In the past, the mainstream media were analysed along linguistic and regional lines eg Sabah and Sarawak media. It was fairly easy to identify the political and business interests behind those media. And the alternative media were smaller publications and even websites.
But with the onset of the digital era, the lines have become blurred and transparency has fallen. This raises fundamental questions about how much media freedom and independence we really have. Readers are often at a loss over who actually owns and funds the media, given the lack of transparency over ownership and financing.
The media also have to deal with legal constraints and questions over long-term financial sustainability, making them more reliant on external funding.
Apart from news portals, social media also serve as megaphones for the famous and those with enough resources to target their messages.
So what is mainstream now and what is alternative? The internet has made things so fluid that alternative media can morph into mainstream to some degrees.
So how do we know which media to trust and which we can rely on?
Panel members:
- Dr Mustafa K Anuar – A long-time Aliran exco member and former honorary secretary. Former USM associate professor who has taught many who are now journalists
- Himanshu Bhatt – a veteran journalist and news editor in the print and online media and now executive editor of an online news portal
- Dr Ngo Sheau Shi – a senior lecturer in communications with USM
- Prof Zaharom Nain – Professor of media and communication studies at University Nottingham Malaysia, with a background primarily in Political Economy and Media Sociology
- Moderator: Anil Netto, Aliran president
This webinar was held on 18 March 2021.
Our voluntary writers work hard to keep these articles free for all to read. But we do need funds to support our struggle for Justice, Freedom and Solidarity. To maintain our editorial independence, we do not carry any advertisements; nor do we accept funding from dubious sources. If everyone reading this was to make a donation, our fundraising target for the year would be achieved within a week. So please consider making a donation to Persatuan Aliran Kesedaran Negara, CIMB Bank account number 8004240948.