September 23, 2011
www.themalaysiainsider.com
PPPA Change: Media still NOT FREE from Clutches of Government
by Edwin at twitter.com/yedwin01.
Now which utterly a few pundits have weighed in upon a Prime Minister's Malaysia Day night before announcement, I'd similar to to put in my two-sen's worth. you shall leave a broader implications of a confidence laws aside as well as being a journalist, you shall only combine upon a single of a announcements done which of you do divided with a annual renovation of licences for media organisations as currently mandated by a Printing Presses as well as Publications Act 1984 (PPPA).
What this equates to in practice is which if in truth this legislative addition gets passed in Parliament, existent imitation media organisations won't need to replenish their copy as well as announcement permits upon a each year basis.
Like a alternative announcements which touched upon confidence laws, there was a clarity of jubilation when a PM first voiced which media organisations need no longer replenish their each year licences.
But upon meditative further over this issue, dual questions come to mind: Is a you do divided with a licensing laws which good of a thing in practice as well as what does it meant for these media organisations especially a mainstream imitation media (MSM) in conditions of how they inform as well as write their stories?
There have been most facets to a PPPA, as well as a requirement for imitation media organisations to acquire annual edition permits is only a single of them. While this is a step in a right direction, it however does not meant which media organisations have been utterly giveaway from a clutches of supervision i! ntervent ion as a PM did say which their licences could still be cancelled if regulations were flouted.
Which leads to a second question: Will a reporting by a MSM be any opposite from what it
is currently only since they no longer need to replenish their permits annually?
It's hard to say since which a MSM need to adapt their respective paper policies in greeting to a PM's announcement as well as whilst it's tantalizing to only dismiss today's MSM as supervision propaganda tools, you need to be satisfactory as well as give them a time to have these adjustments.
In theory, a MSM should be giveaway to write but fright or foster as a hazard of not being means to imitation as well as tell has evidently been taken away. But in practice, my fright is which a MSM won't immediately shift most in regard to their paper policies as they will still be walking upon "egg shells" when reporting a headlines as they see it or making comments upon supervision policies since which their permits could still be in jeopardy, should they "flout a regulations."
It's important to note which a supervision has not obviously defined what kind of regulations, if flouted, would outcome in MSM licences being revoked.
And a deficiency of such details does leave a emanate still open for discuss as to how a administration department could still meddle in media organisations' operations. Worst still, this play on words may allow shake room for a supervision to once again bluster to shut down MSM for not essay along supervision lines.
Another important point not to dont think about is which most of today's MSM owners have been political parties, which equates to which most of what is reported can still be "controlled" by a big boys above, even if they aren't only flouting any regulations.
But let us only assume for contention which a MSM will be since tacit approvals by their owners to pull a broadcasting envelope more in this country, notwithstanding a hazard facing them for flouting regulations, a question then would be: have been a reporters themselves ready as well as up to a plea of you do so?
Will they be peaceful to inform a headlines as is, go after stories which display wrongdoers with fervour, have checks as well as balances in a supervision system by a stories they write, or verbalise their minds in opinion pieces upon issues which unequivocally have a disproportion to a country, even if it speaks against a supervision of a day?
Could it be which reporters in this republic may not be means to do all which since they have been so ingrained with a clarity which they can't or haven't been means to have any disproportion in a long whilst due to a years of supervision intervention, which they have effectively since up their purposes as well as right as a fourth estate of a nation?
For a sake of a country, you goal this isn't true. My goal is which there will still be most reporters who have been still rebuilt to pull a bounds of good journalism.
In regard to this, it's good to know which a online media has stepped up to fill some of a void left behind by a MSM. As remarkable in a new New York Times article, where once Malaysians fervent for independent headlines coverage might have looked to unfamiliar newspapers, now they could simply log upon to homegrown sites.
As some reforms have been being done with regard to a press as well as as you pass another Malaysia Day, my goal is which reporters in Malaysia will do (and continue doing) their partial according to their conscience as well as have broadcasting a centre spoke in Malaysia's wheel of shift to becoming a freer democracy.
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