It's about gumption, eds and journos. We talked about Press Freedom today. We hackled Zaid Ibrahim, the de facto Law Minister, for his lack of commitments. Some said he was a waste of time.
But he asked this question of us journalists:"It's about gumption. And commitment. Are you prepared to face the consequences?"And he made this statement:"I see only one group editor present here today".Only Wong Chun Wai, the Editor in Chief of The Star, had the gumption, it seems. Azman Ujang, the GM of Bernama was there, too, but he's no longer an Editor even though he's still a journalist at heart.
The others mainstream editors* are playing golf, too lazy, very contented, afraid, or probably didn't even know what the NUJ, NPC, CIJ, WAMI, BENAR and All-Blogs were up to today.
To the journalists from mainstream media who turned up and walked after the talk today, I salute you.
* Steven Gan of Malaysiakini came, but he's not what the minister meant when he talked about "mainstream media editors".
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Where were the Editors?
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yeah bro..where were the NST clowns and tony francis..the man with many vested interests?!?
ReplyDeleteIf Stephanie Son-Of-A-Gun of malaysiasoros.con is not MSM, then who is?
ReplyDeleteThe so-called 'MSM' Editors did not turn up becoz they know they are Editors of propagandist party-political broadsheets, radio & tv, not real MSM. QED
The other so-called journalists were either having fun with their mistresses, second or third wives or playing golf. And they called themselves journalists. You Motherduckers. You should be ashamed to be called journalists. You are mutts, you are stupid, you debase journalism. God help us. Bastards. I am spitting blood now.
ReplyDelete"De facto" ministers? Which other country in this world has a defacto minister?
ReplyDeleteIf he is defacto, the other ministers now without the "defacto" in their title is what? "sans-facto*"? (without fact)
So who are putting their money where their mouths are? ie no fear of recrimination?
To me this would be Bloggers!
Mr DeFATo is still living in lah-lah land denying the existence of "other" media forms.
next time just specify who should attend before the event can be considered an event!
Well... tht's very commendable for Wong Chun Wai to attend the walk. The rest seems to be playing it safe. Unfortunately for Wong, I'm sure his boss from the Parties will definitely "have a word" with him. Well, the way our country's system works, I wouldn't be surprised if he's looking for a job when the board of directors review his tenure. Thank you goodbye, great job blah blah blah...
ReplyDeleteBut then again that comment on "gumption" and the question of where the other members of the editorial crew of the news vendors came about questioning the validity of the support from ALL from the press for memorandums on change of PPP and other Acts and Laws. By throwing that back, those in the Press Club with the vested interest obviously have to find themselves having shortcomings asking for whatever because Zaid as well as everyone else knows you'll never get solidarity on these matters from the owners of the press. How can you, when UMNO owns most of them and their cronies the rest. All those wanting these changes can , at best, only be employees.
ReplyDeleteWhat an inequitable profession!
READ who is talking (from the malaysian insider) Dr M: Unfair media drove me to blogging
ReplyDeleteUses 'frog' description on former PKR leader Ezam
PETALING JAYA, June 1: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday he became a blogger as he no longer gets fair coverage in the mainstream media.
He said the blog was an alternative medium for him to voice his opinion without any obstacles.
"I am being blocked and not allowed to deliver speeches. My speeches are not allowed to be reported in the newspapers.
"Despite that, my blog is popular. Many people are reading it. If I am not covered at all, the people can still read my blog," he said yesterday. WHEN IN POWER, CAKAP TAK SELUPA BEKIN. Now you reap what you sow.
Where have all the editors gone
ReplyDeleteLong time passing?
They think their work is done
After loo pissing
(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng - 010608
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
Sun. 1st June 2008.
Reading Susan Loone, she says Zaid hit the nail on the head literally nailing the coffin.
ReplyDeleteWell, if you press people cannot do it through practitioners of your profession, may I suggest that maybe applying the pressure on another profession might just do the trick.
After all most of the press and broadcasters are owned by companies listed on the stock exchange. A lot of reporting is required down there and of course they all are required to have their accounts audited.
