Pusat bagi Kebebasan Akhbar, WAMI ( Writers Alliance for Media Independence), Kesatuan Kebangsaan Blogger dan Kesatuan Kebangsaan Wartawan Malaysia telah merancang untuk mengadakan Acara Berjalan Kaki Bagi Menuntut Kebebasan Media pada 01 Jun 2008 tetapi telah dibatalkan setelah rundingan dibuat antara pihak Polis dan Penganjur.
Antara undang-undang yang dituntut oleh pengamal media untuk dibuat perubahan ialah Akta Mesin Cetak dan Penerbitan 1984, Akta Hasutan dan Akta Rahsia Rasmi (OSA).
Media di Malaysia mengamalkan sikap "propaganda", berat sebelah, tidak objektif, seimbang dan tepat.
"CIJ Executive Director, Gayathry Venkiteswaran said the electoral setback of the BN despite the pro BN media is a strong indicator of the public rejecting the media's propagandist approach and the need to change the editorial policy. She recommeded that the Malaysian media change along three lines- return to the ethical and profesional standards of fairness, objectivity, balance and accuracy, more competition in the form of more media being allowed, and doing away with the laws that restrict the media."
"Among the six newspapers covered- The Star, NST, theSun, Utusan Malaysia, Malaysia Nanban and Makkal Osai - the order of the percentages of space dedicated to pro-BN stories is as follows - Utusan Malaysia at 82%, Malaysia Nanban at 70%, Makkal Osai at 66%, The Star at 63%, NST at 60%, and theSun at 43%. Interestingly, Makkal Osai, which is yet to get a new publication permit for 2008, also has the highest percentage of space for pro-Opposition stories at 23%."
Centre of Independent Journalism
World Press Freedom
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Zaid cabar pengamal media
Sumber: Berita harian Online
KUALA LUMPUR: Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim hari ini mencabar pengamal media di negara ini supaya bersatu dan seterusnya mengemukakan cadangan berhubung tuntutan mereka bagi kebebasan akhbar yang lebih baik.
Zaid mencadangkan supaya golongan seperti editor dan wartawan kanan dan pihak lain yang berkaitan sama-sama mengemukakan cadangan kepada kerajaan dan menteri berkenaan bagi mengganti, meminda atau menyemak semula undang-undang sedia ada yang dianggap media sebagai menyekat kebebasan.
Berucap pada majlis dialog di Kelab Akhbar Kebangsaan (NPC) di sini hari ini, Zaid berkata kerajaan di bawah pimpinan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi komited untuk mewujudkan lebih banyak ketelusan, memerangi rasuah dan perubahan dalam sistem dan dalam konteks ini akhbar yang lebih bertanggungjawab dan bebas adalah perlu.
Sambil menegaskan bahawa perubahan tidak dapat dilakukan dalam tempoh singkat, Zaid, menteri yang bertanggungjawab bagi undang-undang, berkata dalam membuat tuntutan bagi kebebasan akhbar lebih luas dan penghapusan undang-undang tertentu, industri media harus jujur terhadap diri sendiri dan tidak membuat andaian yang kerajaan tidak berminat mendengar mereka.
“Negara memerlukan akhbar yang baik dan bebas. Jika anda bercakap mengenai reform, anda mesti ada perancangan. Anda mesti cuba. Saya percaya jika ada cadangan yang baik, mungkin beberapa kemajuan boleh dicapai. Tidak semestinya memansuhkan segalanya,” kata beliau pada dialog anjuran NPC dan NUJM.
Antara undang-undang yang dituntut oleh pengamal media untuk dibuat perubahan ialah Akta Mesin Cetak dan Penerbitan 1984, Akta Hasutan dan Akta Rahsia Rasmi (OSA).
Walk for Media Freedom called off, only dialogue
Source Sun2Surf
PETALING JAYA (May 30, 2008): The Walk for Media Freedom that was scheduled to be held on Sunday morning has been called off followed discussions between the organisers and the police.
The earlier plan was to gather at Dataran Merdeka in Jalan Raja, Kuala Lumpur, to walk to the nearby National Press Club in Jalan Tangsi. Following discussions held on Thursday, this event is now cancelled, a statement from the organisers said.
Participants are instead advised to head to the NPC for a dialogue at at 10.30am with Minister in Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim.
The dialogue is organised by the Centre of Independent Journalism, WAMI, National Alliance of Bloggers and Benar for Free and Fair Media. The National Union of Journalists will also take part.
The event is to kickstart a five-month campaign on media law reform.
Access to information
Source: UNESCOThe Basis of informed decision-making
Information is power. Freedom of Information and Freedom of Expression work against the concentration of information within the hands of a few. Of course, all information is subject to interpretation. For this reason, the clearinghouse function of an open and pluralistic media sector is critical to a better understanding of any issue.
