An opinion piece written by ItaCham Vice-Chairman, Dr. Riccardo Corrado, was published on the Khmer Times, covering the main points emerged from the sharing session on Satellites and Journalism, organized by ItaCham together with the League of International Relations Affairs, at AmCam Exchange on March 1st.
The article explores the connection between satellites and journalism, emphasizing their shared mission of uncovering the truth and providing new perspectives. This was the focus of ItaCham recent hybrid event organized with LIRA, featuring experts from the Italian National Research Council (CNR) and Urbanetic Pte Ltd. The discussion highlighted how satellite imagery, combined with aerial data, can support investigative journalism by revealing environmental changes, illegal activities, and archaeological site looting.
Dr. Emiliana Valentini shared insights on satellite applications in Italy and Southeast Asia, including a project monitoring the Mekong Delta. Mr. Bormy Chanthong discussed a now-paused initiative that used SERVIR’s open data to detect forest anomalies. The event also raised key questions about Cambodia’s need for its own satellite versus leveraging existing open-source data. Experts emphasized that collaboration, data accessibility, and algorithm development are more critical than satellite ownership.
The discussion concluded that journalists should engage more with scientists to enhance data-driven reporting. As satellite technology becomes more affordable, it presents growing opportunities for investigative journalism, reinforcing the idea that the future of reporting extends beyond the ground and into space.
Read the full article on the Khmer Times.
