Gov't revives 'self-regulatory' press council
Published: Sep 16, 2011 5:13 AM | Updated: Sep 16, 2011 7:55 AM
Representatives from the mainstream media have agreed to form a committee to decide on the guidelines for the press council following a meeting with Home Ministry secretary-general Mahmood Adam yesterday.
Representatives from the mainstream media have agreed to form a committee to decide on the guidelines for the press council following a meeting with Home Ministry secretary-general Mahmood Adam yesterday.
According to a report by English daily The Star, Mahmood said the government was acting as a facilitator to gather the industry players but will not be involved in the “self-regulatory” council, with its functions, powers and membership to be determined by the media.
“We will assist the council to prepare a cabinet paper for approval but all input and suggestions should come from the media organisations.”
The move is in contrast to an earlier meeting in late July where top editors snubbed the government over a mooted media consultative council, the framework for which was then drafted by the government.
The initial council was to be co-chaired by Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim, with over 20 other government officials to sit in it.
While the government did not dictate the composition of the council this time, it will have more powers as compared to the “consultative” nature of the previous council.
“The government wants media organisations to introduce action against those who go against the regulations and guidelines set by the council,” Mahmood was quoted as saying.
The report states, with this, a Press Council Act to guide news organisations will soon be drafted.
Online news portals, however, have once again been left out of the meeting and it is unclear if the mooted council will encompass the alternative media once it is set up.
The decision comes as Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak announced the abolition of the Internal Security Act (ISA), amendments to the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) and several other preventive laws.
Plans to set up a press council go as far back as 1973 but media practitioners have constantly opposed such a move, demanding instead that several laws constraining them including the ISA, PPPA and Sedition Act be abolished first.
While Najib’s announcement is a move in that direction, however it does not go all out. How the wider media industry will react when the press council moves into the next stage remains to be seen.
According to a report by English daily The Star, Mahmood said the government was acting as a facilitator to gather the industry players but will not be involved in the “self-regulatory” council, with its functions, powers and membership to be determined by the media.
“We will assist the council to prepare a cabinet paper for approval but all input and suggestions should come from the media organisations.”
The move is in contrast to an earlier meeting in late July where top editors snubbed the government over a mooted media consultative council, the framework for which was then drafted by the government.
The initial council was to be co-chaired by Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim, with over 20 other government officials to sit in it.
While the government did not dictate the composition of the council this time, it will have more powers as compared to the “consultative” nature of the previous council.“The government wants media organisations to introduce action against those who go against the regulations and guidelines set by the council,” Mahmood was quoted as saying.
The report states, with this, a Press Council Act to guide news organisations will soon be drafted.
Online news portals, however, have once again been left out of the meeting and it is unclear if the mooted council will encompass the alternative media once it is set up.
The decision comes as Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak announced the abolition of the Internal Security Act (ISA), amendments to the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) and several other preventive laws.
Plans to set up a press council go as far back as 1973 but media practitioners have constantly opposed such a move, demanding instead that several laws constraining them including the ISA, PPPA and Sedition Act be abolished first.
While Najib’s announcement is a move in that direction, however it does not go all out. How the wider media industry will react when the press council moves into the next stage remains to be seen.
View Comments0