The new Young Media Leaders (YML) Fellowship Programme, an initiative of the World Editors Forum Asia Chapter, the regional network in Asia for editors within the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), and supported by Temasek Foundation, is launched today with its inaugural class of 30 Fellows. The fellowship programme seeks to nurture the next generation of media leaders who are committed to shaping the regional future.

The aim is for YML Fellows to contribute effectively to the pursuit of good journalism, foster dialogue and greater connectedness among one another, and build up newsrooms to meet the needs of their societies in these uncertain times.

The inaugural class of YML Fellows comprises young, high-potential editors and journalists from across the region nominated by their newsrooms. They will gather online over the next six months to share experiences, exchange ideas, amplify the impact of news reporting, and learn to lead in an industry transformed by technology. This is especially relevant as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to batter global economies and threaten the future of the publishing industry.

"This Fellowship aims to nurture the next generation of media leaders who can contribute effectively to the pursuit of good journalism and build capacity in their newsrooms to meet the needs of their societies in these uncertain times. We want to expose Asia’s future media leaders to the diverse challenges facing the media industry across the region and provide them the opportunity to network and build partnerships to share best practices and improve capabilities" said Warren Fernandez, President of the World Editors Forum and Editor-in-Chief of The Straits Times in Singapore, who mooted the initiative.

"The world’s and Asia’s top news publishers meet regularly at over 50 WAN-IFRA events and meetings annually. With the Young Media Leaders Fellowship in Asia, made possible through the generous support of donors such as the Temasek Foundation in Singapore, we are now able to create a similar platform for the next generation of industry leaders" said Thomas Jacob, Chief Operating Officer of WAN-IFRA.

“The media is well-placed to contribute to the shaping of the narrative of our times. By tapping on a strong network of media leaders across the region, newsrooms can draw on one another’s strengths to achieve greater impact. We hope that Fellows can use the opportunities given to grow, and be empowered to build up not just their newsroom but also to contribute to thought leadership to shape the challenges in our society” said Lim Hock Chuan, Chief Executive of Temasek Foundation Connects.

Due to the spread of COVID-19, the YML programme will take place mostly through online platforms. Participants will attend a week-long online executive leadership programme tailored for newsroom leaders in June, attend the online Asian Media Leaders e-Summit in July, participate in various online dialogues on regional political, economic and societal issues, plan events, activities and stories to mark World News Day on 28 September 2020 and gather in Singapore in January 2021 for the Fellowship finale where the Asian Media Leaders Summit will be held, conditions permitting.

Fellows will also continue to deepen their engagement with one another during and beyond the programme through the establishment of an alumni community on social media and through future speaking opportunities.