Now auditors are supposed to report to the shareholders their opinion of whether or not the accounts reflect a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company.
By true and fair, there is also the presumption that the accruals method of accounting employed that now recognises income and also expense charges against it assumes the on going nature of the company. That the company is indeed a going concern.
Remember, the most important of all the assumptions here is the assumption that it is a going concern. That is what you assume when you list down the values as stated for the assets in the Balance Sheet and make it all look good.
Digressing a little, at the height of the ENRON affair the CEO of Arthur Anderson in the USA, on an interview with CNN said that the ENRON practice of booking profits upon signing contracts was an executive decision and was of no concern of the auditors. Yet Arthur Anderson soon found itself in difficult waters and had to close down world wide. I thought, listening to that interview of his, that he took a cheap shot at the interviewer who obviously was not an Accountant or Auditor. Otherwise he would have asked him "But is it not the auditor's duty to report on the going concern of the business?" Obviously if the auditors had only tested for "going concern" status of that practice of ENRON's, and reported on it, ENRON might still be there today and so would Arthur Anderson.
As for the going concern of the companies that run the country's presses and broadcast organisations, how sure is anyone if whether they indeed provide all the comforts auditors necessarily have to seek before assuming that these companies are indeed a going concern?
After all they operate on an annual license. There is never any assurance that the license will be renewed as Makkal Osai found out recently. The Star was in such a situation way back in 1988.
Maybe this explains the press owners' insistence of sucking up to the government.
But then again, auditors, when doing their present audit have to ask themselves a new question. One they and everyone of us never envisaged asking before GE2008. What if there is a change of government?
Now, any change in the government, Pakatan Rakyat for instance being the new government, can result in the new Home Minister calling on the licensees to whom licenses have been issued to come show whether or not they have carried out their business in the way envisaged by the issuance of their license. Was it news or was it propaganda? Was there news not reported that could have stopped the leak of resources and so on. Anyway, just justify the continuation of the license.
I know I will be encouraging the new government to cancel their license.
The point is the going concern of the company carrying out its present business may just be suspect if it keeps going on like it is. All I need is that Pakatan Rakyat leaders do mention this possibility when they do come into power. And we don't even need to wait for that to happen. Auditors may have to immediately address the going concern status of the company and report on it. If not, they will have to face the same liabilities that wiped out Arthur Anderson in 2002. Now that the auditors have been warned, I hope they will heed this warning and do report on the going concern of the companies they audit.
On another matter of interest to these companies as well as their staff, unless there is provision otherwise, fact of the matter is, if there is a lapse of time between the expiry of the annually issued Printing or broadcast license and the issue of the new license, then this period is almost like that time period when you drive your car without a license.
You meet in an accident during this period when your driving license was not renewed, your insurance company does not pay. You hit somebody, it is criminal. You pay for the other person's damages as well.
You want to know how the insurance company will respond when something like that happens while the Home Ministry is pondering over the renewal of your company's print or broadcast license? Just imagine a fire, or you are out on assignment and an accident happens..bla...bla....bla... As you can see I am not an insurance expert. Lets ask the insurance companies..ya!!
Common Rocky, I think it's time for the mainstream newspaper editors to go namely Half Past Six, Kalimullah Hassan, Hishammuddin (I got instruction from the top) Aun, Manja (so called profesional) Ismail and Syed Nazri from NST should packing immediately, also Khalid Mohamad from Utusan, must religuish your post now. We don't respect all of you. Ask yourself what is your contribution to this country?.
ReplyDeleteSuriram
Waaa hensem abang ngan WCK - http://minaq-jinggo.fotopages.com/
ReplyDeleteBro, maybe the other so-called editors, manipulators, spinners and suckers were busy brainstorming on how best to project Ezam as the saviour of the fictitious 'Umno-Malay Kingdom'.
ReplyDeleteIf Parameswara is still alive he would run back to Majapahit, after having witnessed the Umno clowns at work.
