Digital news media in South East Asia: Business models, sustainability and policy direction

The arrival of digital technology has affected the news media industry by promising virtually networked news production and distribution that is built on data-intense models. To address how media outlets are adopting new business approaches to ensure their survival, this article reviewed approximately 100 pieces of literature across South East Asia, particularly Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand – countries with some of the most complex digital news media landscapes in the region and the Global South. We employ a qualitative method to present drivers of digital news media, identifying innovative media business and funding models in the three countries studied. We find that the drivers of media transformation are complex, with unstable business models and limited sustainability. Most digital newsrooms in South East Asia do not rely on a specific business and income sources, but rather combine different models. By deploying digital marketing tactics such as aggregation, user-generated content and search engine optimization, media outlets are trying to provide public interest content and better identify their segments. This study advances knowledge about digital economies in the region’s strategic public sector, particularly its models of news media business.