A year after and the return of the Mail.
Today last year I ended my 20-year stint at the NSTP*.
I was the executive editor of the Malay/Sunday Mail when I resigned. A month after I left, several key editors and journalists with the Mail, including the Sunday Mail editor Aishah Ali, also left under the group's VSS. Soon after our departure, The Sunday Mail was discontinued as part of an ambitious and expensive plan to transform the Mail into a punky, funky rag for young people.
In its place the ill-fated Weekend Mail came into being. Its publication was suspended by the Government following the infamous "smut" edition. In view of this, and after some harsh comments from the Deputy Prime Minister and a Cabinet minister, Syed Faisal Albar*, the NSTP chief executive officer and the de facto chief editor of the Malay Mail/Weekend Mail, had to terminate the contracts of "Mojo" M. Zul and a British expatriate.
This blog dedicated quite a bit of space to this sad turn of events. Today, I was recalling some of those events when someone called to tell me that the Weekend Mail is back.
I've heard for a while that the people there are going to turn the Malay Mail back into an afternoon daily, with hard-hitting news and just a dash of the "college" thing they had originally wanted to do. It seems that the Internal Security Minister has lifted the suspension of the Weekend Mail. The ad people have started to send out fliers to i9nvite companies to advertise in the "new" Weekend Mail. Generous discounts, too.
I extend my best wishes to the guys and gals at the Mail who have been trying to make it work. It will be an uphill battle and they know it.
My advice to Syed: Learn from the painful lesson. Let the pros run the show.
Why re-invent the wheel? I'm sure Rocky agrees that The (old) Malay Mail, while not perfect, was good. But the sudden need to transform it into a paper that has a youth-centric appeal was probably half-baked, and hence destined to fail.
ReplyDeleteI used to buy the Mail daily; the sports reports were my first aim as they covered what was happening to my EPL team while I slept, their hard-hitting exposes were great, and their The Paper That Cares positioning meant the public was their target.
I too wish the Even Newer Malay Mail all the best (if it is true they're returning to their roots).
I hope ot regains its former glory, and yes, Rocky said it right: LET THE PROS RUN IT.
Cheers.
Rocky, the malay mail can do whatever it wants but my prognonis is stark - the paper is dead, no matter what you do with it. Of course there is an alternative - sell it to a conso4tium and let Rocky be in charge. Let the professionals run the show, or as we say, let Rocky put his money where his mouth is. The malay mail is still a viable proposition, if only we have competent professionals running the show. the only sad thing is it is headed by a bunch of monkeys. Over to you, Rocky.
ReplyDeleteAs another VSSES, I would only say one thing.
ReplyDeleteITS AN AFTERNOON PAPER GODDAMMIT, THERE IS NO NEED FOR IT COME OUT AT BREAKFAST....
yes, let the professionals run it... but prostitutes are also professionals... maybe that's why some professionals tend to prostitute themselves hence they become prostitutes.
ReplyDeleteah, yes... of professionals and prostitutes... it's like the chicken and egg thingy... makes one wonder which comes first.
I don't understand why Nstman is so bleak in his outlook. The Malay Mail is still a great name that needs to get back to its roots and those roots are simple. As monsterball adn En. Bahaman has put it, the odl Malay Mail gave people what they wanted, expose of what is wrong with out society and how to fix it, it was a cosntructive newspaper which society's back. It was the guardian who looked out for us where we cannot. Even the hotline took care of the little people.
ReplyDeleteNo matter how you want to twist it or modernise it or funk it, it is still about simple supply adn demand, if you have what the people want they will buy it...
Reviving it is going to be tough but it is far from hopeless..at least that's my view.
Rocky
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to read some one mentioning "monkeys" running the show...
Well, many would agree that when there is monkey, the situation will no way be in control. The same goes in running the country or even the newspaper.
What the country or rakyat needs now is a man without monkey attitude, behaviour, character and best of all, thinking and thoughts of a monkey. Utmost important too, the form must also be of a human - not monkey lar!
