What to Look Out for in the APAC Media Industry in 2022? (Part 2)

In the second part of our APAC Media Outlook series, PR Newswire’s Audience Development Team charts out what lies ahead for the media industry and spotlights upcoming trends and much-talked-about topics in 2022.  We cover 5 markets: Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan & Thailand. The first part of the series covered other markets: Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong and Indonesia.

Malaysia

1. More choices in the Media & Entertainment Industry

As most Malaysians stayed home during the lockdown imposed by the government to curb the spread of Covid-19, individuals spent most of their time on their gadgets consuming entertainment and news content from streaming platforms such as Netflix, Tonton, Viu, and more. Consumers these days also prefer to sign up for premium subscriptions as they are keen on selecting what shows or movies they want to watch.

According to data from PWC, the Media & Entertainment (M&E) industry in Malaysia is expected to experience exponential growth in the next five years. Findings estimate approximately a 6.7% growth in the industry in 2022. The M&E industry has been steadfast and headstrong in battling the challenges brought about by the pandemic. Industry players are advised to be forward-thinking, innovative, and bold in approaching the potential growth that is set to be achieved by the industry this year.

2. More women in prominent media positions

In May 2021, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), together with The National Union of Journalists Peninsular Malaysia (NUJM), with the support of the European Union, jointly launched research findings on their “Strengthening Malaysia’s Media for Change” project. The study found that female media workers were given more opportunities than before in executive and management roles. This change was especially evident in Chinese print media, where the number of women news editors was significantly increasing.

With this positive change towards gender equality in the media industry, the country can expect to see more unbiased coverage on pressing issues surrounding matters related to domestic violence, sexual harassment, prostitution, and child sexual assault. Furthermore, this evolvement will also bring about more mentors in newsrooms for future female leaders in the media industry.

Singapore

1. More physical MICE events are set to return

Organizing physical events in 2021 hasn’t been quite as straightforward as before – with the many additional logistics and planning to adhere to the Safe Management Measures (SMM) in Singapore. As travel restrictions ease and more Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL) routes rolled out, there will be growing media interest in how MICE events will resume in a physical or hybrid manner. Upcoming events to look out for this year include the World Cities Summit (July) and Duty-Free & Travel Retail Asia Pacific Summit (May),

2. The development of Metaverse – greater opportunities for the media

The metaverse has been touted to be the “next evolution of the Internet” – a digital experience that blends augmented, virtual and mixed reality. This could change the way audiences consume information and potentially provide greater opportunities for the media to experiment with different ways to tell their stories and interact with their audiences. It’s something that media companies should keep an eye on to be the first to provide a fresh experience for their readers once the metaverse is actualized.

3. Continued interest in ESG – related articles in the media

Throughout the year 2021, companies have been placing more emphasis on ESG and making pledges to climate protection, diversity, sustainability. A lot of tech companies like Amazon, Dell, and Salesforce have made pledges to improve their sustainability efforts. This trend is likely to continue in the coming years and it will most probably make it to the news headlines from time to time.

RELATED READ: What to Look Out for in the APAC Media Industry in 2022? (Part 1)

South Korea

 1. “Fake News” bill

While the controversial bill has been temporarily postponed for further discussions, it will continue to be a hotly debated topic this year. The bill, which includes a proposed revision to the country’s Press Arbitration Act, would make it legal for victims of false claims made in the press to seek compensation from news organizations. The proposed changes to be bill is expected to be closely watched as it will hold its presidential election in March.

2. Increased Investment from Global OTT Platforms

Spurred on by the phenomenal success of the hit Netflix series Squid Game last year, another OTT market leader Disney+ is ramping up its investments in South Korea. Disney+ is expanding its partnership with Korean content creators this year. Its new projects include King of Savvy which will see the return of well-known actor Choi Min-Sik to television screens. Moreover, according to the report by Korea Press Foundation, the number of OTT viewers has been on the rise.

3. Digital trends will reshape the news industry

Digital innovation has already transformed the media industry. Global news outlets such as Bloomberg are incorporating AI into their newsroom operations to help improve efficiency. It is likewise for the Korean news industry, which is trying to adopt new technology. Korea Press Foundation announced that they are expanding efforts to digitalize the media industry in 2022.

Taiwan

1. Print media will be fully digitized

In 2021, Taiwan’s two major newspapers ended their print editions and focused on digitization. For example, Apple Daily stopped publishing newspapers, mainly because of continuous operating losses, and it will concentrate resources on the development of its website and app. This trend will only become more pronounced in 2022 as the pandemic has forced the media industry to accelerate the pace of digital transformation. Journalists must cultivate more digital skills and adopt new technology to keep up with the 24-hour news cycle.

In terms of human resource allocation, the workload of reporters has also been adjusted to include more digital and social media content. Public relations professionals need to pay close attention to industry trends to avoid stepping on landmines when pitching the media.

2. Providing a good reader experience is as important as producing quality content

In the era of information bombardment, media outlets are not only competing to break the news first, but also on finding creative ways to present the news such as podcasts, YouTube, and apps. Simply put, the competition is on catching the audience’s eyeballs. In the age of citizen journalism and breaking the news cycle, everyone can become a disseminator of information. The news media should think about: Where is my edge? How to make boring but important topics and news interesting and compelling to watch?

Many online media believe that producing high-quality content and in-depth reports can attract viewers’ attention. But instead of emphasizing content, more attention should be on creating an optimum reader experience, such as incorporating UX (User Experience) features into online editorial news packages.

Thailand (Provided by InfoQuest) 

1. The trend of integration

2022 should be the year that Thailand truly enters “the next normal” after the COVID-19 outbreak situation improves, with more people vaccinated and the number of daily infection cases declining steadily in late 2021 (before the spread of Omicron in January 2022).

The role of the Internet or online media in Thailand’s media landscape will become more important after the COVID-19 outbreak as most Thais now spend more than 10 hours online each day. Marketers and advertisers believe that no single type of mass media will be able to reach people in every segment and every age group anymore because the media-consumption habits of Thais have become more diverse. Some people rely on Facebook for news and information, while others rely on YouTube or Twitter, and each person may use different platforms for different purposes. Therefore, multiple communication formats and methods must be used in order to reach a target group efficiently.   

Media companies need to use multiple distribution channels to reach their target audiences which are spread across various social platforms. This is not an easy task for media professionals and content creators. Before producing a piece of work, they have to identify the target audience that they want to communicate with and the platforms they are on so that they can choose an outreach method that works best.

2. Hybrid work approach to continue

As the COVID-19 situation evolves, Thais need to maintain social distancing as a precaution. Media professionals or content creators will likely continue a hybrid work approach as it provides flexibility in an uncertain situation. Many journalists continue to work from home and online events such as press conferences, seminars and media interviews will be common in 2022.

3. More advanced use of technology

Other trends include technology being used to increase efficiency and the growing popularity of online ticketed events. In general, many events at the beginning of 2022 will centre on topics such as trends in the areas of business and technology. Virtual reality technology is also likely to play a greater role in 2022. Computer-generated virtual influencers who do not really exist are an example of this technology. This further shines the light on the metaverse trend, one of the megatrends of the future that stem from the 5G era, which blends reality with virtual reality.

For more insights and trends, read InfoQuest’s 2021-2022 Thailand Media Landscape interviews

Look out for our APAC Media Landscape whitepaper that gives an overview of the media industry in 9 markets in Q1 2022.

For more information on receiving media insights, get in touch with us here.