RM30m Media Innovation Fund 2.0 to strengthen newsrooms and protect jobs, says Bernama CEO

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 — The government’s initiative in providing the Media Innovation Fund 2.0 reflects an ongoing commitment to ensuring the sustainability of local media companies, thereby preventing staff layoffs while navigating current challenges.

Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) Chief Executive Officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin said the initiative would help media organisations acquire the latest equipment and tools to strengthen their platforms while developing new revenue-generation strategies.

“The Media Innovation Fund is not merely financial assistance for media organisations; it serves as a strategic government investment to secure the future of the nation’s journalism industry.

“This initiative enables media organisations like Bernama to strengthen their technological capabilities, develop talent and produce quality content, all without compromising ethical principles, integrity or journalistic freedom,” she said here today.

Nur-ul Afida said Bernama welcomed the continuation of the fund and intended to apply for new equipment for use at its 14 bureaus nationwide.

She said the move aligned with Bernama’s plans to strengthen its artificial intelligence (AI)-driven newsroom, upskill its personnel and accelerate the national news agency’s digital transformation.

“We hope that media companies will make optimal use of this fund to build a Malaysian media industry that is more innovative, competitive and sustainable in the long term,” she said.

Nur-ul Afida also welcomed the introduction of a new funding segment for news service and media content subscriptions, saying it was in line with Bernama’s role as the national news agency and a key content provider for local media organisations.

She said the segment could have been introduced following feedback and suggestions from media companies during a Media Dialogue session organised by the Malaysian Media Council (MMC) in conjunction with National Journalists’ Day (Hawana) last June.

“Therefore, I encourage media companies to apply for this segment, which is designed to alleviate the financial burden of covering news service subscription costs,” she said.

Last Friday, Minister of Communications Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil announced that the government had allocated RM30 million through the Media Innovation Fund 2.0 to continue efforts to empower the local media industry, covering areas such as digitalisation, talent development, and the adoption of new technologies like AI.

He said the initiative is a continuation of the Media Innovation Fund announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in conjunction with Hawana.

The fund covers five areas: training for media personnel; software and technology adoption; equipment, hardware and supporting facilities; research and content development; and subscriptions to news services and media content.

Applications are open until November 14 through the fund’s official website at https://danainovasimedia.komunikasi.gov.my/.

Media companies receiving the funding are required to refrain from arbitrary staff retrenchments, even when facing financial constraints. — Bernama

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吉隆坡，11月1日讯——政府推出“媒体创新基金2.0”的举措，体现了政府持续致力于确保本地媒体公司可持续发展的承诺，从而在应对当前挑战的同时，防止裁员。

马来西亚国家通讯社（Bernama）首席执行官拿汀巴杜卡努尔·阿菲达·卡马鲁丁表示，这项计划将帮助媒体机构获得最新的设备和工具，以加强其平台，同时制定新的创收策略。

“媒体创新基金不仅仅是对媒体机构的财政援助；它也是政府的一项战略性投资，旨在保障国家新闻业的未来。

她今天在这里表示：“这项举措使像马新社这样的媒体机构能够增强其技术能力、培养人才并制作高质量内容，所有这一切都不会损害道德原则、诚信或新闻自由。”

努尔·阿菲达表示，马新社欢迎该基金的继续设立，并打算申请新设备供其在全国的14个办事处使用。

她表示，此举符合马新社加强其人工智能（AI）驱动的新闻编辑室、提升员工技能和加速国家通讯社数字化转型的计划。

她表示：“我们希望媒体公司能够充分利用这笔资金，打造一个更具创新性、竞争力和可持续发展的马来西亚媒体产业。”

努尔·阿菲达也对新闻服务和媒体内容订阅新增资助板块表示欢迎，称这符合马新社作为国家通讯社和本地媒体机构主要内容提供商的角色。

她表示，该节目环节的推出，是基于去年六月马来西亚媒体理事会 (MMC) 与全国记者日 (Hawana) 联合举办的媒体对话会议上，媒体公司提出的反馈和建议。

“因此，我鼓励媒体公司申请加入这个板块，该板块旨在减轻媒体公司支付新闻服务订阅费用的经济负担，”她说道。

上周五，通讯部长拿督斯里法米·法兹尔宣布，政府已通过媒体创新基金 2.0 拨款 3000 万令吉，继续努力增强本地媒体行业的实力，涵盖数字化、人才培养以及人工智能等新技术的应用等领域。

他表示，这项计划是首相拿督斯里安华·易卜拉欣与哈瓦那共同宣布的媒体创新基金的延续。

该基金涵盖五个领域：媒体人员培训；软件和技术采用；设备、硬件和配套设施；研究和内容开发；以及新闻服务和媒体内容的订阅。

申请截止日期为11月14日，可通过该基金的官方网站https://danainovasimedia.komunikasi.gov.my/进行申请。

接受资助的媒体公司即使面临财务困境，也必须避免随意裁员。——马新社

灌溉部表示，武吉昌岗一号防洪堤项目将于下周完工，比原定于2027年1月的目标提前数月。

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