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February 12, 2006
Free For All
There is rising anger with the media among the power elite, says News Straits Times' Brendan Pereira:
[We] are being savaged daily by politicians, former politicians, social activists, self-appointed kingmakers and gadflies. For being too insensitive, too provocative or just too pesky.... In several meetings, Cabinet ministers have complained about the editorial approach of newspapers. They have assigned agendas and wondered why shortcomings of individuals and institutions are being exposed like never before. [NST]
Let me tell you the "outrage" is not uniform across the Cabinet.
Some are more upset with the Malay media, others with the Chinese newspapers.
The NST, in particular, is engendering simmering discontent in not a few UMNO heavyweights and politicans, although most refrain from expressing their displeasure openly, for obvious reasons.
One or two that are largely third-class passengers about to get off the gravy train, are becoming more vocal:
"There is a lot of evidence to show that they (certain media) are not being sensitive towards certain issues."This happens because there are journalists from the local media who, having served with the foreign media, embrace the Western style of freedom, and not freedom the Malaysian way," [Deputy Information Minister Datuk Zainudin Maidin] said. [Bernama]
Make no mistake, a battle royale is shaping up, as some on the other side are not about to back down:
... no one should go away believing that the Press or, for that matter, Malaysians, can be silenced by a government decree.If the Press is more questioning today, then it is because society is demanding more transparency.
If the Press is less willing to accept motherhood statements, then it is because the public has grown weary of the stock answer syndrome. [NST]
Fighting words.
I would feel a little more awed and be a little less cynical if the aversion to "motherhood statements" were not applied selectively.
Still, I have to say that I prefer today's newspapers any day over the fishwrap journalism we had to endure during Dr Mahathir's time.
Posted by aisehman at February 12, 2006 06:05 PM
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Comments
I agree with your views on the Mahathir era journalism. Now he needs to resort to writing letters to newspapers like the Star on Proton's Agusta sale episode. He should not complain now if transparency is what he seeks on the matter. I fear in future even blog sites may be monitored and disagreeable views curbed by hook and by crook.
Posted by: thienshingvui at February 12, 2006 10:37 PM
Agreed. The local media, especially the English dailies have been vocal and assertive lately. This is definately a welcome development. One no longer has to read Malaysiakini or foreign newspapers to find out what's going on in our own country.
However I noticed the standard of language has declined and the spelling mistakes have increased. The quality of the journalism too seems to have dropped too among the new reporters.
But I am still not convinced by the vernacular press, be it Malay or Chinese ones. Too much sensational and one-sided reporting.
Posted by: Sankaran at February 13, 2006 01:15 AM
I can't help but feel a mix sense of ridicule, surprise, and yet pity and angry at the same time over the two report.
Why ridicule and surprise? Because its not the press but the internet plays a huge role too and they don't seem to know it. Seem to be hitting at the press only.
Why pity and angry? Because not only is what the press done really nothing but the fact they can't deal with it means that they are just so out of touch. The world has moved on and they are still using their old ways of doing things.
It not just thing issue, the NEP recall, price control, UMNO Youth against IPCMC, etc. All these are indications of a systematic resistance to progress and an inability to deal with the future.
Posted by: Bigjoe at February 13, 2006 08:21 AM
"It allows us to question Government and society as a whole. It allows us to do it without risking jail or persecution. But it is an awesome power and an awesome responsibility."
Brandon must be dreaming. How can this be achieved when they (and ALL other major medias) are OWNED, i repeat OWNED by political parties? What a load of hypocritical crap. To illustrate my point, WHERE is the report of the demonstration held last Friday by PAS in KL? There were thousands of people in the streets of KL and yet i have not seen NST nor The Star report anything on it. I smell a gag order from the powers that be.
Posted by: trance at February 13, 2006 09:53 AM
Trance,
I agree with you about ownership of the newspapers and your implied consequences, but if I am not mistaken, I did read about the PAS Rally from Masjid Kampung Baru after Friday prayers and the march to Wisma Denmark in both the aforementioned dailies. However, as expected, the coverage was muted, but the fact it was covered to a reasonable degree does seem an improvement over the fish-packaging days, as Aisehman put it.
Posted by: muddyjunction at February 14, 2006 09:38 AM
The media can set the agenda or the ministers can set the agenda. The ground is fertile for the Malaysian media to set the agenda.
Mahathir's personal power had him to change the media-government power balance very much towards the government. Personal power, especially shrewd coalitions of personal power by media personalities can ensure the power balance to have the media have the edge on power. As it is in many first world countries.
Posted by: Bala Pillai at February 18, 2006 12:09 PM