Now, the top of the tree is headed by an 'Aged Monkey', hence those at the bottom are shitty monkeys that will never ever deliver whatever expected out of them.
Rest assured...
Kao-tim zhor ler!
hi rocky,
ReplyDeletei wish my former colleagues at the Malay Mail well. I hope for their sake and for a renewed sense of confidence, the Weekend Mail will be a smash.
All the best for the Malay Mail.
Hope they learn from their mistakes...
and happy first anniversary out of the NSTP! ( is it ok to say this to u?)
EGO!
ReplyDeleteWon't and don't want to admit they have gone wrong.
saya setuju editorial akhbar (dan majalah juga) mesti diselenggarakan oleh orang yang pakar dalam bidang kewartawanan, walaupun pentadbiran hariannya boleh diletak atas bau "management".
ReplyDeleteberilah peluang kepada pasukan editorial dan pentadbiran Malay Mail baru untuk membangkitkannya daripada kematian (raise it from the dead)!kita harap mereka sudah sedar dan belajar daripada perkembangan terkutuk Weekend Mail itu!
mungkin kita boleh mengajukan idea-idea baru tentang cara memperkukuhkan akhbar yang dulu mempunyai ramai pembaca.
ingatlah - kalau kita jatuhkan sesuatu siapa yang akan merana nanti! bukan si mat salleh sesat itu tetapi orang kita juga!
terima kasih rocky, kerana sudi mengetengahkan pendapat saya dan orang-orang lain yang mungkin tidak secucuk dengan pendapat saudara tapi munasabah juga kan?
saya kecewa dengan blogger seperti kadir jasin yang memilih komen yang menyokong pendapatnya sahaja. komen orang seperti saya yang mencabar y bhg dato' ini untuk memberi visi/cadangannya bagi memperbaiki kerajaan/negara yang dianggap tidak sempurna tidak dilayan. kenapa dato'?
hahaHA
Now that I am back after a lull of leave, lets me put my two sents worth.
ReplyDeleteThe fact is that the NST Management ruined the Malay Mail.
A newspaper is run by dedicated journalists, those educated and trained in the profession,those who enjoy the pains of working round-the-clock, night and day, just to get the paper out and see its front page story being a real sellout.
The Malay Mail was ruined by people with no such qualities.
Now that it is being revived, can u people in the NST please ensure it gets itself back into its old format - get back some of the veterans who know what the Malay Mail stood for -not employ some half-baked lawyers who would probably walk the empty corridoors of the courts if they were to practise!
Well, never did and never will ... i guess. The only thing I remember is the girls on the front page when I was young reading it, but then again age is really catching up with me. Got to move along with life ... Blog is the way to go ... :)
ReplyDeleteI hate to say this - Malay mail is like humpty dumpty, you can never put it back again. It has lost its focus, being raped and sodomised by clueless leaders who change at their whims and fancies. Simply put, it has lost its way, doesn't know where it is going. During the good times when Frankie D Cruz was in charge it went up to nearly 100,000. The then malay mail was at its peak, manned by people who were dedicated but sadly it was destroyed by race politics, cronyism and incompetence. My advice to the NST is very simple - sell the paper or stop printing the paper if you are incapable of resurrecting it. And right now you have proven to be inept. So do the honourable thing - sell.
ReplyDeleteSori to say but Bro Rocky got one info wrong ... the Malay Mail will NOT go back to being an afternoon daily. Offstone is still 4.30am with plans to push it to 4am.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the point?
let go the nostalgic feeling, rocky, though it is easier said than done. remmeber there is an ongoing boycott of nasty pee and company and i am still adhering to it.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the current MM is back on track to being the paper that it once was. Just because the governing management is lousy doesn't mean the current editorial team behind the gradual recovery of the MM are lacking any potential or talent.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the current MM team for doing a great job and I fink we should give 'em a bit of time and cut them a bit of slack. Their hands are tied and they are making do wif wat is given. Under the current circumstances, their efforts should be applauded, not discouraged.
