The friction between the state and media is not something unique to our country and certainly not something new to our time.
When New York-based The Wall Street Journal recently published what it claims to be evidence that more than RM2.5 billion was channelled to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s personal account, the immediate response by the government was to accuse the publication of false reporting.
“Wanton allegations”, “malicious reporting” and “gutter journalism” were some of the choice words by Malaysian ministers to describe the report, in a knee-jerk reaction so typical of our government when it comes to criticism and exposes in the press.
Never mind that it took Najib more than 12 hours after the article was published to finally issue a denial, but not before his Prime Minister’s Office posted an immediate Facebook response which was a weakly worded statement claiming “political sabotage”.
Clearly, the government was not prepared to convince the public of Najib’s innocence, choosing instead to discredit the WSJ.
On the local front, The Edge Media Group is slowly earning itself the title of “rebel with a cause” with its hard-hitting and investigative coverage of the billion-dollar 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) controversy hitting a raw nerve with the government.
For its efforts, it was last week issued a show-cause letter demanding that it explain to the Home Ministry why it should not be punished for “false reporting”.
While Malaysia’s habitual demonising of non-government-owned media is nothing new, Najib and his ministers have failed to see that they will need more than weak rhetoric and flimsy denials to battle the press of today.
With a circulation of 2.4 million copies and a history dating back to more than 100 years, The Wall Street Journal has built up a sturdy reputation for being fiercely protective of their editorial integrity.
The publication has won more than 30 Pulitzer Prizes for its editorial content, and is easily one of America’s, if not the world’s, most influential publications. To discredit an organisation like the WSJ, a five-paragraph statement is surely not going to cut it.
In stark contrast, Najib’s weakened administration is already lacking public credibility, and the barrage of attacks from the opposition as well as from his own government has successfully chipped away at public confidence in his leadership.
In light of this already ebbing public image, his weak attacks on the WSJ and The Edge – which many see as taking the frontline in exposing the 1MDB irregularities – will only further erode the people’s trust in the government and in him.
Malaysians see world-class media organisations against a government that appears to be deeply immersed in an RM42 billion financial scandal that is already tearing this nation apart in its wake.
It’s not hard to guess who they’ll trust more.
The first line in the National Union of Journalists’ code of ethics states proudly that a journalist must have “respect for truth, and for the right of the public to truth”.
If The Wall Street Journal, The Edge, or any other media organisation sway from that code and publishes false and malicious articles for the purpose of sensationalism, then they must be punished in accordance with the law.
But until they are proven to be intentionally misleading their readers, we must uphold the right of the press to bring us – the public – the truth.
The media industry has grown stronger, bolder and more popular as a result of this government’s infamy. If Najib wants to regain any trace of trust and respectability from the public, he will not achieve it by berating the press, and by issuing hollow and weak denials.
He will need to employ the basic tenets of good leadership: truth, honesty and accountability.
He will need to face the press head-on with solid answers to the many questions surrounding his alleged involvement in the 1MDB scandal.
Because until he does, in the court of public opinion, Najib has already lost the battle. – July 5, 2015.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
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