Soon after it became clear that opposition parties had swept to power in five states, a senior staff member of The Star told me, with a laugh, “Do you know, I am now working for an opposition newspaper – in five states.” Which is true, because The Star is owned by the MCA, now in the Opposition in these states.
Hmm, I wonder if The Star will now be subject to the same restrictions as other opposition papers such as The Rocket and Harakah (actually, these two are now, in a sense, state government newspapers!)… These “opposition” newpapers are only allowed to be published once a fortnight and they can only be sold to party members.
No, I am not advocating that The Star should be subjected to the same restrictions. Just pointing out how ridiculous and discriminatory our media laws are. It’s time to remove the restrictions on The Rocket and Harakah.
Newspapers like The Star will have to get used to this new situation – and already there are signs that they are going to be critical of the new state governments.
The mainstream media clearly performed horribly and dismally during the general election campaign. They actually may have contributed to the BN’s huge electoral setback by painting too rosy a picture of the situation on the ground. This may have lulled the BN politicians into a false sense of security and prevented them from taking remedial action to tackle the deep-seated grievances of the people.
The propaganda onslaught, especially during the last week of the campaign, when the media vilified the opposition parties and targeted Anwar for special bashing – without giving them the right of reply – backfired spectacularly. In fact, I doubt many Malays and other Malaysians who have some sense of fairplay were impressed. The overkill in the vilification could have had the opposite effect of swaying fence-sitters into voting for the Opposition this time.
Now red-faced editors in the various mainstream newspapers seem to be trying to “reinvent” themselves and provide more coverage of the other sides’ views. They realise that many Malaysians simply ignored or boycotted their coverage and turned to alternative sources of information. They now appear to be trying to revamp their journalistic orientation.
Still, we would do well to remind ourselves that their main source of revenue is from corporate advertisers. Thus, even if they now provide more coverage of PKR, DAP and Pas, their overall content is still likely to be dominated by corporate propaganda – not the views of marginalised communities and long-suffering workers struggling to make ends meet. Such propaganda will very likely continue to promote consumerism, materialism and unsustainable corporate-driven development.
Already, there are calls to boycott the mainstream newpapers flying around. These calls are disseminated via emails, text messages and blogs.
This is a piece I wrote for Catholic Asian News magazine before the election.
The Propaganda Machine
There is no level playing field in elections media coverage, writes Anil Netto
FLIP through the newspapers and you will see page after page of propaganda in support of the ruling coalition thinly disguised as “news”. “News” reports of handouts, development grants, opening ceremonies of clinics and promises and pledges. Turn on the television and it’s the same – more election propaganda! Full article
I really hope MSM in Malaysia will grow up quickly. As it’s, Dato Wong Chun Wai seems to admit in his recent article in the Star, that the media must start reinventing itself to address the changes in the political landscape. Seriously, I believe it should start from himself since he is the editor of the Star. Constant bashing of the opposition has made him look very “unprofessional” let alone him being a Penangnite himself. I am not bashing him but I am speaking for many hundreds of his former alma mater, St Xavier’s, and it’s quite sad that he has decided to take a path of no return. I only wish him well.
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then maybe its time to stop buying those newspaper that have biased report…
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[...] New Opposition tabloid finds tables turned Soon after it became clear that opposition parties had swept to power in five states, a journalist working with The […] [...]
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The BN propaganda machines
The spin and twist will carry on
This time giving it more bites
To tell the half truth
So the country can be ruled
Under the Emergency Law
Now rumors spread
Through SMSes about demonstrations
Along the toll plazas in and around the city
By UMNO youth…………….
On the ground some ask me
It is going to 69 again?
The government better contain Khairy
He is the one many dislike him
513 is history
It will not rear its ugly head again
Enough of the consequences
Derailing the people living
The coalition government
In the 5 states better work on it
Let it be known it is the people wishes
Make it big the rewards will be plenty
And the main newspapers and television stations
These UMNO controlled runners will spin and twist
On every opportunity to paint a black spot
To spoil the loot let the people hate each other
This is the scene playing on race again!
Will the loser ever learn?
This is the people voices
Echoing deep into the conscious
It is new leaf for a new history pages
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two ways to stop the propaganda papers. first, restrict their circulation as other opposition papers. two, join boycott initiated by haris/helen. either way, hit them where it hurts most so that the wongs, chins, jocelyns and the other spin masters will be more honest.
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Hi
Just 2 questions;
- i/o trying to re-invent the current msm, can the new state govt allow the establishment of new free press?
