The following thoughts are penned by a young journalist who is my personal friend, Brenda on independence of the media in Malaysia and I want to share them with you :
TRUTH! What is truth? Where can we find truth? Why is truth important? Who is worthy of truth? When will the truth finally be revealed? How do we differentiate the truth from a lie? The 5 “W’s” and “H” of the journalism practice should be answered once and for all.
As a journalist, I made a vow to always report the truth, as doing otherwise would just go against my ethics in life. Three years in a journalism course, mastering the ethics and laws in reporting, has left me feeling mortified and appalled. I am aghast by the terrible source of news flow in the major newspapers in Malaysia. What happened to the journalists promise to integrity, and to always report the truth with full credibility? Are all those important values shoved aside after graduation?
It is heartening to see Malaysia sinking to the state it is in now and the most powerful people in the world are not bothered to do anything about it. In fact the most important people, who can change and enlighten the public’s mindset, are giving into corruption, control and lies. The important people who wield the tiny little pen, whose fingers can type out billions of words to reform a better Malaysia, is cowering away for selfish reasons like money, power and position.
On another note, I’m overjoyed to learn about Joshua Wong, who resigned from NTV7 right after the incident with the Prime Minister’s wife. This only goes to show that there are still professional people in the media field out there who are not afraid to stand up for their rights for freedom of speech. This is how journalists should all be. They should learn to stand for their rights and fight for freedom of speech. Doing otherwise would not only destroy their professionalism as a journalist but it also says that much about their writing skills. I believe, with a pen and a paper, journalists who are willing to uncover the truth, hold the power to twist their way into revealing the truth, regardless of the strict gate keeping.
Having said that, kudos should be given to Malaysiakini! Malaysiakini is the one and only reliable news website in Malaysia who is not afraid to enlighten the public by uncovering the truth that major newspapers fail to publish. Without news organizations like Malaysiakini, who wants to see a change in Malaysia, I believe the educated society will still be living in darkness and brainwashed by dirty politicians. When will we all see the light if not for brave, professional journalists working at Malaysiakini?
Why read major newspapers anymore when the news is biased, not credible and untruthful? Are the public really that ignorant and sinking to a level shockingly low by buying all the lies published? What have we, the public, got to gain from taking in the falsely reported news stories every day? We, I believe, are being fed with poison. A poison which blinds us from seeing what is right and what is wrong. A poison which leaves us paralyzed to think and choose right from wrong.
The truth can either make us or break us. In this particular issue, there is no doubt that the truth will only make us stronger as individuals, then as people, soon the society and eventually the country.