Remember! The Malacca Malay Sultanate collapsed, and was eventually wiped out due to TRAITORS within the sultanate and not bcoz of the enemy's might.
Once a TRAITOR, will always be a TRAITOR ... dats why in the olden days traitors were executed without any appeal.
I knew he is a waste of time. Abdullah Badawi's new ass kisser and appointed by Khairy.
ReplyDeleteZaid, you lost any possible credibility you ever had.
Now for some expose, Zaid is the guy who drafted the IRDA 664 act.
He is dirt!!! Lebih hina dari najis babi kilang babi anjuran PK.R
Ya Bro, Datuk Wong Chun Wai is gumptious because he is a DATUK Melaka. But Melaka DATUK's are descendants of Hang Tuah (loyal tak tentu arah), Hang Jebat (berontak tak tentu arah), maybe he inherits both. Loyal and rebellious at the same time. Syabas Chun Wai, Hidup STAR.
ReplyDeleteWell Said Minister!
ReplyDeleteThese so called journos are cowards and only interested in their own livelihood completly ignoring their social responsibility towards the greater Rakyat. If they themselves willing to sell their soul to Government for money, then what press freedom they are talking about?
The challenge about gumption, commitment and being prepared to face the consequences sounds like a smug jibe and veiled threat to me.
ReplyDeleteHe knows they are being held by the balls and was just mocking them.
Rocky, cuba you buat analisis mengenai menteri-menteri yang baru dilantik berasaskan kepada negeri. Contoh, Selangor yang kalah ada 4 menteri penuh - Zin, Noh, Mat Taib dan Ong Tee Kiat. Itu yang saya perasan. Perak dua menteri - zahid dan Nazri, Penang, Pak Lah dan Nor Yakcob..dua-dua jadi menteri. Tapi, negeri lain yang menang kecuali Johor, tak ramai dapat kedudukan. Cuba U tengok. Itu pasal Sabah dan Sarawak bengkak hati.
ReplyDeleteSuriram
Hei Rocky so what if they did not show up and why are we so riled up for, may be they have other lives to live especially on Sunday and yeah Zaid is a de facto plus sans facto minster so what! I was with my wife on the hill behind KDE golf course in Ampang feeding monkeys and I find that was more exhilarating then listening to fake talking about nothing. BTW the monkeys needed to be fed and many female ones are pregnant, and since it was raining so hard they were unable to find food in the brush so we got to help. I'd rather help our simian friends than listening to rhetoric and semantic of any politician! Cheers for the monkeys and no cheers for liars!
ReplyDeletePlaying golf for the press sake, whats the big deal?
ReplyDeleteI have no intend to read the 'mainstream' newspaper, except malaysiakini.
Now this is very interesting. The Gomen blamed alternative media for the votes swing, Steven Gan was there and they dont consider Malaysiakini as mainstream media. You are right Rocky, I think the rest are just plain hopeless. I bet they didn't even know there's such a walk or meeting! Obviously Wong CW was there because he's a blogger, and he's smart enough to catch up this blogging stuff, unlike the rest, they'll be obsolute and useless in a short time. Media giant, Robert Murdoch once said, his biggest enemies will be the alternative media.
ReplyDeleteMK
With all the impressions of the gathering of cops at every gathering, most people would not want to be involved. Especially with all the pictures of bloody people in Cheras, it is a no, no! Better safe than sorry! Better at home than in jail.
ReplyDeleteWow...I agree more higher ups shoulda attended, but perhaps we should practice what we preach (you know, benefit of the doubt, innocent until proven guilty, etc). Some higher ups may have had prior, important commitments, others may have had to run the paper, etc. Just because those who attended could spare the time does not mean those who didn't did not want to attend. Not to mention the possibility that they might have thought Zaid would only be serving up a bunch of crock not worth listening to. Such a lot of vitriol based merely on assumptions.
ReplyDeleteI admit I too suspect these higher ups of not being bothered about the talk, but I am not about to go bashing them because I merely suspect them of this. Like I said before, maybe it was because they think Zaid would be serving up a bunch of crock (as someone who is full of crock is wont to do!).