In terms of encouraging the empowerment of citizens, Freedom Of Information is at the heart of a participatory democracy. Consider the consequences of an uninformed electorate going to the polls; consider the consequences when information flows are curbed or manipulated in times of political crisis or ethnic strife. Freedom of Information promotes a true sense of ownership within society and therefore gives meaning to the concept of citizenship.
The practicalities of access
Freedom of Information does not guarantee access. Even if governments were to become models of disclosure through e-governance by putting their information online, without a means to access that information people would not be more empowered. Internet connectivity and IT resources have become crucial to unhindered access to information. This is also true for accessing national or international news or even simply to provide a plurality of media options. If the absence of connectivity or equipment can highlight the digital divide and the ensuing knowledge gap that separates developing and developed countries, groups within a country can also become further marginalized by their inability to access information on the internet.
We must not underestimate the importance of access to technologies and infrastructure, which are still cruelly lacking in many parts of the world. What can the concepts of “digital revolution” or “information society” effectively mean to 80% of the world’s population who still have no access to basic telecommunication facilities, or to approximately 860 million illiterate individuals, or to the 2 billion inhabitants of the planet who still have no electricity? The priority given to narrowing the digital divide in every respect is therefore fully justified.
Learning to use new technologies or, in other words, building media and information literacy must be a primary objective as these advancements are coming in the area of information access and sharing.
Conclusion:
Ensuring freedom for the media around the world is a priority. Independent, free and pluralistic media are central to good governance in democracies that are young and old. Free media can ensure transparency, accountability and the rule of law; they promote participation in public and political discourse, and contribute to the fight against poverty. An independent media sector draws its power from the community it serves and in return empowers that community to be full a partner in the democratic process.
Freedom of Information and Freedom of Expression are the founding principles for open and informed debate. New technology will continue to evolve and allow citizens to further shape their media environments as well as access a plurality of sources. The combination of access to information and citizen participation in media can only contribute to an increased sense of ownership and empowerment.
WAMI: Malaysia’s shameful ranking amongst the World’s bottom 30% in Press Freedom
Malaysia’s shameful ranking amongst the World’s bottom 30% in Press Freedom
Malaysia has for four consecutive years ranked amongst the world’s bottom 30% countries in respecting press freedom, as revealed in the Freedom House’s Global Press Freedom Rankings released by on April 29.
Writer Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI) stresses that media freedom must be made amongst the top priority in the post-March 8 democratization agenda.
A road map and a time table for media law reform must be decided through dialogues and consultations involving the Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Rakyat and the Civil Society. Institutionally, a parliamentary select committee will be the best vehicle for such deliberation.
WAMI reminds Malaysians that Malaysia has constantly stayed at the bottom 30% of the world’s nations surveyed since the Freedom House released its full data. (see Table)
| Freedom House’s Global Press Freedom Ranking | |||
| Year | Total Nations | Malaysia’s ranking | Bottom |
| 2008 | 195 | 141 | 28.21% |
| 2007 | 195 | 150 | 23.59% |
| 2006 | 195 | 141 | 28.21% |
| 2005 | 194 | 151 | 22.68% |
In Asia, Malaysia is constantly behind our poorer neighbours like Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, let alone richer democracies like Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
Ironically, such ranking emerged despite Malaysia voted in 2004 a prime minister who pledged “listening to the truth” with a 64% electoral mandate and a 91% parliamentary majority.
If Dr Mahathir had often made it to the world’s top list of press freedom’s enemies, PM Abdullah Badawi must make it his personal mission and legacy to free the press in Malaysia.
Media must come now as his next target of reform after the judiciary and Anti-Corruption Agency. In fact, no anti-graft campaign can be successful when the press is the lapdog rather than the watchdog of the government.
WAMI calls upon the Prime Minister to announce the establishment of a Parliamentary Select Committee and the plan to enact a Freedom of Information Act, the calls by 37 civil society groups on the World Press Freedom Day (WPFD, May 3) 2006.
Such announcement would be the best WPFD present for this year.
The media law reform must remove the threat to journalists and the barriers of entry in media industry laid by the draconian Printing Presses and Publications Act (which has the Tamil daily Makkal Ossai as its latest victim), Internal Security Act, Sedition Act and Official Secrets Act.
Equally important is the need of anti-monopoly regulations to curb concentration of media ownership, both within and cross media.
The dual listing on April 30 in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur of Media Chinese International Ltd serves as a reminder to the dual threat to press freedom of political control and business monopoly in Malaysia.
The merged entity of Sin Chew Media Corp Bhd and Nanyang Press Holdings Bhd with Hong Kong’s Ming Pao Enterprise Corp Ltd owes much of its control of Malaysia’s Chinese daily market to the restriction on publication permit and the 2001 politically-orchestrated takeover of Nanyang Press by Sin Chew’s collaborator, the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a member of the ruling coalition.
Issued by
Chair, Writer Alliance for Media Independence
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