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South Asian journalists push for stronger media dialogue

News Desk
22 September 2026 18:55 Updated: 22 September 2026 18:55

JAMALPUR, Bihar: The International Media Summit 2026, also known as the Global Media Summit 2026, was held in Jamalpur in India’s Munger district, bringing together journalists and media professionals from across South Asia to strengthen dialogue, cooperation and experience-sharing.

Organised by the All India Journalists Union (AIJU), the summit was held at Siddhi Vinayak Marriage Hall in Jamalpur. Indian Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Dr Bhim Singh attended the event as the chief guest, while Munger MLA Pranav Kumar was present as a special guest.

The summit was chaired by Ranjit Samrat, national president of the All India Journalists Union. Journalists and media professionals from Nepal, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka participated in the event, including Raju Lama, president of the SAARC Journalists Forum International, and Secretary General Abdur Rahman.

Addressing the gathering, Dr Bhim Singh said journalism is an important medium connecting society with information, ideas and facts. He emphasised that international cooperation among media professionals can contribute to making journalism more responsible and effective.

“Journalism is an important pillar of democracy. Although our borders are different, the responsibility and objective of journalists is to provide society with truth, facts and accurate information. Dialogue and cooperation among journalists in South Asia can make an important contribution to strengthening the journalism sector,” he said.

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SAARC Journalists Forum International President Raju Lama stressed the need for regular dialogue and cooperation among journalists from South Asian countries.

He said international conferences such as the Jamalpur summit provide journalists with opportunities to understand each other’s experiences and collaborate on common issues.

“Relations among South Asian journalists should not be limited to the exchange of news. Cooperation is also necessary on issues such as journalists’ rights, professional safety, press freedom and common challenges facing the media sector. The conference in Jamalpur has created a new environment for such dialogue,” Lama said.

The summit was attended by SAARC Journalists Forum Nepal Chapter Convener Rudra Subedi, Co-Convener Md Arif Ansari, Bihar Chapter President Dr Shashi Bhushan Kumar, Madhesh Chapter Coordinator Md Sadab Malik, and members Ramesh Chandra Kumal, Azmat Ali, Sushil Kumar Khadka, Abhilash Gupta, Pawan Prasad Sah and Arun Kalwar, among other journalists and media professionals from different countries.

Participants discussed contemporary issues in journalism and the media sector and exchanged experiences from their respective countries and regions. The discussions focused on challenges facing journalism, developments in communication technology, journalists’ professional safety, international cooperation and strengthening relations among South Asian media professionals.

The organisers said the first international journalism summit held in Jamalpur had created an important foundation for further strengthening mutual relations, dialogue and cooperation among journalists and media professionals in South Asia.

Participating journalists said the summit brought media professionals from different countries together on a common platform and provided an opportunity to exchange views on shared issues in journalism. They expressed the hope that the conference would pave the way for more effective cooperation and regular dialogue among South Asian media professionals in the days ahead.

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