MSM will gradually change, says senior editor
Andrew OngPublished: May 6, 2008 12:02 PM | Updated: May 7, 2008 11:54 AM
The March 8 general election which dealt a significant blow to the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition has brought significant changes to the way the mainstream media operates, said New Straits Times assistant news editor Balan Moses.
The March 8 general election which dealt a significant blow to the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition has brought significant changes to the way the mainstream media operates, said New Straits Times deputy chief news editor Balan Moses.
He told a public forum today that the media was entering a “new era” and is reacting to a more maturing society which had demanded for change through the ballot box.
“Yesterday, I edited a story by our opposition leader on the funding and buying of military hardware and I asked a fellow editor, ‘How far should I go?’. He replied, ‘Go as far as you think you can’.
“And today, if you look at the (NST’s) parliament page, things have been expressed that before March 8 would not have seen the light of day.
“This is a maturing of the media. I’m not saying that we would see changes overnight, but it is a gradual process which must be precipitated. The catalyst is the people,” said Balan.
"Before March 8, I was one of those who felt that the media could not tread on certain grounds. I was proven wrong and I thank god for that."
On the media’s role in ensuring national harmony, Balan said the unprecedented election results had partially shifted the nexus of power away from Umno - the dominant partner in the BN coalition.
He said previously, the press would tread cautiously and even avoid certain contentious topics altogether.
“Yes, the media has a role in enhancing harmony, but now we are treading on new grounds. We are talking about racial differences and how people can work together.
“I edited a story yesterday where MCA president Ong Ka Ting said - and I don’t think he had the gumption to say this before - MCA, Umno and MIC ought to be equal partners.
“He would have been shot down if he had said this before March 8, but yet he said it (now) and we printed it,” he said of NST, a newspaper known to be closely linked to Umno.
Internet media - the fifth estate
Balan was speaking to some 300 students at the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology at the ‘Malaysian Media and its Credibility’ forum organised by the university’s communication, media and broadcasting faculty.
Aside from the demands of consumers, Balan stressed that ownership and the leanings of a news organisation’s top management also dictates its policy and content.
“Like the MCA controls through its ownership of The Star, Umno has a large say on how we (NST) operate. I’d say Umno has done a fairly good job - over the last 50 years - of looking after its own interest and sometimes the interest of others.
“But we have a new scenario today, such as (Minister in the Prime Minister Department) Nazri Abdul Aziz saying that Umno must represent all races. Well, I’m all for it,” he added.
Balan said that while the press “tried its best” to maintain the status quo prior to the general election, the ‘fifth estate’ had provided an alternative source of news.
He praised online news portal Malaysiakini for providing up-to-the-minute poll results which kept him glued to his computer screen on election night.
“These good guys kept me informed - the ‘fifth estate’ that they were - they played a fantastic role in keeping Malaysians informed. That was when Malaysians came to respect the role of the electronic media,” he added.
Also on the panel was Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan (photo, centre), who said bloggers cannot be ignored and must be engaged as they play a role in checking on bad journalism and pinpointing mistakes made by the press.
“However, they must practice the same standards that they expect from professional journalists,” said Gan.
He said increasingly citizen journalists and bloggers will come under scrutiny, just as mainstream media were closely monitored by citizens.
The last speaker of the forum, Centre for Independent Journalism executive director V Gayathri, said the heavy press coverage during the general election may have contributed to BN’s lackluster performance.
“The message that kept coming out was if you don’t vote for us, there would be chaos.
“Just like in your advertising classes, if you go beyond a certain limit, you will push your audience away. I think they (BN) went beyond the threshold,” she said.
He told a public forum today that the media was entering a “new era” and is reacting to a more maturing society which had demanded for change through the ballot box.
“Yesterday, I edited a story by our opposition leader on the funding and buying of military hardware and I asked a fellow editor, ‘How far should I go?’. He replied, ‘Go as far as you think you can’.“And today, if you look at the (NST’s) parliament page, things have been expressed that before March 8 would not have seen the light of day.
“This is a maturing of the media. I’m not saying that we would see changes overnight, but it is a gradual process which must be precipitated. The catalyst is the people,” said Balan.
"Before March 8, I was one of those who felt that the media could not tread on certain grounds. I was proven wrong and I thank god for that."
On the media’s role in ensuring national harmony, Balan said the unprecedented election results had partially shifted the nexus of power away from Umno - the dominant partner in the BN coalition.
He said previously, the press would tread cautiously and even avoid certain contentious topics altogether.
“Yes, the media has a role in enhancing harmony, but now we are treading on new grounds. We are talking about racial differences and how people can work together.
“I edited a story yesterday where MCA president Ong Ka Ting said - and I don’t think he had the gumption to say this before - MCA, Umno and MIC ought to be equal partners.
“He would have been shot down if he had said this before March 8, but yet he said it (now) and we printed it,” he said of NST, a newspaper known to be closely linked to Umno.
Internet media - the fifth estate
Balan was speaking to some 300 students at the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology at the ‘Malaysian Media and its Credibility’ forum organised by the university’s communication, media and broadcasting faculty.
Aside from the demands of consumers, Balan stressed that ownership and the leanings of a news organisation’s top management also dictates its policy and content.
“Like the MCA controls through its ownership of The Star, Umno has a large say on how we (NST) operate. I’d say Umno has done a fairly good job - over the last 50 years - of looking after its own interest and sometimes the interest of others.
“But we have a new scenario today, such as (Minister in the Prime Minister Department) Nazri Abdul Aziz saying that Umno must represent all races. Well, I’m all for it,” he added.
Balan said that while the press “tried its best” to maintain the status quo prior to the general election, the ‘fifth estate’ had provided an alternative source of news.
He praised online news portal Malaysiakini for providing up-to-the-minute poll results which kept him glued to his computer screen on election night.
“These good guys kept me informed - the ‘fifth estate’ that they were - they played a fantastic role in keeping Malaysians informed. That was when Malaysians came to respect the role of the electronic media,” he added.
Also on the panel was Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan (photo, centre), who said bloggers cannot be ignored and must be engaged as they play a role in checking on bad journalism and pinpointing mistakes made by the press. “However, they must practice the same standards that they expect from professional journalists,” said Gan.
He said increasingly citizen journalists and bloggers will come under scrutiny, just as mainstream media were closely monitored by citizens.
The last speaker of the forum, Centre for Independent Journalism executive director V Gayathri, said the heavy press coverage during the general election may have contributed to BN’s lackluster performance.
“The message that kept coming out was if you don’t vote for us, there would be chaos.
“Just like in your advertising classes, if you go beyond a certain limit, you will push your audience away. I think they (BN) went beyond the threshold,” she said.
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