- how much finances n fm where does the new states get to run them?
Oh, out of topic, did patrick lim just last sunday changed his ‘widely knowned name’ fm patrick badawi to patrick lim guan eng? is it true?
Cheers
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Dato Wong Chun Wai will follow where the wind blows. Can’t blame him can we. The Star is paying him salary.
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yes, I heard about it yesterday that the vincent tan backed (sold) Sun newspapers.
this is also news to me that the Star has changed its colour – but let us be cautious.
Many leading reporters in the Sun (are alleged to) have submitted resignation letters – so vincent
might be thinking it is not worth.
We have to wait and see.
I will one step further – that, is MALAYSIAKINI should start its own daily newspaper.
Hamid
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It was and has been sickening to read and watch the mainstream medias. I am not a member of any political party, but I know and am aware of when I read articles that are so one sided. I hardly buy and read any mainstream newspaper now, because I feel my money isn’t worth the news that I am going to get. Anyway, from what I know, Datuk Wong Chun Wai (is believed to have) got his datukship by Badawis’ recommendation and has always had a close repo with Badawi. He’s forgotten that his main job at The Star is as a journalist first, then a BN person. That goes for TV3, Bernama, Utusan, NSTetc… U guys bring shame to the the profession called journalism.
Where has the integrity of our journalists gone too? Wouldn’t it be more exciting to read newspaper that reports unbias news and from all angles, and let the people decide and think for themselves on the news that has been reported.
I’ve switched to reading the news on MT and watching the news on MK because there’s more liberty given to all parties thoughts and news, makes it exciting to read and watch.
Cheers All.
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In one episode of TV3′s shortlived Dateline shown during the sacking of Anwar, our learned friend, Wong Chun Wai, opined that freedom of speech works in America because it is a homogeneous society. The African American diplomat to Singapore who was on the program laughed his head off. Do we really need opinions from people like him? I avoid his columns like the plague.
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This is a repeat of my posting at kitsiang blog .
1.
2.
3.
4. cg Says:
Today at 20: 52.52 (2 hours ago)
saubing:
I support your call to boycott mainstream news paper and in fact many of my acquaintances are already boycotting them due to their 1-sided reports
1. saubing Says:
Today at 19: 01.39 (4 hours ago)
to dap-for-pj,
I support your call to boycott mainstream newspaper. When hindraf and Bersih hold demonstration, not much were written but when Umno organised a demonstration, they is much coverage and even boast the number of demonstratorsto 3000 (NST) where it is only around 1000 or less. I have also subscribed to malaysiakini. Bernama can even misquote our beloved LGE by inciting hatred and fear for May 13 incident. I supoort your call to BOYCOTT!!!! anyone with us??
1. dap-for-pj Says:
Today at 17: 47.13 (5 hours ago)
i am responding to a call to refrain from buying mainstream media …star, nst, …………to teach them a lesson………anybody with me? I am subscribing to Malaysiakini!
1. Menang atau mati Says:
Today at 00: 52.38 (2 seconds ago)
I am with CG, saubing, dap-for- pj and anybodyelse who cares:
:1. cg Says:
Today at 20: 52.52 (2 hours ago)
saubing:
I support your call to boycott mainstream news paper and in fact many of my acquaintances are already boycotting them due to their 1-sided reports
1. saubing Says:
Today at 19: 01.39 (4 hours ago)
to dap-for-pj,
I support your call to boycott mainstream newspaper. When hindraf and Bersih hold demonstration, not much were written but when Umno organised a demonstration, they is much coverage and even boast the number of demonstratorsto 3000 (NST) where it is only around 1000 or less. I have also subscribed to malaysiakini. Bernama can even misquote our beloved LGE by inciting hatred and fear for May 13 incident. I supoort your call to BOYCOTT!!!! anyone with us??
1. dap-for-pj Says:
Today at 17: 47.13 (5 hours ago)
i am responding to a call to refrain from buying mainstream media …star, nst, …………to teach them a lesson………anybody with me? I am subscribing to Malaysiakini!
Dear cg, saubing,dap-for-pj and like-minded people out here,
Organising a Boycott of the Star.
The Star has been very partial all this while and was trying its level best to inflict maximum damage to the Barisan rakyat during the run-up to the 12th GE.It has been highly irresponsible in the discharge of its journalistic duties ,
A)Large Scale Hit and Run Strategy
To be effective a boycott has to be widespread enough.There is no point having a few people boycotting it her and there ,now and then.
