PM: Alternative news sources not desirable
Published: Jul 15, 2005 10:27 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
If the credibility of the mainstream media were jeopardised, people would turn to alternative news sources and this, said Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, might not be a desirable thing.
If the credibility of the mainstream media were jeopardised, people would turn to alternative news sources and this, said Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, might not be a desirable thing.
He said this was because many such alternative sources did not bother to uphold the high standards that reputable organisations tried to maintain.
"It is indeed a worrying thought if the general public relies on news sources that are more interested in spreading rumours and innuendos rather than acting as proper conveyors of information," he was quoted as saying in a Bernama report today.
Malaysia, he said, was especially sensitive to this as it had to maintain the peace and stability that had been the bedrock of the nation's success story.
The prime minister also rebuked media practitioners who were solely motivated by profit and disregarded their responsibility towards the people.
Abdullah said some practitioners wrote false or baseless reports on whoever they were unhappy with. He said it was not so much for freedom of press, but they did it for their personal satisfaction.
"Where is a writer's integrity if the article is not to educate the people but just to poison the minds of the people with all sorts of accusations," he added.
Accurate facts
He said the government had to come up with certain regulations to ensure freedom given to the media is not abused. On the same note, he regretted that competition in the industry has led to the practice of sensationalising news.
"From my observation, newspapers are fond of using eye-catching headlines which do not reflect the entire story," he said.
Abdullah said it was not anyone's intention to curb the flow of information - whether good or bad - to the people, but what is published must be based on accurate facts.
"As a policy maker, I would provide a caveat to this relentless race to sell more copies and attract more viewers and listeners. I hope that the media seriously takes into account its responsibility to provide news fairly and accurately," he said.
He said freedom, if abused and used irresponsibly, would only cause harm to the people and the nation. To stress his point, Abdullah said recent events around the world had shown that journalism that was based on unreliable sources had resulted in serious and far-reaching consequences.
The premier also said the public sector should not over-react to negative media reports about their organisations.
"What we can do is to explain what is right and accurate so that the people understand the problems," he added.
He said there should be good cooperation between the government and the mass media, and that the communication team of government agencies must enhance their efficiency in handling information.
He said this was because many such alternative sources did not bother to uphold the high standards that reputable organisations tried to maintain.
"It is indeed a worrying thought if the general public relies on news sources that are more interested in spreading rumours and innuendos rather than acting as proper conveyors of information," he was quoted as saying in a Bernama report today. Malaysia, he said, was especially sensitive to this as it had to maintain the peace and stability that had been the bedrock of the nation's success story.
The prime minister also rebuked media practitioners who were solely motivated by profit and disregarded their responsibility towards the people.
Abdullah said some practitioners wrote false or baseless reports on whoever they were unhappy with. He said it was not so much for freedom of press, but they did it for their personal satisfaction.
"Where is a writer's integrity if the article is not to educate the people but just to poison the minds of the people with all sorts of accusations," he added.
Accurate facts
He said the government had to come up with certain regulations to ensure freedom given to the media is not abused. On the same note, he regretted that competition in the industry has led to the practice of sensationalising news.
"From my observation, newspapers are fond of using eye-catching headlines which do not reflect the entire story," he said.
Abdullah said it was not anyone's intention to curb the flow of information - whether good or bad - to the people, but what is published must be based on accurate facts.
"As a policy maker, I would provide a caveat to this relentless race to sell more copies and attract more viewers and listeners. I hope that the media seriously takes into account its responsibility to provide news fairly and accurately," he said.
He said freedom, if abused and used irresponsibly, would only cause harm to the people and the nation. To stress his point, Abdullah said recent events around the world had shown that journalism that was based on unreliable sources had resulted in serious and far-reaching consequences.
The premier also said the public sector should not over-react to negative media reports about their organisations.
"What we can do is to explain what is right and accurate so that the people understand the problems," he added.
He said there should be good cooperation between the government and the mass media, and that the communication team of government agencies must enhance their efficiency in handling information.
View Comments0