That also begs the question...was the talk even important enough? If someone full of crock is gonna dish out mere crock, then perhaps it was not important enough.
Whatever it is, we are perhaps being a little sanctimonious in bashing these higher ups.
"Let him who is without sin cast the first stone."
p.s. I prefer using the term higher ups than editors
M.A.
Ala Datuk Naim..ada hati jugak nak mengata orang...cermin diri dulu la...Datuk yang dianugerahkan tu dapat dari mana n macam mana....kata dulang paku serpih, kata org dia yang lebih. At least Datuk CW Wong hadir juga untuk mengetahui apa yang berlaku...
ReplyDeleteabe
This is a message to NST's chief clown by the name of Hishamuddin Ann and his sidekick Syed Nadzri - stop calling yourselves journalists, you are not fit to be journalists. You are fit to be apple-polishers, dish washers. You cant hold a candle to Rocky. Rent-seekers like you should be castrated. Your ex-master Kadir Jasin has repented (or so it appears). It's your turn.
ReplyDeleteBravo! Wong Chun Wai. You did show up didn't you. I hope you were there not just to shake your head in agreement with whatever Zaid says coz no matter how nice he may be, he is still a BN/Umno Man.
ReplyDeleteWhile we are hitting at the MSM Editors, I would also like to take a swipe at that SOB journalist called Awang Selamat. Awang has always been fanning racial and religious sentiments in his 'Senyyum-Senyum Kambing' strip but never gets slapped with the Sedition Act.
pray it works...
ReplyDeleteOh God...u quotin' Malayian Insider?....hahaa...that is an ANTI Mahathir portal. Those clowns there are put by Kalimulah..very supportive of AAB, Khairy.
Salam Bro.
ReplyDeleteHow much media freedom do we want when both parties BN and PAKATAN outrageously abuse their media to spread propaganda.
As much as BN abuses MSM, the PAKATAN is raping their media such as Adil, Harakah and Siasah to promote the agenda and propaganda without shy.
Hardly one can find articles in Harakah about PAS being sidelined in PAKATAN, but that is the true fact.
And in latest SIASAH edition, the cover story reported that from a survey conducted, 57% of Klang Valley dwellers support Anwar to become next prime minister.
I 100% believe in the result, if the question is like this "Who is a better PM, Anwar or Dollah", because comparing Anwar to Badawi is like comparing Anwar to zuchini, just dead vege. Still 43% prefer zuchini.
So be fair to yourself, read alternative media, plenty of them in your computer.
When I read what came out in the papers, it pretty much left out much of the media's grouses raised that day against the current laws and policies of our government related to the media.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who went in there thinking that Zaid Ibrahim would be full frontal supportive were obviously delusional. But the YB brought up an interesting point, in which if we are fighting for free media we need the support from the media people.
We honestly do not officially have that.
I mean I'll admit, Wong Chun Wai was there, but was he there representing the Star officially, or his stance as a Malaysian blogger?
Personally,if we are looking at this event as a start, we need to work up the momentum by getting people working within the media to sign up and get involved.
That includes editors, writers, copywriters, film directors, editors, scriptwriters, radio DJs (who don't plug their blog in a forum),etc...anyone and everyone involved in the media.
PS: And the next time someone shouts press freedom, tell them it's media freedom
I heard 'boos' over the TV reporting. U guys are really heckling Zaid eh?
ReplyDeleteFROM THE START, WHY BOTHER BRINGING BADAWI'S DEFACTO GUY. FROM THE WAY HE SINGS THESE DAYS, IT SOUNDED LIKE HE'S HOWLING FOR HIS 'I HEAR YOU, BUT LET ME GET BACK TO YOU LATER' BOSS.
ReplyDeleteNOTHING MOVES.
NOTHING CHANGE.
WASTING TIME.
INSTEAD OF CUDDLING, HE TOOK THE HIGH GROUND BY ASKING BACK THE JOURNOS, IF YOU DID NOT REPORT WITHOUT FEAR, IS IT THE GOVERNMENT'S PROBLEM?!