Wishing the MM team all the best and I do believe that they will prove discerning audiences wrong.
Rocky
ReplyDeleteYou know what????
Frankly there are simply too many 'monkeys' in the country - be it those originated from the primary jungles, and also those created in the urban concrete jungles.
Too many shits droppings around here there everywhere - at every corner of the country, even at cemetaries too.
We have got Shit monkeys of Malay-breed, Chinese-breed, and/or even Indian-breed. They are all Monkeys... enough with NST Group, The Star or the Govt as a whole, all run and filled with Monkeys.
Just admit this fact and find means to replace these Monkeys with humans like us - the Bloggers!
Good Luck!
Rocky
ReplyDeleteYou know what????
Frankly there are simply too many 'monkeys' in the country - be it those originated from the primary jungles, and also those created in the urban concrete jungles.
Too many shits droppings around here there everywhere - at every corner of the country, even at cemetaries too.
We have got Shit monkeys of Malay-breed, Chinese-breed, and/or even Indian-breed. They are all Monkeys... enough with NST Group, The Star or the Govt as a whole, all run and filled with Monkeys.
Just admit this fact and find means to replace these Monkeys with humans like us - the Bloggers!
Good Luck!
Well the designers have been working on the refreshed Weekend Mail issue for a couple of weeks now. And no more Campus Babe (thank god for that).
ReplyDeleteWelcome back Weekend Mail..hopefully it'll be at par with Sunday Mail.
My heart goes out ot the MM. I sincerely wish the weekend Mail all the best. My late brother Fredo's last posting was with the then Sunday Mail and I'm sure he;ll want the Wknd Mail to succeed as well.
ReplyDeleteTo the pros....and the cons.
yes, let the professionals run it... but prostitutes are also professionals... maybe that's why some professionals tend to prostitute themselves hence they become prostitutes.
ReplyDeleteah, yes... of professionals and prostitutes... it's like the chicken and egg thingy... makes one wonder which comes first.
12:42 AM
JOKE OF THE DAY ADVERTISING SPACE
A female sales executive in the advertising department of the "Koran Mael Melayu" was heard talking to a prostitute at the back of Jalan Liku. " If I dont sell an advertising space today I will get f*ck!" The prostitute replied , " If I don`t get f*ck today, I would need an advertising space"!
John Labu.
Hello! Actually I see very little hope for the Malay Mail. Or the group as a whole. I do wish the editorial team the best of luck, but I can't see how they can change things dramatically. Unless, the group is willing to put in new ringgit into the whole effort. Of course there'll be people who argue: "Why put new money to follow bad money?"
ReplyDeleteThe Malay Mail has acquired a new reputation of being a non-read newspaper. I'm no longer excited about the paper, and many others feel the same too. Which is why the circulation has reached new low. (I checked with people who serve the paper in the '80s, the Malay Mail never reached 100,000 as one commentator said)> But even if that's true, then the paper has really gone to the dogs, through no fault of the editorial team over the years. I mean guys, the Malay Mail reached more than 55,000 when Encik Ahirudin was the editor! But the winning formula he brought was brought to an end by someone who thinks he knows better. Hence, the below 20,000 copies today!!
You know what will happen when the newspaper is relaunched soon? Heheheh! Some guys will make light of the newspaper's past route and sort-of make a confession that they had erred. They will then say they'll go to basics and make the Malay Mail what it is to be - a newspaper. Period.
Tapi I think all this sudah lambat lah! It's difficult (though not impossible if new money is put in and the pros are allowed to run it) to repackage a bad fruit or product. A bad apple can't be given a glossy wrapping and hope that it'll sell. A bad apple is a bad apple. Period. A bad paper is a bad paper. Simple as that!
I for one won't be losing sleep trying to see how the new product comes out.
