A group of journalists will organise a media forum on Saturday that will examine "Journalism at the Crossroads" from the viewpoint of state institutions, mainstream and alternative media.

To be held in conjunction with World Press Freedom Day, the newly-formed Centre for Independent Journalists (CIJ) hopes to bring together a good cross-section of journalists to initiate a dialogue on the present state and future of the profession.

"There are a lot of good journalists in both the mainstream and alternative media who need to come together and take a stand against the corruption of journalistic standards for political purposes, happening from both sides of the political game," CIJ coordinator Sharaad Kuttan told malaysiakini this morning.

Participants will have the opportunity to interact with speakers who have extensive experience in the media industry, including former journalist Zainah Anwar, assignment editor Ghee Kok Chun, editor of banned magazine Detik Ahmad Lutfi Othman, senior journalist Shaila Koshy and business magazine editor P. Gunasegaram.

The forum which will begin at 10am this Saturday, at the Shah's Village Hotel, Petaling Jaya, will be followed by a workshop for 25 journalists.

The workshop will feature a roundtable discussion of media challenges and needs; and a breakout session to compile a set of "best practice" guidelines to improve professional standards and ethics within the profession.

"It is our attempt (through the workshop) to gather a more in-depth view into what happens in the newsroom and share experiences to develop strategies, both as individuals and collectively, to overcome constraints on good journalism," Kuttan said.

He added that this Saturday's event will also mark the launch of the centre, which was established in January this year.

"We are very new and do not have a public profile within the profession," Kuttan said.

CIJ is a collaboration between journalists, writers and scholars through publishing, research, documentation and training.

It began as a project to develop a truly independent web-based magazine, Saksi , which has been the centre's core promotion of a critical and informed dialogue about pressing issues of the day.

Meanwhile, the Asian Institute for Development Communication, in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will organise a panel discussion at its premises in Persiaran Duta tomorrow.

The half-day event which will begin at 9.30am, aims to inform the public of violations of the rights to freedom of expression and as a reminder that many journalists, editors and publishers brave death or jail to bring people their daily news.

The discussion will feature senior journalists and human rights activists, such as, members of Human Rights Commission Harun Hashim and Mahadev Shankar, Nanyang Siang Pau deputy editor-in-chief Cheng Khee Chien, Berita Harian Feature and Supplement editor Mustapha Albakri Baharom and National Press Club exco member Shaila Koshy.

About 200 guests, including journalists, academicians, students of communication and journalism studies and members of the public are expected to attend the event.