The Indonesian Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs, in cooperation with the ASEAN Secretariat and Good News Southeast Asia (Seasia), successfully organized a regional workshop in Jakarta on mapping best practices for nation branding content across ASEAN member states. The initiative reflects ASEAN’s growing commitment to strengthening constructive storytelling and shaping a more positive information landscape across the region. The event, which lasted several days, combined substantive discussions, joint refinement of guidelines and immersion in Bandung culture.
Opening the conversation: establishing a vision for constructive storytelling
The workshop began with a gap speech by a representative of the Indonesian Ministry of Communications, who emphasized ASEAN’s shared responsibility to advertise narratives that highlight progress, resilience, innovation and unity. The speech emphasized that in a region as diverse and interconnected as Southeast Asia, positive storytelling isn’t just aspirational, but strategic. It helps construct trust, counters the pervasive dominance of negative content in today’s media ecosystem, and strengthens ASEAN’s collective identity.
This was followed by the keynote speech by Akhyari Hananto, the corporate’s founder Good news from Indonesiawho spoke passionately in regards to the transformative power of constructive journalism. He discussed his experience constructing platforms that intentionally elevate stories of hope, solutions and community achievements. Akhyari stressed that the goal of constructive journalism isn’t to disregard problems, but to expand public knowledge by showing how institutions, communities and individuals reply to challenges. He believes stories like these are essential to cultivating optimism and civic engagement across the region.
The workshop was led by Mohammad Reiza z Good news from Southeast Asia (Seasia)who served as moderator of the one-day formal program. His facilitation encouraged open dialogue and intercultural exchange, providing participants from various ASEAN member states the chance to precise their perspectives and challenges.
Region represented: ASEAN-wide hybrid participation
The workshop was attended by delegates from Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia who attended in person in Jakarta. To ensure inclusivity, participants from Brunei, Myanmar and Singapore joined the sessions online. This hybrid configuration enabled full participation from people across the region despite logistical constraints and reaffirmed ASEAN’s commitment to joint regional media development efforts.
Throughout the day, participants delved into the present state of knowledge dissemination in Southeast Asia. The discussions highlighted common concerns, resembling the redirection of audience attention towards negative content driven by digital platforms’ algorithms, the spread of misinformation, and the growing trust gap between the general public and traditional news sources. These challenges highlighted the necessity for cross-border cooperation in promoting constructive and credible journalism.
The workshops also drew on findings from extensive regional research conducted before the event. Government media respondents, content creators, journalists and communications professionals across ASEAN faced similar difficulties: limited access to reliable data, insufficient resources for storytelling, and a continuing struggle to draw public attention to positive narratives. These findings provided an evidence-based basis for refining the ASEAN Good News Guidelines.
Improving Collaboration: Building a Framework for the Good News in Southeast Asia
A series of country presentations provided an area for participants to share local contexts and reflect on how their experiences align with or differ from regional trends. Government media representatives discussed their efforts to accurately report national achievements, while content creators highlighted the challenges of balancing authenticity, audience engagement and constructive messaging.
Group discussions allowed mixed groups – composed of presidency representatives and developers from several countries – to refine key sections of the draft ASEAN Good News Guidelines. Three foremost thematic areas emerged:
- Verification and reliability:
Participants agreed that constructive storytelling should be based on accuracy. Clear verification processes, standardized editorial practices and transparent sources of knowledge were identified as the essential pillars of credibility. - Inclusive and culturally sensitive storytelling:
Given ASEAN’s vast cultural diversity, participants emphasized that positive stories must reflect local nuances, honor cultural expression and remain sensitive to social values. They emphasized that excellent news isn’t only about achievements – it is usually about resilience, identity and lived experiences. - Tools for implementing and strengthening cooperation:
Delegates proposed the creation of common databases, regional fact-checking mechanisms and a future ASEAN Good News Center. These ideas were intended to facilitate collaboration, reduce resource gaps, and make it easier for creators and government media to access credible information.
The day concluded with consolidated recommendations and an overview of next steps in finalizing the rules and planning for his or her final approval by ASEAN bodies. The momentum generated signaled a shared commitment to a more constructive regional media environment.
Cultural Exploration: Bandung as a Living Classroom
On the second day, participants went on a cultural trip to Bandung, traveling from Jakarta on the Whoosh bullet train. The trip itself symbolized Indonesia’s technological progress and allowed delegates to experience firsthand the country’s modern infrastructure.
In Bandung, the group visited the Selasar Sunaryo art space, gaining insight into the colourful creative arts ecosystem within the region. This was followed by a stop on the historically wealthy Savoy Homann Hotel, a landmark that honors Bandung’s legacy of international diplomacy and cultural heritage. The day ended with a visit to Jalan Braga, an iconic street known for its combination of colonial-era charm, local artistry and contemporary cultural expressions.
The cultural visit served not only as a break, but in addition as a deeper reflection on how heritage, creativity and concrete narratives can fuel positive storytelling.
Why excellent news guide for ASEAN affairs
The long-term goal of this workshop is to provide a comprehensive Guide to the Good News in Southeast Asia, intended for presidency officials, journalists, media staff and content creators. This guide will outline standards for constructive journalism, verification methods, ethical safeguards and a framework for inclusive storytelling.
Such a guide appears at an important moment. Across Southeast Asia, journalism faces enormous pressure: shrinking newsroom budgets, political restrictions in several countries, widespread disinformation and changing audience habits. Press freedom varies greatly from region to region, but journalists around the globe face similar challenges in maintaining credibility while adapting to the digital age.
Despite these obstacles, Southeast Asia has a protracted history of regional media cooperation – through reporting networks, cross-border investigative projects, capacity-building workshops and cultural exchange initiatives. This basis for cooperation demonstrates a shared desire to strengthen press systems and be sure that journalism stays a force for the general public good.
The planned guide is each timely and essential. It goals to handle existing challenges while promoting a healthier, more sustainable news ecosystem – one which elevates solution-oriented stories, builds trust and inspires hope.
Looking ahead: Southeast Asia’s shared way forward for journalism
Combining expert knowledge, multi-country dialogue and cultural immersion, the Jakarta workshop was a vital step towards developing constructive storytelling in ASEAN. The common aspirations are clear: a future where journalism informs, empowers and unites; where excellent news isn’t recognized as superficial optimism, but as a meaningful reflection of regional resilience, creativity and progress.
Through continued collaboration, Southeast Asia can construct a media landscape that celebrates what unites its people, while telling good stories from the region with honesty, depth and purpose.
