared challenges, including through collaborative reporting and verification.

“We can strengthen cross-border fact-checking and verification, and we can produce jointly on issues affecting our region,” Nur-ul said.

She added that Bernama could contribute to the partnership by sharing its multimedia content and experience in reporting across cultures.

“We can serve as a bridge between Malaysia and ASEAN. Bernama stands ready to play our part,” she said.

The calls for greater collaboration came as media organizations participating in the forum backed the 2026 Shenzhen Consensus, which promotes closer cooperation across the Asia-Pacific amid rapid technological and economic change.

For news organizations, that cooperation could extend beyond traditional content exchanges to joint reporting, cross-border fact-checking, journalist training and knowledge-sharing -- areas that participants said are becoming increasingly important as artificial intelligence reshapes both the production and consumption of news.

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