Recent viral incidents and breaking news situations offer important lessons for journalists operating in today’s fast-paced and highly connected media environment, said Thiaga Rajan Muthusamy, Editor-in-Chief of Vanakkam Malaysia, during his session “Lessons Learned from Recent Viral Incidents and Breaking News Situations”.
Drawing from real-world newsroom experiences, he highlighted how the pressure to report developments instantly can challenge the core principles of journalism, particularly accuracy, verification and responsible reporting. He stressed that journalists must remain committed to fact-checking, especially during rapidly evolving situations where misinformation can spread quickly.
According to Thiaga, every major breaking news event provides valuable lessons in crisis reporting, editorial decision-making and audience engagement, reinforcing the need to balance speed with responsibility. The two-day forum was organised by the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) with the support of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and in collaboration with the Department of Information Malaysia.
