Upset over how some recent events have been portrayed in the Western media, Malaysia is pondering an Islamic journalism center to spread more positive and “accurate” news. It is an age-old conundrum: how to find a truly “Asian voice” that is more than just official propaganda.
By Ioannis Gatsiounis, Asia Times, June 7.
In a borderless world that increasingly recognizes the connection between media freedom and well-rounded development, the Malaysian government is finding it harder to sell its version of news to the world. But rather than bow to the laws of nature, the government has stepped up its campaign against information that strays from its official script.
Hints of this came last week, after a court decision that has further tarnished the image of Malaysia’s brand of Islam. The nation’s highest civil court refused to recognize a woman’s conversion from Islam to Christianity, in essence saying it has no jurisdiction over sharia (Muslim) courts when it comes to cases involving conversion to and from Islam.
The state news agency Bernama later reported that Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin found a 279-word story on the case by the British Broadcasting Corp (BBC) sensational and inaccurate, though he did not elaborate. (I struggled in vain to find evidence for the claim.)
The same report said Zainuddin “reminded local media practitioners not to follow the style of the foreign media who are prejudiced against the country” (”foreign” here is the preferred phrasing of government officials, in lieu of “free”, which just might give local journalists ideas). ”Continued”