I believe I have posted here before on the issue of boycotting the Sar.I will repeat it here again.
Many people will not be able to boycott the star on a long term basis without an alternative internet or mainstream media that covers all aspects of what a newspaper will cover.
Currently ,political news is well covered by Malaysiakini .Business and other related news is not.
Many people and companies buy the newspapers for non- political news and cannot do with a long term boycott of the newspaper.However ,they can do with a short term boycott for a specific period of say a few days to a week.
Who do you think provides the most revenues to the mainstream media?Not the ordinary individual readers.It is the businesses who pays for the advertisements in the media .
Revenue from sales of the newspaper itself is pittance compared to revenues from adverts.
So to be successful we need the businesses to co- operate.But businesses cannot do without the MSM permanently currently due lack of alternatives.
I am one of those in the same category and will wholeheartedly support a short term concerted boycott of the newspapers concerned for a period of say a few days.
This boycott can be repeated intermittently to inflict regular and heavy damage to the MSM concerned until they repent.
The specified days should be made known in advance to the public.On these days if the Rakyat are working as one in the same way they did during the 12th General election ,the circulation of the newspaper concerned will drop dramatically.
Businesses will not advertise in the paper concerned once they know that the papers will not be read on certain dates.
Imagine the amount of loss in advertising revenues the paper concerned will experience.
B) Strategy of Alternating between MSMs
Since the MSM market is basically monopolized by 2 papers namely, The Star and The Straits Times, we can adopt another strategy ,this time by alternating long term boycotts of these 2 papers.
We can start with,say a 6 month boycott of The Star where everybody switches to The Straits Times if they need to buy at least one paper.
Or we can continue as long as necessary until we they mend their ways.If they do but the Straits Times do not, then we start boycotting the Straits Times.
Anytime ,they go wayward,we can repeat the formula.
It is like voting for a two party system:
“If mummy is good to me ,run to mummy. If not – run to daddy”.
All these require organization,so I am just waiting for somebody or organization to lead the way. What say you you guys out there?
What say Raja Petra and the leaders of the Barisan Rakyat parties and the bloggers here?
BTW, I have been subscribing to Malaysiakini for sometime now as my personal paper.
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To me, all the MSM, especially newsprint papers are just tools of the BN, and their editors as lap-dogs. They just continue to misinform and propagate lie after lie after lie to the rakyat. Unethical and immoral. What they “refuse” to realise is that when you start lying, you will always have to continue telling lies. Thankfully, the bloggers came to the rakyat’s rescue with a lot of information and truth which the BN tried to suppress. Imagine, using the OSA to hide govt contracts that adversely affected the rakyat, e.g., the toll which keeps on going up. Besides, during the election period, the newspapers seemed like a propaganda paper for BN, together with the TV stations. But how long can you keep telling untruths? The BN did so to their own peril.
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Yes we should tell the press that we are not stupid to believe all their stories or news that supports only BN. The best way is for a total boycott. But i am concerned with the news vendors who will be affected. Alternatively i hope the BR would start their own news paper in all languages and also a new tv station.
I have stopped buying the newspapers and stopped watching the GOVT controlled media. Remember even Mahathir asked the rakyat to think. I wont want to insult my own intelligence by spending my hard earned money to buy these papers. Freedom of the press is very important to me.
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It has long been known to all that the MSM/TV etc have been pro BN.
I have tried switching between NST and Star so many times that my delivery boy grts confused at times to deliver the right paper.
I suppose that all the papers should be published and available the Rakyat who can choose to read waht they want. I am not a small boy at 68, I can differnciate…….
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The only difference between all the mainstream media is how you prefer their nonsense: rare, medium rare or well done.
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MSM is biased…
Answer: UMNO ruled.
RPK’s MT got blocked…
Answer: UMNO ruled/ordered
Pak Lah can spend Petronas $$$ lavishingly…
Answer: UMNO ruled
Najib … Altantuya ….
Answer: UMNO ruled
Why the country is poor despite good and plenty of rich vast natural resources….
Answer: UMNO ruled/rulez
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Forget about reading STAR paper. Waste your money and time because information on politic are not totally true, so why read it. Well I do go to online Thestar for information on stock market dividen, after all it is free. Our Datuk Wong Chun Wah, forget about him, no more reading his colume anymore. When his children have growth up, they wil ask his daddy how he got his datukship. Don’t you think our Datuk Wong can sleep well? Before that I will never miss his colume but forget it Now.
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