Free lunch for sections of the Chinese press

How much does it cost for a newspaper to carry a foreign article?

As far as some sections of the Chinese press in Malaysia is concerned, this is a non-issue. For years, it is believed that certain Chinese dailies in Malaysia have been lifting news and articles freely and excessively from their counterparts worldwide - especially from those in Taiwan and China - often, it is understood, without having to pay them even a penny.

Were these foreign media to take action and retrospectively bill those offending Chinese dailies, the total amount could be more than enough for Chinese-language foreign news organisations to station their correspondents here, and they could perhaps, after deducting costs, make a handsome profit out of it as well.

This violation of copyright and lack of attribution of their original sources suggest a lack of professionalism among some sections of the Chinese press.

Habitually and unashamedly, the offending editors are believed to cut features and articles out of a wide range of foreign newspapers and publications and pasting them onto their own.

While the names of the original writers and sources are often conspicuously absent, it is also not at all uncommon to see that many of the writings are edited beyond recognition just to make them appear as an authentic work of the very perpetrator. Editorial integrity clearly escapes these unscrupulous ‘media professionals’.

For those who read Chinese newspapers, it may be puzzling for them to come across some ‘prominent figures’ in certain local Chinese dailies.

Although the effort of the editor to profile a certain ‘prominent figure’ to the Malaysian reader is not to be dismissed, the exclusive interview with him or her is, more often than not, quite irrelevant in the context of Malaysia. After all, the ‘exclusive interview’ is most likely done by a mainland Chinese or a Taiwanese, devoid of Malaysian perspectives.

Paradoxically, with perhaps the largest Chinese media market in Southeast Asia, Malaysia has failed miserably to produce a credible Chinese daily that can match the standard of Lianhe Zaobao of Singapore, arguably the best Chinese newspaper in the region.

On the other hand, this cut-and-paste habit among some sections of the Chinese press reflects a severe dearth of cultural resources in Malaysia. Because indigenous works of high quality are scarce, the vernacular press is forced to source for articles from foreign media. The downside to this phenomenon, however, is the disrespect for copyright and a lack of attribution of sources, while the reader is kept in the dark.

In the past, such blatant behaviour received little attention from the reader because subscriptions to foreign publications were exclusive to a minority group of people. No longer. Today, foreign magazines and newspapers are easily available in some Chinese bookshops across Malaysia. With the advent of the Internet, these foreign publications and titles are also easily accessible online.

Without genuine respect for copyright, it is impossible to improve our investment in knowledge production.