Conference Overview

The essence of communication and public governance are continuously redefined and challenged especially in this 21st century. The redefinition of these two interrelated concepts can be attributed to several factors including new communication technologies, digital transformation, globalization and interdependence, and multilateralism.

Karl W. Deutsch, a Czech social and political scientist, in his 1963 groundbreaking book, The Nerves of Government explores the intersection of information theory, communication, and control in the context of political and social sciences. Deutsch believes that that modern political systems function as communication networks where decision-making and social control depend on the flow and management of information.

In Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda (1991, 2002, 2011), Noam Chomsky, a renowned linguist, and public intellectual, explores the ways in which media can be used as a tool for social control, shaping public opinion, and influencing political discourse.

Joseph Stiglitz, a 2001 Nobel laureate in economics, has written extensively on the topic of media control and its implications for society. According to Stiglitz, media control can be exercised through various means, including media capture, information asymmetry, and media as a tool for propaganda, to support the agendas of those in power.

Governance is now a keyword in sustainable development process. It refers to the system of rules, practices, and institutions that shape the behavior and decision-making processes of individuals and organizations. It encompasses the mechanisms, processes, and relationships that enable stakeholders to exercise their rights and responsibilities, make decisions, and hold each other accountable.

Governance encompasses public, corporate, and global. The focus of the AMIC 32nd Annual Conference is public governance, that is, system of rules, practices, and institutions that shape the behavior and decision-making processes of governments and public institutions.

The bedrock of good governance is recognition of communication rights as basic human rights as exemplified in UN Declaration of Human Rights Article 19 and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Article 19, and related regional human rights declarations. Meanwhile, UN SDG Target 16.10 calls upon relevant stakeholders to “ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements.”

Today, communication-related concepts continue to influence governance policies, standards, and practices. These concepts include transparency and accountability, access to information (right to information), information integrity, information as a public good, open access/open data, public sphere and public engagement. The Global Digital Compact (2024) also recognizes the importance of responsible digital governance.

In a recent UNESCO publication, Journalism for Development: The Role of Journalism In Promoting Democracy, Political Accountability and Sustainable Development (2024), Joseph E. Stiglitz, Anya Schiffrin and Dylan W. Groves emphasized that accurate and publicly accessible information is fundamental to accountable democratic governance. According to the authors, academic researchers, applying rigorous methodological tools, confirmed the role of journalism in promoting government accountability and civic engagement as well as fighting corruption.

Transparency is a key element of good governance; ensuring accountability among powerful individuals and sectors, especially public officials. In addition to access to information (and right to information), transparency is assured by a free and independent media platforms and responsible and ethical technology platforms.

Communication in governance is no longer limited to one-way (linear) and top-down communication processes (often referred to as information dissemination). It is now two-way, interactive, and multidirectional. This dynamic features can be attributed to people empowerment, universality of ICT, and user-generated content (including automated content generators) capabilities of new technologies.

Communication enables amplification of the voices of the voiceless. – It is a two-way process which enables vulnerable populations, e.g., urban/rural poor, indigenous peoples, and PWDs to talk/talk back.

Digital transformation which encompasses digitization, digitalization, and technological integration is reengineering public governance toward more effective and efficient public service. The recently concluded AMIC 31st Annual Conference adopted the AMIC Mumbai Declaration 2025: Shaping Asia’s Digital Future with Integrity and Inclusion.  The Declaration outlines a vision and offers a roadmap for Asian communities to harness the benefits of digitalization in governance.

United Nations/UNESCO recognize news and information as public good that every individual should be entitled to. According to Windhoek+30 Declaration on Information as a Public Good, governments should create an enabling environment for freedom of expression and access to information; nurture a diversity of viable public, private, and community media; and mainstream media and information literacy.

Good governance is highly dependent on the quality and flow of information. Thus, information integrity is a prerequisite to good governance.  Information integrity includes accuracy, consistency, and reliability of information ecosystem. This concept is crucial in today's digital age, where misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech can spread rapidly, threatening the integrity of the information ecosystem.

Access to information is a cornerstone to good governance. This is further enhanced by the concept of Open Access (OA). UNESCO defines OA as “free access to information and unrestricted use of electronic resources for everyone. Any kind of digital content can be OA, from texts and data to software, audio, video, and multi-media.” Meanwhile, there is now a growing movement worldwide for governments, civil society groups, private companies, and philanthropic foundations to set up their respective open data platforms to promote transparent, participatory, inclusive, and accountable governance.

There are several global and local issues and challenges affecting communication in public governance which demand immediate action. These include: Disinformation and Misinformation (including Hate speech); Public Trust in Mass (Legacy) Media Vs. Social Media; Impact of AI and Algorithm; Data Privacy and Cyber Security; threats and attacks against freedom of expression/right to information. These and many other concerns are important agenda in any discourse on communication in public governance.