STATE-LINKED media outlets are now rushing to cast off their image as Barisan Nasional party organs, following the coalition’s thumping defeat in the 14th general election, reported AFP.

On the heels of Pakatan Harapan’s takeover of Putrajaya, such outlets are refashioning their coverage to be in support of the pact – the very one they had taken aim at under BN rule.

The swift volte-face has been slammed as being nothing more than these outlets running on survival instinct rather than showing fresh commitment to fair and balanced reporting.

However, leading figures in traditional media insist that they are no longer bound by the rules of an authoritative government, and their reports will reflect this.

“The public wants reports that will have perspectives from all sides. The media, I am sure, will look forward to that,” said The Star Media Group CEO Wong Chun Wai.

The nation’s major media outlets have long been reined in by laws such as the Printing Presses and Publications Act, and many are owned by BN parties or have shareholders with businesses aligned with the former ruling bloc.

On the other hand, portals do not face the same restrictions, and have made a name for themselves by reporting on cases of graft and misdeeds involving the political elite. Nevertheless, it has come at a price.

Pioneering news website Malaysiakini, established in 1999, has faced continuous harassment, with its editor-in-chief and chief executive having been charged in recent years for violating communications laws.

The Malaysian Insider was blocked by the government in 2016 after publishing stories on graft allegations linked to former prime minister Najib Razak. It was shut down after its owner, The Edge Media Group, said talks to sell the portal had failed.

The new PH government has promised greater press freedom, with Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo saying this is one of his priorities, along with the repeal of the Anti-Fake News Act.

In this new political climate, portals can breathe a sigh of relief.

“We don’t have to be so afraid of the government clamping down on us,” said Malaysiakini chief executive Premesh Chandran.

However, he warned against thinking that independent media practitioners are now lying on a bed of roses.

Should PH keep its word on ensuring press freedom, it will allow new players to enter the market more easily, and traditional media outlets, which have deeper coffers, might go down the path of truly independent reporting, posing a challenge to portals.

This could see the media landscape turning “very competitive”, said Premesh. – May 23, 2018.