Global perspectives, local narratives: how to break tech journalism out of the bubble

In an increasingly interconnected world, it is hard to exaggerate the outsize impact of technology on people and policies in our communities.  However, most tech journalism is Western-led, focused on the influence and innovation of Silicon Valley and its biggest giants, while most of the world’s population lives outside the West. So does a significant chunk of the global population that interacts and engages with technology on a daily basis. There are thriving tech ecosystems and consequential innovation taking place across Asia, Africa and the Middle East which gets little to no local coverage, let alone international coverage. And when tech in the Global South does get coverage, it is usually relegated to niche sections in niche publications.

This panel will address the state of tech coverage, local and international, in the Global South by bringing together media executives from publications  in Asia, Latin America, and Africa to discuss how their newsrooms cover technology, tech policies and the unintended impacts of tech innovation on societies.  It will offer diverse perspectives from their regions, challenging the dominance of Western-centric narratives in tech coverage and providing insights into tech ecosystems worldwide.

The panel will discuss how to break tech journalism out of the tech journalism bubble and present the tech story as a story not just about technology but also about policy, public health, and socio-economic issues, among others. The aim of this panel is to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the global technology landscape, amplifying local narratives and bridging gaps in technology coverage around the world.

Organised in association with Thomson Reuters Foundation.