Media Overkill by Mustafa K Anuar Aliran Monthly 23:7, 2003
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Such utilisation of the mainstream mass media is made easier and more convenient with the concentration of media ownership by a few individuals and groups who are close to the powers-that-be. In real terms, this means that the media are compliant to the political needs of the ruling politicians. Of course there is a slew of restrictive laws such as the Printing Presses and Publications Act, Official Secrets Act, Sedition Act, and Internal Security Act that can be used to ‘domesticate’ the mainstream media as well. It is in this wider context that one should be mindful and wary of MCA’s takeover of Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press, two Chinese dailies that in the past were known for their relative independence and at times blunt criticism. The outrage within the Chinese community arising from this takeover is therefore understandable. Media Overkill Back to the 1999 election. As alluded to above, the mainstream press and other media dropped all pretences of being “objective”, fair or balanced in the run-up to the general election. These media unabashedly displayed their penchant for unethical, unprofessional and unfair reporting. Their deplorable coverage was even worse than that of the previous general elections; indeed, there was “media overkill”.
Also, this general election came in the wake of the reformasi movement, which sought social reforms and pushed for greater governmental transparency and accountability. To counter increasing criticism, the BN coalition was compelled to wage a concerted media campaign in the run-up to the election. Demonisation This explains largely why there was a lot of demonisation of PAS and the BA in the mainstream press, especially in political advertisements. In contrast, the BN invariably got the thumbs up via news reports, news analyses, and letters to the editor. There were news items found in the mainstream press that were uncritical of the BA, but these were few and far in between. And even then, those few that managed to see the light of day were buried in the inside pages of the dailies concerned. Given that PAS was perceived by the incumbent BN, particularly UMNO, to be a serious threat, it was to be expected that the compliant media invariably depicted PAS as a party of religious extremism (for the consumption of primarily non-Muslims) and a party that gave rise to Malay disunity (for the consumption of the Malay community). Difference Due To New IT Nonetheless, there was a difference in the media campaign in 1999. Alternative publications such as the Harakah, Detik, Aliran Monthly, etc. as well as alternative websites (thanks to the popularising of the Internet via Mahathir’s pet project Multimedia Super Corridor) provided some platform for those whose views have not been given their legitimate place in the mainstream media. Although their reach was limited, these alternative media played a useful role in raising political awareness among the urban dwellers, the young and the technology-savvy. In addition, news portals, such as the popular malaysiakini, were not only able to publish news and views that had been marginalised by the mainstream media, but also to do so in real time. This news portal as well as other websites, in other words, has an edge over the mainstream newspapers in presenting breaking news faster than the latter could ever dream of. With this political and journalistic backdrop, one could expect similar patterns of mainstream media coverage of the forthcoming general election. The coverage may well be more aggressive especially if the new leadership in UMNO, and consequently the BN, feels that it is under tremendous pressure to deliver, and that at the same time to arrest the popularity of its rival, PAS. And as part of the general media campaign, the BN might also attempt to hijack the discourse of ‘regime change’ in the media by warning the voters that a vote for the opposition may well be a vote for the ‘Western powers’ to intervene in our domestic affairs especially in the wake of the US-engineered invasion of Iraq. In recent times, the government has hijacked the Bush discourse of the ‘war on terrorism’ in the mainstream media in its endeavour to discredit PAS. The current bickering among the opposition parties over the contentious issue of an Islamic state is also likely to be magnified by the mainstream media to depict a disunited opposition. As in the last general election, the alternative media would still be able to play a role in providing much-needed space for alternative discourses and news, although these would be confined to only certain sections of the society.
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The coverage (in the next general election) may well be more aggressive especially if the new leadership in UMNO, and consequently the BN, feels that it is under tremendous pressure to deliver...