WE ARE BEFRIENDING THE WRONG GUYLAH BRO? AS IF HE CAN ENSURE ALL THE PRESS GUYS WON'T BE INTERFERED IF THEY WRITE WITH GUTS AND THE REAL TRUTH.
IF SO, PLEASE TAKE UP THE CHALLENGE ALL YOU NEWSPAPER BOYS. IF SOMEONE CALLS YOU ASKING WHY YOU DID THIS AND THAT, JUST SAY YOU ARE TAKING DEFACTO ZZZZZZZZZZAID'S CHALLENGE TO PROVIDE AND PRINT REAL FACTS!
HE'S QUITE SMART BUT IS MIXING WITH THE WRONG CROWDLAH BRO....
LOOKS LIKE HE FEELS AT HOME WITH THEM, SO...BIRD'S OF A FEATHER FLOCKS TOGETHER LAH!
(TRUBLU JOHORE)
I have no right to comment since I cannot make it myself. I do not wish to risk bringing my 2 sons (having autism) to the walk just in case it get rough.
ReplyDeleteShiok Guy
http://shiokguy.blogspot.com/
the Zaid Ibrahim before he was apointed to the prime minister's office and the Zaid after seem to be like the first and fourth wife of some corrupt datuk caught money laundering in Australia. what a pathetic let down.
ReplyDeletethe last umno politician i had an ounce of respect suddenly manifested like a clandestine pack of 'belacan busok'. what had happened to all that talk about a transparent goverment and free media? or had Zaid always been a hyena in sangkancil skin?
it was a despicable aggravating spectacle to hear him address the NUJ. his accusations against the Press and innuendo that they were irresponsible and not united was nothing more than the typical bn rhetoric, pardon me for expecting too much from a bn ketuanan pawn.
could it be that he developed sudden amnesia about the decades of Press muzzling and instutionalisation after his appointment to the prime minister's office? or could it be that his palm got greased with "fishing trip" money? after all are not Lingam and he fishermen in not too distant ponds?
it is amazing how umno politicians fail to break free from its pecking order. it is a contagion that pervert men and women of any profession to the level of "political pinnochios".
an utter dissapointment. the last individual i had trust to reflect some integrity turned out to be a "turnspeak" mental midget of shame. turnspeak by the way is that old Hitler ideology of making the victim the agressor, and the agressor.
my prayer is that NUJ journalists and bloggers that walked continue to walk and the call for a free and unshackled media.
none of you owe these political pinnochios an apology for demanding that. the malaysian media must be unshackled from the ketuanan lords of corruption .... sooner or later.
continue to speak out without fear or favor. we the rakyat of the non-umno-barisan testicle-carrying citizens will stand with you until the last of these barisan paid media eats its own dropping.
their newspapers do not even qualify to be used in dog kennels.
Ha!
ReplyDeleteWe need to totally overhaul the entire print media and start anew.
Rid them of their inherent UMNO-a$$-ki$$ing mechanisms. It's time for a breath of fresh air.
"Possible petition to British gov't from Sabahans" ... see www.malaysiakini.com/news/83809...
ReplyDeletefollowing footsteps of HINDRAF cuz govt not looking after Sabahan's welfare too...
wong chun wei, tak bagus sebab dia tak nak terima sekolah wawasan yakni menghapuskan sekolah jenis kebangsaan cina dan india hanya tubuh sekolah wawasan dan hanya menggunakan bahasa melayu dan inggeris. tanya dia boleh terima tak.
ReplyDeleteanti perkauman
macam mana nak bebas kalau pemikiran masih lagi memikirkan tentang kaum dan bahasa sendiri saja taruk apa parti pun tak guna.
ReplyDeletecuba ikut perlembagaan yang menyatakan bahasa rasmi bahasa malaysia.
anti kaum
APALAH JALAN-JALAN NI SEMUA, DAH TU MENGUTUK ORANG TAK HABIS-HABIS, BUAT TAIK MATA LAGI BAIK..
