Media is influential and, when practised with integrity, can change the world for the better
This year marks the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day, the global celebration that honours freedom of expression, a critical right that underpins democracy and other human rights. The United Nations notes that, though there have been great strides in achieving independent press through an abundance of media platforms and advances in digital technology, it has been besieged by disinformation and misinformation, as well as the very safety of media practitioners. This year’s celebration is thus a reminder to safeguard the independence and free flow of information.
The journalists, photographers, commentators and media leaders on Asia’s Most Influential have taken up the fight for freedom of expression, exposing the truths about pressing issues in the world. Through their various platforms, they have reported on the plight of migrants, the fall of Afghanistan, the invasion of Ukraine, the death of democracy and the disinformation spread on social media. They are never afraid to report on injustice because, for these award-winning media practitioners, their sworn duty is to present the undisguised reality.
Also read: Jake Verzosa journeys from photography to impossible realities
Desi Anwar, news presenter, CNN Indonesia (Indonesia)
Starting her career in the ’90s, Desi Anwar has become one of the most recognised news presenters and reporters in Indonesia. The broadcast journalist has interviewed global leaders such as the Dalai Lama, Margaret Thatcher, Bill Gates and Richard Branson, as well as leading personalities like actors Richard Gere and Catherine Deneuve. Today, she continues her work as a director and senior news anchor of CNN Indonesia, where she hosts Insight with Desi Anwar, the weekly dialogue programme that discusses current issues, such as national defence, net-zero emissions and public transportation, through in-depth interviews with decision-makers from Indonesia and beyond.
The pioneer in Indonesia’s media industry has worked in the country’s first private TV network RCTI, created the country’s first English-language news programme Indonesia Today, and co-founded the online portal Astaga.com. Anwar, who was a columnist for The Jakarta Post and Jakarta Globe, has also published several books, including Being Indonesian, Offline: finding yourself in the age of distractions and The Art of Solitude: what I think about when I’m on my own.
