The sorry state of Malaysia’s media

A News Veteran

AS we mark the 62rd Malaysia Day celebrations – we should also take a moment to reflect on the strength of our local media industry.

After all, they are the ones who would delivering reminders of how we have progressed or perhaps digressed as a sovereign nation since 1963.

Yes, there is a culmination that the industry reflects more of a sunset rather than a rising one with the emergence of new social media, unverified content and now, how Artificial Intelligence (AI) influences how we write, comprehend or worst, how we think.

Journalists are no longer writing from a position of strength, but of vulnerability due to low salaries; intimidation from powerful parties, not to mention that now everybody can write or post, snap photographs or better still viral / video fake news.

AI is influencing us in more ways than one and it doesn’t help when the authorities are telling us to master it without informing those who have lost their jobs in part to it, on how to find alternative jobs, especially the Generation X (aged 45 to 60) segment.

Recently as part of my job, which is to listen to the grievances of the public, our clients, I met someone, who related that he was suspended from his job and the suspicion is that the employer is mulling about replacing him with foreign workers.

A good journalist does not only report, he or she listens, so we can produce a constructive account of both sides to a story. And a good storyteller – info-tains (entertains) the audience with a contrasting two perspectives.

It is just that society today, has transformed into one, who is entitled and polarised rather than possessing the humility in taking time to understand issues, and yes, they need to read to acquire knowledge rather than merely touch screening.

Only when we understand, can solutions be forthcoming and oh boy, do we need answers to a wobbly global economy, extremism, violence, inflation, climate emergency and overcrowding, as well as traffic congestion.

First thing, I told this suspended worker is, to welcome him to the age of jobs replacement and good luck in trying to find an alternative job if you are aged over 50.

When an industry can no longer afford to sustain your wages despite being a loyalist; what better way than to replace you by alleging that you are incompetent.

My friend gave a loud sigh, and nodded, saying the truth hurts.

This sounds familiar to many journalists, who found themselves without jobs in the past three years; or worst, to have employers who chose to abuse the employment legislation on the pretext that the industry is no longer viable.

The only difference for journalists, is that no foreigner would be taking their jobs, but technology, who does not have a conscience.

A friend lost his job as a lecturer, teaching mass media, as the private institution of higher learning replaced the course with basic AI understanding course.

AI through algorithms, is delivering personalised content to mankind, but one must realise that learning is a lifelong ambition, which should not change with AI.

AI offers benefits – no doubt but it must be balanced by ensuring that the machine learning extols the overall integrity of information, and mined factual news, not popular ones which are driven by numbers but may eventually be fake.

AI also needs to be smarter than the scammer – but now, the latter is willing the battle.

Let us on this auspicious day focus on what can be done to overcome the plight of the journalists, including those who have left to become corporate communicators.

It starts with one word only – will, the political will to ensure that the media is driven by ethics, not the desire of their cartel – like owners, who are after all politicians, or aspiring ones, or worst still, claiming to be a close friend of one.

The owners want control, so they want AI – type editors, who are artificially influenced to think like them, not to possess critical thinking; to have morals and a code.

Content must be overwhelmingly delivered by facts and politicians should also stop behaving like they are online entertainers by harking on their own social media.

It is an attempt to self – glorify by mimicking singing, dancing and preaching when they should be focusing on listening to what their critics (who are usually the media), is writing or thinking about them.

And the media must be “truth soldiers,” armed to the teeth with the truth devices of pen, paper and tape recorders or now videos; to ensure they are telling the whole truth and nothing but truthfulness.

They can do this by meeting the public and listening to their grievances, analysing if the issues raised are worthwhile writing about; do research and please read … read.

They cannot by doing this by only attending press conferences, and becoming mouthpieces to politicians, who are shy to peddle their own social media.

We also recommend that government of the day needs to entice venture capitalists to invest in producing more truth soldiers – fund them to write the truth so they can overwhelm the scammers out there, including some ill intentioned politicians.

Happy 62rd anniversary, Malaysians and may the truth prevail in our beloved nation.