ReplyDeleteNONY
bro rocky, ali rustam blog have been terminated.. hangat hangat tahi ayam only.. wondering who will be the next one..
ReplyDeletehhhmmm pasquale prefered to feed the monkies...on rainy day.
ReplyDeleteSound like Dollah and him....same type...dare not be at the meeting...and make idiotic excuses. And my good friend nstman...is all shooked up!
Rocky,
ReplyDeleteWant to know the actual reason why implementation of 50km no refuel to Singaporean in Johore was delayed ?
Not because of not enough minister attending last wednesday meeting, but because one of the biggest and longest service station before the causeway belong to Johor Royal family.
And Shahrir, being the minister and MP of JB overlook this. Since damage have been done, no choice but to hold it.
Takut nanti Sultan kacau WPI.
Bodoh punya Dollah cabinet. Lepas satu satu, depa fumble.
oHO
ReplyDeleteSaudara Brew,
ReplyDeleteThe pre Walk (after) The Talk postings said it all...
(Now hum Baha Mens' Who Let the Dogs Out)... Who let 'em out of the catacombs.
If you agree to disagree then why heckle..
Postings and the articles which followed suit, simply drove the nail into the coffin. Even electronic visuals focused on the boisterous crowd rather than the issue at hand… I guess one can conclude – so much for reforms and media freedom.
It would seem the Bernstein n Woodward wannabes in Malaysia do not treat journalism as a profession, thus they don't have what it takes to make demands for reforms.
Hence one can only wonder what is the quality of those purportedly representing the fraternity.
I have never seen so many individuals cossetted and taken in with a lawyer/politician's casuistry approach. How they fell for it hook, line and sinker!
And when he returns to the next Cabinet meeting, calls of "I told You So..." will echo, much to the chagrin of the "bersiul Ministers", and dont for one minute assume the Law Minister is perturbed!
Are the penpushers to blame?
The Minister was right when he said they should take responsibility, but how many dare!
But he was definately wrong to encourage editors and journalists to close ranks...
He clearly lacked the knowledge of the workings of newsroom in Malaysia, or he made it out to seem that he did.
You yourself having served with MSM should have put things in the proper perspective for him but you failed to do so, allowing the event to be taken over... or was it the objective of the exercise.
If so, one can understand why the upper ups of newspaper companies do not co exist or even extend professional courtesy to the NPC and NUJ.
Had gathered that you too were once likewise when serving the MSM.
As for the CIJ & others, they are mere alphabetical syllables to these upper ups.
As mentioned earlier, the weeks that were had been interesting…unfortunately the local media has failed to capture events unfolding in the global sphere of things.
Simply do an engine search on Mark Standen & Sydney; Prison ships & USS Peliliu, USS Bataan, Reprieve & Clive Stafford Smith; Whitley Detention Center & Selamat; Mosley & MI5, there are numerous articles out there which oddly doesn’t reach the local papers…these are some of the developments in recent weeks.
Monday, the 61st World Newspaper Congress and 15th World Editors Forum opened in
Sweden… how many of the local pen pushers know about this…
This is where both the NPC & NUJ should work together to inculcate a new breed of journalists…
(Btw, can you please advise contributors to refrain being personal. An outsider should not be blamed if he or she was to conclude how badly managed the NST is/was/continues to be judging from commentaries posted on numerous sites).
#Sekadar diPinggiran#
Bro,
ReplyDeletePak Lah can be Pakatan gov't's foreign minister - Malaysiakini
Wrong guess bro. He will be Pakatan's tourism minister sebab suka berjalan.....
It's time to expel fake journalists (and there are many) in this country, starting with Hishamuddin Ann, Brendan Pereira, Wong Sulong, Kadir Jasin, Ahmad Talib and their ilk. They are the pits, they are mutts, they make everyone puke. They are the main reason why journalism is dead. They have raped, pillaged, buggered the profession. They have blood in their hands. They have no conscience.
ReplyDelete