Mainstream Media in Malaysia

 

I wouldn’t mind if the mainstream media is pro-government because this is a POLITICAL system where everyone wants to be in power and REMAIN in power and there is no guarantee that the opposition wouldn’t do the same should they become the government. Look at their media now and think for yourself. 

Hafizuddin Amir Bin Hasim

The media plays an influential role in shaping Malaysian minds. In the political sphere, the media – be it mainstream and social – have done a great deal to influence voters especially the young and urban ones. The social media claims to be free and more open compared to the mainstream media and have “won the race” in GE12 and GE13.

Opposition leaders usually rely on the social media to convey their thoughts and have successfully instilled in the voters’ minds that the mainstream media such as Utusan Malaysia and TV3 are biased to the government and used for BN’s political mileage, which is actually true. This leads to another perception that whatever news delivered by Utusan and TV3 are all slander and lies because they are paid to protect the corrupt. With these, voters and fence sitters are confused, eventually agree and then blindly take whatever being said and shown in the social media as the gospel truth and everything on TV is a lie. This is actually more dangerous as we are exposed to greater slander and lies since everyone is free to post, edit and spread anything.

I wouldn’t mind if the mainstream media is pro-government because this is a POLITICAL system where everyone wants to be in power and REMAIN in power and there is no guarantee that the opposition wouldn’t do the same should they become the government. Look at their media now and think for yourself.

However, this advantage is abused by BN government. Let’s narrow the scope to only Utusan and TV3, which are surprisingly worse than RTM.

First of all, they know that the perception is bad towards them and this is proven by looking at GE13 results. This bad perception led to even if they tell the truth, it is perceived as a lie because it is by Utusan and TV3. Don’t they learn from it and change? Their tactic of bringing anyone who can talk against the opposition particularly Dato’ Seri Anwar had failed. Although it is true or half-true, overplaying it makes people sick. Plus, their everyday replay of Selangor’s state government’s flaws had also failed, in fact PR won bigger there in GE13.

Buletin Utama’s “obligation” to show Datin Seri Rosmah’s programmes everyday had also failed to change one bit of a bad perception towards her. As for Utusan, it would mostly publish an unknown NGO and ex-Anwar’s aides’ statements against him instead of brilliant ideas for a better government and better life for Malaysians. If there is it would only be 10% of the whole news. Their tactics backfired that it almost cost BN the elections.

Their modus operandi have failed and I am surprised they have not changed it after witnessing BN’s terrible loss in Selangor and a weaker federal government. I would not want to comment on the opposition’s invalid argument that Utusan had lost many times in court therefore they really are at fault as this is contradictory to their stand on the judiciary and judges are also humans and have political opinions that influence their findings.

Here I appreciate RTM for not going overboard and being appropriate although it is a government channel. Appropriate means only showing Ministers’ speeches and comments, government agencies and institutions’ measures to curb problems and what not. They do not or rarely show for example an unknown ex-PKR branch chief bad-mouthing and questioning the opposition every single day. In addition, RTM’s initative to broadcast parliamentary debate on TV and on their website has gathered positive feedback from the people. This is an example of mature politics and democracy.

All in all, Utusan Malaysia and TV3 and in fact the mainstream media as a whole need a major and serious rebranding and restructuring if they are to enhance and echo the government’s claim of being responsive. It is so serious that it may need a transformation programme too! Maybe this should be included as key in the national reconciliation effort.

More importantly is that the public’s perception and trust in the mainstream media must be made positive again. Yes, perception is half-truth but that is what it has been all about so it stands to be corrected for the sake of bringing major support back to the government, like it used to have. This problem also leads to questions of credibility of Dato’ Seri Najib’s “behind the scene” advisors. The current state is seriously not helping the government.

 

Malaysians’ political awareness have actually just risen. Thus this contributes to serious conflicting opinions about every issue ignited by politicans and it is up to the media to correct it.