As now everyone can see and read from the Mainstream News Media (MNM), it fully covers BN’s propaganda especially during election period. I hope someone would give me the figure about the proportion or airtime of reports for BN and opposition, how do they locate the news in the priority and how many negative, neutral and positive reports for both side of camps.
It is worth to point out that all MNM (in all languages) fell into Ruling party’s (BN) and their associated cronies’ hand. No kidding… previously relatively free Chinese language news media have been bought and gathered under one (Tiong Hiew King’s) belt.
Just like what is said in People’s Voice:
7. the control of media houses through subjective issuance of permits and the imposition of conditions, and the selective presentation of news and viewpoints that this approach creates, have by denying access to varied viewpoints and news further interfered with the ability of the rakyat to form coherent and comprehensive views on matters of national interest. This has not only skewed the processes of democracy but have also resulted in a significant part of the Malaysian community being incapable of the critical analysis that is essential for a growing democracy and a fast developing nation competing on the global stage. The rakyat have a right to information;
The point made here is, when there is no free and fair media, the General Election cannot be free and fair. Democracy must be demonstrated in a way that an informed decision is made. With current MNM’s reporting style, it is clearly bias towards BN, to blow the coverage of BN’s campaign out of proportion, and do not give the same amount of space and attention to opposition parties for balance views. When there is no enough discussion or debate or cross-talk to compare and contrast each others’ policies, the dominant voice is formed only due to media’s creation. People could not judge opposition parties fairly, because they are not given opportunity to rebut other party’s allegation and to defend their policy. People also cannot form a complete picture of what is opposition parties’ vision and what do they offer, if just base on MNM.
Just like how Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels’ work – if you tell a lie big enough thousand times go unopposed, people will eventually come to believe it. That is why BN using all ‘their’ MNM to suppress the dissident’s views. Otherwise they just let small amount of incoherent selective views published (it is better if they could be carried out in negative ways), trying to create an image of a weaker side of opponents. Once done enough with the cover-up and allegation, they just wait for people to buy it and harvest the result. In Malaysia, it is often the reports from internet (of course from the credible independent news agent) are more accurate and closer to the truth than any MNM is… just look at the record of BERSIH gathering you could tell. The sad reality is, there will be a good number of people would believe what is reported in MNM is all truth, wholeheartedly, without blinking their eyes and pause to think critically for a second. This is because, according to statistics there is only a small number of citizen out of the population actually has internet access. There is nowhere else they could get alternative news to shape their political awareness.
This is so dangerous, if all really dance into BN’s racial sentiments and lies. If the media itself cannot check and balance the government, what is the meaning of People’s paper (the Star’s motto)? People cannot even express their concern adequately and do not receive the (true, fair and unbias) professional & high quality news that they deserve to get (for the money they paid).
People do not give consent to Internal Security Ministry to order us what we shall read. They do so to undermine our people’s judgment and mature, critical thinking.
This long-standing problem is partly due to the Printing Act, Sedition Act and the trouble for news media owner to renew the printing permit annually, barring the MNM far from reporting what is truth (but disfavor to the ruling party). It’s only ‘partly’ I mean, because what is worse is, there are also some editors or senior reporters/writers not only do not want to show good examples for their profession and motivate their juniors, but willing to cooperate with and offer helps to those who rape the dignity of a journalist. Submission to authority is a sign of weakness.
The People’s paper and many other MNM forgot that People are the BOSS, Government should be afraid of People, not the other way round. So, encourage your friends and family to read MNM with cautions and read more independent news online to compare the facts. This is for your own good!!!
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