DPM: THE TIME IS NOW FOR MEDIA
‘Media was more controlled in the past during a certain leader’s time’
THERE is no better time for the Malaysian media than now under the present leadership as it is currently without barriers, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Launching the Berita Harian National Day Special Showcase here yesterday, he said during a certain leader’s time, the media was more controlled.
“In my dissertation, I studied the difference between Berita Harian and Utusan’s coverage of five general elections under the country’s longest-serving leader.
“The facts showed that the media agenda setting was predetermined by someone and when this was done, media owners did not have a say.”
Zahid said the freedom of the press was more evident after the tenure of that leader.
He stressed the importance of journalistic ethics and the role it played in ensuring Malaysia remained a prosperous and harmonious nation.
Media Prima Bhd, through its publications — the New Straits Times, Berita Harian and Harian Metro — have upheld ethics, staying relevant even in a borderless world.
“The challenges that come from the rise of social media have been dealt with well by Media Prima, as evident from its 38.7 million followers of a digital content,” he said.
Zahid called on governmentlinked companies (GLCs) and those under the Finance Ministry to help media practitioners as they could not depend solely on sales to flourish.
He encouraged GLCs and other companies to offer assistance to the group to sustain the media industry.
“Media Prima, even without subsidies, has remained profitable and I applaud this.
“Even so, media practitioners must be aided by GLCs and others as they depend on advertising to make a profit,” he said.
Zahid expressed confidence that with the help of relevant groups, the moderate media industry could remain relevant in the competitive world of journalism.
Berita Harian organised the exhibition in conjunction with its 60th anniversary and National Day celebrations this year.
It was launched by Zahid and witnessed by Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Jailani Johari.
Present was Media Prima chairman Tan Sri Ismee Ismail, Media Prima group managing director Datuk Kamal Khalid, New Straits Times Press chairman Tan Sri Ismail Omar and New Straits Times Press chief executive officer Datuk Abdul Jalil Hamid.
The exhibition, at Level 2 of Kuala Lumpur Sentral, displays the publication’s involvement in the country’s development agenda for the past six decades.
Also launched during the exhibition was the Berita Harian coffee-table book, titled BH: Enam Dekad Kekal Dinamik.