Editorial Bias Not A Sell Out On Press Freedom

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Ibrahim M Ahmad
I may be old-school, but I must say that I was baffled to read news reports intermingled with rumours of “political powers” allegedly interfering with the appointment of key media personnel, apparently “to sway narratives in their favour” in the lead up to the 15th general election.
The particular report/rumour suggested an impending replacement of the New Straits Times (NST) group editor, apparently at the behest of bigwigs in Umno. Concerned staff reportedly petitioned the prime minister to intervene and save him from the cull.
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As it turned out, the change did take place, with Media Prima’s chairman Syed Hussian Aljunid issuing a timely statement on Thursday explaining the decision. Really, he should not have had to do so.
Yes, press freedom is a fundamental pillar of a democratic society, but that does not mean a news organisation cannot chart its own editorial direction.
The complaint in the present case seems to be that the news outlet’s owners have an agenda which strays from its current ‘middle-of-the-ground’ reporting. The suggestion is that this interferes with press freedom.
With respect, that is a flawed argument.
In the first place, even what constitutes “middle-of-the-ground” reporting is very much subjective and open to different interpretations.
In any case, every media organisation without exception has an editorial stand, and with it, what can be termed an editorial slant or even an editorial bias.
The Americans are famous for boasting that they have the purest form of press freedom in all the world. Yet it is common knowledge that MSNBC and CNN lean left towards the Democratic Party, while Fox News is unabashedly right wing and pro-Republican.
Contrary to popular belief, a news outlet’s leaning is not determined by journalists themselves. It is almost always a course charted by the outlet’s owners, often in close consultation with media advisors and editors.
It then falls on the editorial team to reflect this leaning through their reporting and in opinion pieces, while allowing some space for opposing viewpoints.
Media owners, however, always retain the absolute right to ring in changes to ensure the editorial direction set for their organisation is not compromised in any way by anyone.
My sympathies are always with journalists who strongly believe that their wings are being clipped, especially when changes are made to editorial appointments.
They may choose to protest the owners’ actions, but ultimately, cannot force through their demands even if they petition the prime minister or the king.
Editorial direction is strictly the owners’ prerogative.
The reality is that all mainstream media outlets do the bidding of their owners.
What has happened at NST this week happens everywhere all the time. It is nothing new. Ironically, some of the more vocal critics on this occasion were themselves in news organisations which were subjected to similar individual slants and biases.
As much as employees like to think otherwise, no business is run from the ground up. News organisations are no exception.
Every business entity’s direction is determined by its owners. Once set, the success or failure of the enterprise falls squarely on the owners’ shoulders.
It would be naïve to think that editorial direction is a media organisation’s only consideration. Running media is a business. Financial considerations matter just as much.
No shareholder would want his media company to bleed money. The considerations are much more demanding on companies such as NST’s owner, Media Prima, which is a public company listed on Bursa Malaysia.
Indeed, its history is well-known. Once owned by Umno, the company had a poor financial record, accumulating losses of more than RM800 million. It ended up selling its prized asset, the iconic ‘Balai Berita’ building, to pay staff salaries and borrowings.
It has fared much better in the last two years after being taken over by entrepreneurs, boasting eight consecutive quarters of profit. Its 2021 balance sheet reveals a staggering RM340 million in cash. Remarkably, it has even managed to buy back the “Balai Berita” building it sold barely three years ago.
That is an amazing turnaround in such a short period of time.
The modern-day reality is that no media outlet can exist if it is run at a loss. Entrepreneurs who venture into the media business must ensure that the product is nimble enough to remain relevant to the ever-changing demands of its readership.
As confirmed by Media Prima’s chairman, any suggestion that NST is owned or controlled by a political party or the government is entirely misplaced. Those days have long gone. NST and the other media outlets in Media Prima’s stable are neither beholden to any political party or the government, nor do they have any control over them.
Finally, it would be wrong to say that owners who set an editorial direction are in any way curtailing the freedom of the press or anybody’s right to free speech.
We no longer live in the twentieth century. In the age of the internet and social media, no one person or entity can expect to control or dominate the news media landscape to the exclusion of others.
A proliferation of outlets and avenues have now opened up, giving everyone – not just journalists – the right to express opinions to the world at large on any matter they choose without being subjected to censorship.
All that remains is for disgruntled journalists to create or find one that matches their own aspirations and leanings. - FMT
Ibrahim M Ahmad is a FMT Reader.
The views expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.

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