8bitNews has officially launched its new project: Bit Echoing Across Conflicting Orders Network “BEACON”. To mark the first step of this initiative, we held a kickoff meeting on Monday, March 16th.

Amplifying Voices in the Margins of Narratives

The core concept of BEACON is for independent Communicators from diverse backgrounds and experiences to respect each other's perspectives and positions. We aim to build a "loose network" that listens to the voices falling through the cracks of existing narratives, while empowering participants to support one another.

While 8bitNews has previously collaborated with these communicators individually, this initiative was designed to foster horizontal connections by allowing members to interact directly. The goal is for BEACON to provide a psychologically safe space for creators and serve as a catalyst for new collaborations.

Intersecting Voices from the Field

The meeting was held online and divided into two thematic sessions—"Global Politics" and "Hidden Voices"—to facilitate deeper, more meaningful dialogue. Each session included three communicators along with the management team (Kazumi HIRAI, 8bitNews Global Strategy Division General Manage, and Fuki KAMAI, 8bitNews CCO / Journalist).

Team A (Global Politics) Participants

• Najib El-Khash:: Originally from Syria and currently based in Japan. He reports on Japanese news for international media, including fixed-point observations of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and the Great East Japan Earthquake.
• Kaoru Ng: Originally from Hong Kong and based in Japan. Alongside covering the Hong Kong protests and organizing related exhibitions, he delivered firsthand information from the ground during the conflict in Ukraine.
• Rohit Upadhyay: From India. He covers issues faced by local communities and broadcasts current affairs, international politics, and geopolitics via YouTube.

Team B (Hidden Voices) Participants

• Sehar Qazi: From the Kashmir region. She shares stories of people carrying on local traditions and culture, while also focusing on Rohingya refugee camps and women's rights.
• Mohammed Zonaid: Living in a Rohingya refugee camp, he practices participatory journalism by reporting on the conditions and challenges of the people inside. In addition to running his own media platform, he also contributes to external media outlets.

Voices Across the World

We will launch a dedicated BEACON website where users can easily explore each communicators’ videos, articles, and areas of focus at a glance. In addition, to further amplify their voices, 8bitNews will introduce a new Youtube program as part of the BEACON project. At the same time, we plan to regularly offer free online training tailored to their needs, addressing the challenges they face in the field and the skills they want to acquire.

Stay tuned for BEACON’s future activities!

8bitNews Global Strategy Division, General Manager,
Kazumi HIRAI