Encik Atan,
ReplyDeleteI have been following this debate on the MM/WM for some time. While I wasn't in favour of the new concept, I had made it a point to try and buy as many times as I can, simply because this paper has not only been a staple for my family for some time but had, on numerous occasions, helped me solve my problems via the Hotline. I have friends who have also been helped by the paper, some recently.
It is sad what has happened to the Mail, but for the deeds that the paper has done not only for me but also to the many before me, I believe that it is still worth my one dollar.
In fact, I have been picking the paper more regularly after that lawyer editor left as the paper has actually returned to its old form for some time. Of course, they need to buck up on the exposes, but I have not lost faith in it.
Btw, I wonder how many of your posters here have actually read the Mail in the past two months? I think it's only fair to comment if they have been doing that. From what I gather, some of the posters openly admitted that they have stopped buying. How then do they continue to blast the paper when they have not been reading it?
V.A
Anon 9.11am/Hahaha
ReplyDeleteNabi berpesan: berdiam diri itu lebih baik daripada berkata-kata kalau berkata-kata hanya menimbulkan dosa.
Jadi apabila kita hendak berkata-kata, katalah yang elok-elok dan baik-baik. katalah perkara yang mencabar minda, yang masuk akal dan yang tidak mencaci hina. Itu pesan The Scribe setiap kali beliau memulakan entriesnya. Sdr tak baca ke mukadimah Datuk Kadir Jasin dalam semua entriesnya yakni comment yang gunanama anonymous tidak akan dilayan (tak perlu guna nama betul, guna nama samaran pun ok), comment yang memaki hamun dan menggelar seseorang dengan gelaran yang bukan-bukan tidak akan dilayan.
Budi bahasa budaya kita, tuan.
Applaud the current MM editorial team? That's a laugh. No hands are so tightly bound that they can't act with a minimum level of professionalism. Rocky's hands were also tied but he acquitted himself well enough. To resurrect the MM, bring in the real pros, not the current crop of wannabe editors with hype but no hope.
ReplyDelete" Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteyes, let the professionals run it... but prostitutes are also professionals... maybe that's why some professionals tend to prostitute themselves hence they become prostitutes.
ah, yes... of professionals and prostitutes... it's like the chicken and egg thingy... makes one wonder which comes first.
12:42 AM "
The Mael Melayu Story...
A scene at Jalan Liku back lane. An advertising executive Miss MM was talking to a call girl during the busy Tea break hour. " If I dont get a client to advertise a full page space today, I`ll get F*ck! The call girl replied, " If I dont get f*ck today, I have to advertise a full page! "
John Labu.
Rocky,
ReplyDeleteI have not seen the Malay Mail these days.The last I bought a copy was about 30 years ago.I use to buy it for gossips and centrefolds. I am sure it is about the same now. Why revive a dead paper? Newspapers should be printed only if the people want it. With so many bloggers around, I fail to see why it should be revived. But on the other hand I may be wrong and there may be other reasons for running it. So let them try again. Heh, heh !
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteyes, let the professionals run it... but prostitutes are also professionals... maybe that's why some professionals tend to prostitute themselves hence they become prostitutes.
ah, yes... of professionals and prostitutes... it's like the chicken and egg thingy... makes one wonder which comes first.
12:42 AM
Rocky,
ReplyDeleteSaya berbual dengan seorang wartawan dari kumpulan NST baru-baru ini. Saya buka bicara dengan mengatakan akhbar NST dan BH tidak begitu manarik bagi saya lagi. Begitu juga dengan edisi hari Ahad kedua-dua akhbar berkenaan menyebabkan saya kadang-kadang membeli BM dan New Sunday Times tetapi selalunya tidak. Beliau menjelas dari segi liputan tiada yang berubah dan begitu juga dari segi penulisan rencana. Cuma katanya para pemblog kini lebih terkehadapan berbanding akhbar. Katanya pemblog juga lebih bebas menulis berbanding wartawan media cetak. Selain itu maklumat yang ditawarkan oleh pemblog lebih terkini, lebih mendalam dan analisis pemblog lebih tajam, berani dan sebagainya lagi. Kesimpulannya kalau mau buka semula MM mesti bersaing dengan blog. Kalau tidak bukan saja MM tetapi akhbar arus perdana sekarang seperti BH, NST, UM dan The Star juga akan kehilangan pembaca dan menghadapi kemerosotan edaran. Kalau akhbar kumpulan Media Prima merosot, maka tak dapatlah saya pulangan yang baik dari pelaburan duit KWSP saya.
