By Edwin Yapp | Sep 23, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
SEPT twenty-three Now which utterly the couple of pundits have weighed in upon the prime minister's Malaysia Day night before announcement, I'd like to put in my two-sen's worth. you shall leave the broader implications of the confidence laws in reserve as well as being the journalist, you shall usually combine upon the single of the announcements done which of you do divided with the annual renovation of licences for media organisations as now mandated by the Printing Presses as well as Publications Act 1984 (PPPA).
What this equates to in use is which if in truth this amendment gets upheld in Parliament, existent imitation media organisations won't need to replenish their printing as well as publication permits upon the each year basis.
Like the other announcements which overwhelmed upon confidence laws, there was the sense of jubilation when the PM first announced which media organisations need no longer replenish their each year licences.
But upon meditative serve over this issue, two questions come to mind: Is the you do divided with the chartering laws which good of the thing in use as well as what does it mean for these media organisations generally the mainstream imitation media (MSM) in terms of how they inform as well as write their stories?
There have been most facets to the PPPA, as well as the requirement for imitation media organisations to acquire annual edition permits is usually the single of them. While this is the step in the right direction, it however does not mean which media organisations have been completely free from the clutches of supervision involvement as the PM did say which their licences could still be cancelled if regulations were flouted.
Which leads to the second question: Will the reporting by the MSM be any diff! erent fr om what it is today usually since they no longer need to replenish their permits annually?
It's tough to say since which the MSM need to adapt their respective paper policies in greeting to the PM's announcement as well as whilst it's tantalizing to usually boot today's MSM as supervision propaganda tools, you need to be satisfactory as well as give them the time to have these adjustments.
In theory, the MSM should be free to write without fright or foster as the hazard of not being able to imitation as well as publish has ostensibly been taken away. But in practice, my fright is which the MSM won't rught away change much in courtesy to their paper policies as they will still be walking upon "egg shells" when reporting the headlines as they see it or making comments upon supervision policies since which their permits could still be in jeopardy, should they "flout the regulations."
It's important to note which the supervision has not obviously tangible what kind of regulations, if flouted, would result in MSM licences being revoked.
And the absence of such sum does leave the emanate still open for debate as to how the administration department could still meddle in media organisations' operations. Worst still, this ambiguity might allow wiggle room for the supervision to once again bluster to shut down MSM for not writing along supervision lines.
Another important point not to forget is which most of today's MSM owners have been political parties, which equates to which much of what is reported can still be "controlled" by the big boys above, even if they aren't exactly flouting any regulations.
But let us usually pretence for discussion which the MSM will be since tacit approvals by their owners to push the broadcasting pouch more in this country, despite the hazard confronting them for flouting regulations, the subject then would be: have been the reporters themselves ready as well as up to the challenge of you do so?
Will they be peaceful to inform the h! eadlines as is, go after stories which expose wrongdoers with fervour, enforce checks as well as balances in the supervision system by the stories they write, or speak their minds in opinion pieces upon issues which really matter to the country, even if it speaks opposite the supervision of the day?
Could it be which reporters in this republic might not be able to do all which since they have been so ingrained with the sense which they can't or haven't been able to have any disproportion in the long whilst due to the years of supervision intervention, which they have effectively since up their roles as well as right as the fourth estate of the nation?
For the sake of the country, you hope this isn't true. My hope is which there will still be most reporters who have been still prepared to push the bounds of good journalism.
In courtesy to this, it's good to know which the online media has stepped up to fill the little of the blank left at the back of by the MSM. As noted in the recent New York Times article, where once Malaysians fervent for independent headlines coverage might have looked to foreign newspapers, now they could simply record upon to homegrown sites.
As the little reforms have been being done with courtesy to the press as well as as you pass an additional Malaysia Day, my hope is which reporters in Malaysia will do (and go on doing) their part according to their demur as well as have broadcasting the centre cog in Malaysia's circle of change to apropos the freer democracy.
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An operative by training, Edwin has since incited his back upon the engineering universe in foster of difference in the well read world. A freelance journalist & an paper expert writing upon his own terms now, Edwin hopes his observations will stir up deeper discussions as well as debates inside of Malaysia. You can find Edwin occasionally at twitter.com/yedwin01.
This entrance was posted upon Friday, twenty-three Sep 2011, 11:10 am as well as is filed underneath Media. You can follow any responses to this entrance by RSS 2.0.
Lim Kit Siang
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