THE TRUTH NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH, HELP ME GOD

2008/04/15 Traditional media no longer credible: Information Minister By : June Ramli KUALA LUMPUR, Tues: Traditional media such as TV and newspapers no longer has the credibility that it once commanded among its readers and viewers, said Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek today. The public no longer believed everything they read in the newspapers or heard on television which is known to be controlled or directly owned by political parties inclined towards the Government, he said. “Times have changed. The public does not believe everything that the newspapers write these days. Unlike before when everything said in the newspapers was taken in lock, stock and barrel by readers. "Today, the public have become more skeptical. They want to know who owns the newspaper, who the editors are and so on before they decide to believe them. This was not the practice before,” he said after launching the International Development Journalism programme organised by the Malaysian Press Institute and the Media Studies Institute of Universiti Malaya today. Shabery said government-controlled news organisations should instil more credibility in their newspaper articles and television reports in order to regain the public’s trust that has been dwindling in recent years. Otherwise, the public would be more inclined to believe everything that the alternative media wrote, he added. “But whatever said and done, I would like say here that the traditional media editors are more responsible in what they publish in their newspapers. “The same is not seen in the alternative media. That is why there have been instances where the writers from the alternative medium have been hauled to court for writing things as they pleased without verifying the facts,” he said. The alternative media is not as untouchable as the public might think they are, he said. As such, he said, even though people had the right to write whatever they wish through blogs and other online media, they could still be subjected to actions under the law if they spread slander online, BERNAMA reports. “People think that the alternative media can do what they want. This is not true. Recently, there were cases against some of these bloggers,” he told reporters after the launch. Ahmad Shabery also said that the government had the responsibility to protect others from untruths and slander. With technology available today, cyber forensics would be able to trace and detect the identity of online writers or slanderers even though they might use the anonymity of the Internet or a different name as a shield, he said. To a question on the possibility of alternative media becoming more popular than the traditional media, Ahmad Shabery said it would depend on the reputation and credibility of the media concerned. “The bottom line is reputation and credibility. If you have that and you report the truth, based on facts, the people will continue to read your articles. This is the new challenge for newspapers and for any form of media out there,” he said. In his speech, he said, even though the big names in the media industry had long reach, with glitzy presentations and cool-looking presenters, the media in the developing countries could still do better in terms of substance. “Today’s media trend is no longer about the business of informing the masses. It’s about creating demands and changing opinions,” he said. The 40-day fellowship from April 14 to May 24, is participated by 33 young journalists from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Laos, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Seychelles and Malaysia.