TKasih.
Ok, maybe I can contribute my 2cent worth of thought here. The strenght of the conventional reading paper journalist is very different from communication cyber jonourlist. Please note that I am using Jonourlist on both area as they are just only using different tools.
ReplyDelete1. The paper is reaching the people through easy distribution network but a blog reader is not as easy to access a blog.
2. The paper has space restriction while cyber jonourlist have more freedom to link their topic to other information site to justify a piece of writing.
3. Newsprint is more expensive to setup and internet news is otherwise.
So, I was thinking Rockybru could be right on his comment - Marry Both The Tools together. All conventional news on the paper should have web address for further reading on the Internet. The paper will have the brief news and more insights of it on the Internet. This would also encourage participation for the followers on the topic.
At this moment, I only see a repeat of the same article on print is actually on the website. This should not be the case because the both have very different wants and needs for information from it's audience.
There ya go if my 2cent worth of thoughts actually helps ... :)
For MM to survive is to adopt the current "tag line" & trent of being "transparent"!News should be reported "with or without" favour like what what Walia Singh and "bloggers" are doing!
ReplyDeleteOf course, it has to be constructive and being objective in whatever situations that it exposes! Play ball with Ministry of Home Affairs in their pledge to be "transparent"!! The new editorial should not follow any cheap tabloid in printing a "sensational" headlines and hollow in contents. Coupled with a good sports section, the advertisers will be flowing back.
The Management of NST should keep their egos in check and forget the bad blood if their are true "businessmen". They should re-engage any formal journalist staffs to bring MM back to life! Obviously, bringing expacts from neighboring countries will only bring trouble!
Regards, Kunta Kinte
ps. i watched Roger Water's Concert DVD, "The Wall" over the weekend. How it reminds me of present days' "propoganda thinkings"! In case to those who do not know, "The Wall" is in reference to the "Berlin Wall"!
Malay Mail dah takde ke? eh... ketinggalan sungguh aku nih... hehehehe i only bought MM when I'm looking for a job :P
ReplyDeletei must say some of the comments are interesting. while i think that the mm is not a first choice read, i think that some of the comments made here are from non-readers who are only bent on venting their frustrations on "other things" on the NSTP papers.
ReplyDeleteI want to be more positive, because like V.A, I too have been "touched" by the MM.
This is actually a unique product, at least I think it is so.
No other paper can be as independent as the MM, considering the fact it's owned by pro-government head honchos.
It was perhaps the most hard-hitting paper, and to see it close will only mean you and I will lose a paper that fights for the common people.
I feel the MM should be brought back to the old days, and be made thicker.
But that said, I do not wish to see it dead. Those who used to follow it would know that it has helped thousands of needy cases, giving hope to children and families by raising funds, getting the authorities to help them, etc.
This paper dies, and that caring aspect dies with it. This is the paper's niche from the start and I was surprised that the top hats failed to see that.
I remember reading recently about the boy who wanted to be a cop but he has no legs. The paper got the funds within days!
Tell me one other paper that does that.
Perhaps, a suggestion: give constructive views on what we want in the paper rather than just flog it.
What do you think, Bru?
aiya, i read many people praising the sports section. what a laugh. it has gone to the dogs when someone who cant even write to save his own life was made the sports editor. who appointed him? hahaha your guess is as good as mine. this can only happen in nstp. ask rocky.
ReplyDelete