Tag: mainstream media

Categories
Books & printed materials Politics & government

[2525] The Star says nothing happened yesterday

I suppose there are times when there is a piece of news that the mainstream media rather not report, but it has to because it is still a news organization and the readers do want to know. If the news organization wants to keep its readers loyal, the readers have to be served lest they migrate to another comprehensive sources all else being the same. This is especially so when the news organization is the old-style media complete with deadwood newspaper section to manage in this digital age, and the reader profile is English-speaking and mostly better educated than the rest of Malaysians.

The big news yesterday was the success of Shahrizat Abdul Jalil in holding back insurrection in Wanita UMNO, complete with the backing of UMNO and BN President Najib Razak. Shahrizat is already controversy-ridden with her family members through and through involved in the NFC corruption scandal. For a coalition that is trying hard to shed its corrupted image even since the last general election, this controversy is a major setback. That the man who supposedly carries the transformation banner to be fully behind Shahrizat, this is beginning to develop into a story of a leopard and its spots, instead of The Ugly Duckling.

The Star realizes this and The Star is obviously owned by MCA, an ally of UMNO within the BN coalition. They need to keep their owners happy. They need to prop their owner up or at the very least, not make them look bad given the constraint of the digital age. Not to highlight the unfortunate news and not trying to blatantly pretend that nothing happened yesterday, on its front page, “Be phone smart”, trumpeting a clarion call for consumers to know their cell phone and their bills.

There is a small subsection about Shahrizat and Najib, telling readers that the news is somewhere inside. Somewhere, inside.

And of course, a picture of a top-South Korean girl band singing in Kuala Lumpur.

And a big KFC finger licking good commercial at the bottom.

Categories
Economics

[2459] Did you spot something?

If you were the editor, what would you do?

PETALING JAYA: Total vehicle sales in October 2011 rose slightly by 3% to 53,654 units from 52,297 units a year earlier, boosted by the fact that it was a longer working month (versus September) and the return in consumers’ buying interest. [Eugene Mahalingam. Vehicle sales up. The Star. November 17 2011]

Here is a clue: year-on-year.

Categories
Liberty Politics & government

[2049] Of Malay as a community is not pro-ISA or anti-ISA

Pewaris, widely reported as the foremost pro-Internal Security Act  group as the Act comes under heavy opposition on August 1, the date when massive protest is expected to take place in Kuala Lumpur. The ISA is a controversial piece of legislation that allows detention with trial.

Expressing support for the Act, even when the Act is abhorrent to the concept of individual liberty, is a person’s right to do so. Whether it is oxymoron or not, one has to be mindful that the transgression of liberty happens when there is actual trangression. Expression alone does not transgression.

But the Act is in force and indeed, the Act transgresses liberty. That justifies opposition to the Act.

Here, however is not the place and time where I want to discuss the subject of liberty in foundational terms. Rather, I would very much like to touch how the positioning of Pewaris and other pro-ISA group, as taken by them or described by the mainstream media is ultimately misleading.

It is with alarm that I note that it is typical for the press to describe these pro-ISA groups as Malay groups.[1] Being pro-ISA and idenfitied as Malay groups, inevitably, it implies, on purpose or accidentally, that the position of the Malays are pro-ISA. It further implies that these groups represent the Malays as a whole.

Clearly, this is absolutely false. While the pro-ISA groups may be dominated by, if not all of their members are, Malays, it no whatsoever way says that these groups represent the Malays as a whole. These groups are not even elected by all the Malays. A large majority of Malays are likely not members of the groups too.

For the press to identify these pro-ISA groups as Malay groups, it appeals to the flawed idea that the Malays as a community are a monolithic group. Opinion of individual Malays on the matter is clearly not uniform on the matters. The clearest proof is the presence of Malays in the anti-ISA groups. Another proof: I am a Malay and I am unfriendly to the ISA.

The press needs to stop calling these pro-ISA groups as Malay groups to stop the unnecessary confusion and the unnecessary implication that the Malays are for ISA.

More accurate description or qualification will be required if the press continue to insist on associating these groups with the Malays. ‘Pro-Barisan Nasional Malay groups’, ‘Pro-UMNO Malay groups’ are two phrases that comes to my mind as better alternatives to term ‘Malay groups’.

The Malays, as a community, does not have one mind about being for or against ISA. Individual Malays however may.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

[1] — One example:

GEORGE TOWN: Some 50 people from two Malay non-governmental organisations (NGOs) staged a peaceful protest in support of the Internal Security Act (ISA) at the ground floor foyer of Komtar here.

The Persatuan Putra Pulau Pinang and Pertubuhan Al-Ehsan Malaysia members held banners in support of the ISA at 10am and dispersed some 30 minutes later following police advice. [Two Malay NGOs want ISA to remain. The Star. July 29 2009]

Yet another example:

KUALA LUMPUR: Representatives from an umbrella body of Malay and Muslim non-governmental organisations lodged five police reports Sunday over several issues which they claimed endangered Muslim and Malay unity.

The Heritage Associations, Malay Cultural Organisations and Related Bodies Cooperation Network (Pewaris) urged the Government to act against groups which are asking for the abolition of the Internal Security Act (ISA). [Malay, Muslim NGOs lodge police reports. Zulkipli Abdul Rahman. The Star. November 23 2008]

Categories
Liberty

[2048] Of freedom of expression is not freedom from criticism

Freedom of expression is not freedom from criticism. Yet, too many people confuse it and equate freedom of expression to freedom from criticism.

Here is an example of such misunderstanding:

Journalists in Malaysia often stay away from criticising the writings of another journalist, be it in another publication or an online portal. It’s an unwritten rule. As much as we do not agree with the views or slant of the article, we refrain from voicing our unhappiness as we believe in the freedom of expression. [Yasmin Ahmad: Journos angry over Kosmo article. Wong Chun Wai. New Malaysia. July 29 2009]

That comes from a top editor in Malaysia. Does one really wonder why the mainstream media is in such a mess?