The new Young Media Leaders (YML) Fellowship Programme is an initiative of the World Editors Forum Asia Chapter, the regional network in Asia for editors within the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), and is supported by Temasek Foundation. The programme was launched in June 2020 with its inaugural class of 30 Fellows, seeking to nurture the next generation of media leaders who are committed to shaping the regional future.

The aim of the programme is for YML Fellows to contribute effectively to the pursuit of good journalism, foster dialogue and greater connectedness among one another, and build up newsrooms to meet the needs of their societies in these uncertain times.

The inaugural class of YML Fellows comprised young, high-potential editors and journalists from across the region nominated by their newsrooms. They gathered online over six months to share experiences, exchange ideas, amplify impact of news reporting, and learn to lead in an industry transformed by technology. This is especially relevant as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to batter global economies and threaten the future of the publishing industry.

Due to the pandemic situation, the YML programme took place mostly through online platforms. Participants attended a week-long online executive leadership programme tailored for newsroom leaders in June, an online Asian Media Leaders e-Summit in July, and participated in various online dialogues on regional political, economic and societal issues, planned events, activities and stories to mark World News Day on 28 September 2020 and would be gathering virtually for the Fellowship finale at the Asian Media Leaders Summit.

Fellows will also continue to deepen their engagement with one another during and beyond the programme through the establishment of an alumni community on social media and through future speaking opportunities.