Media is neither friend or foe but measure of democracy, says Johan Jaaffar

SHAH ALAM - Many groups, especially politicians, are still stuck with the old mindset whereby the media that supports them are 'friends'.

Veteran journalist Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar said in a statement that such mindsets resonate loudly during elections, and the upcoming state polls are no exception.

"The fact is, when you are in opposition, the critical attitude of the media is considered good and praised, but the same newspaper is considered "anti-government' when the opposition is in power.

"We live in a completely different era now, more so with the existence of the Internet, in which the influence of social media is so prominent.

"Everyone must accept that the media must be free and open.

"The media is not the ruling party's propaganda channel and not the spokeperson of the opposition," he said.

In fact, Johan said free media is the prerequisite of a healthy and functional democracy.

"We cannot go back to the era of total government control over the media. That is long gone.

"Since 2018, we have seen a new and stimulating freedom. The media world is more vibrant now. Since taking over the government, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has promised freedom for journalists to operate in a fresh and conducive environment.

"We see how the media freedom index has shown a positive improvement, and this must be maintained," he stressed.

However, Johan said media practitioners must exercise caution about media freedom. It has to come with responsibility.

"In addition to being the eyes and ears of the people in ensuring justice and avoiding wrongdoing and corruption, journalists must also act professionally and be responsible," he said.

Earlier today, Sinar Harian Editor-in-Chief shared the uphill battle the media faced for being a neutral newspaper.

"Throughout our 17 years in the media industry, we have been bombarded with various titles and accusations.

"These labels arose because, since the establishment of Sinar Harian, we have been the only paper that does not favour any political party.

"In our endeavour for free media, we represent the voice of the people and have always supported the nation," he said.

Zambri further said that the media do not exhibit boas, and their online platforms and programmes are open to all leaders.