So if politicians blog, what will the MSM report?
Erm. Since reporting politicians’ statements will become rather redundant, why will people buy papers anymore?
Hmmmmmm. And since we can ask questions directly on the blogs, what will be news?
Chua Soi Lek, blogger TOO
WOW. Good. I think the BN-types may be enjoying it. No need to wait for MSM etc. Wrong camp will be censored. At the end of the day, everyone benefits. 
Check out drchua9.blogspot.com.
Who is the REAL Khir Toyo?
I am really quite shocked by Khir, the blogger.
From the MSM, he sounds like such a complete moron. Esp that broom awards issue. I thought it was a good idea to wake the civil servants up in a harsh manner. I mean what’s the big deal? The award winners have to accept that they need to buck up. Sigh.
But these are early days. Have not observed him over time like I have for Anwar Ibrahim. So I can’t really comment on Khir.
So far, he has said the right things on his blog. And unlike Mr Anwar Ibrahim, the GREAT reformist, Khir has set up a shadow exco already. He is quite on top of things, it seems.
Well, from the two times that I’ve seen him in real life, he walked really fast. Very go-getter feel.
But someone called him “tempe man”. Hmmmm. Not so favourable reports from some who’ve seen him up close over a period of time.
I think now, he erm, kinda needs some party post. Dun think he’ll get to keep his Supreme Council seat. He has said he is not defending it.
Well, at least he is doing something about it.
It wins people over when they now act like they listen. Better late than never.
Oh yea, I think he also said something about Selangor being a zero opposition state. But PKR made a lot of populist promises.
I am not convinced that the party can live up it. Already it can’t even resolve the declaration of assets issue. It’s just that, you know, PKR always harps on UMNO’s corruption and complains the leaders are so rich. So now, it’s time to show us your worth. Anything to hide, Khalid?
Remember, we have punished BN. I dun think many planned to vote Pakatan Rakyat into government. Anyway, the change is good for the country.
Still can’t believe Ronnie is in the state exco….Gee….
BN’s way to attract bloggers
More “goodies”…Old habits die hard? Ke ke ke ke
From the All-Malaysian Bloggers Project (Star) Editor:
Soar with the Kite Runner
******************************
THE All Malaysian Bloggers Project (AMBP) wants to treat you to a special screening of The Kite Runner, a big-screen adaptation of Afghan American author Khaled Hosseini’s novel of the same name.
Every blogger registered with AMBP is eligible for a maximum of four passes to the show, while stocks last. The screening will be held at 9pm on April 11 at GSC 1 Utama (New Wing).
All you have to do to get your hands on the passes is leave a comment at the Editor’s blog, suggesting ideas for improvements, changes and features that could enhance the site.
Each comment will earn you two passes, so comment away at: http://allmalaysia.info/ambp/editor/
Adventure at Nim’s Island
************************************************************************
MSTAR Online, in cooperation with Golden Screen Cinemas, is giving away 100 double passes to Nim’s Island starring Abigail Breslin, Gerard Butler and Jodie Foster.
For your tickets to the adventure flick, just log on to the Nim’s Island contest site. Every 25th person to do so will win two complimentary passes to the movie.
The adventure begins sometime later this week, so make sure you keep an eye on http://mstar.com.my/
The end of ‘professional’ news reporting?
Stumbled upon this well-written blog by a college journalism student — On Deaf Ears. His article The end of “professional” news reporting? summarises the history of the newspaper business and asks what’s next.
An excerpt below:
If we are all reporters, from whence do so-called “professionals” derive their legitimacy as the gatherers of information and hoarders of access to people and events?
The power of cyberspace
The BN has been saying that the main reason for their defeat is because they underestimated the power of blogosphere and the Internet.
I am less convinced that the Internet is so influential in Malaysia. I believe that the huge swing to the Opposition is due to a few factors:
1. Disillusionment of Pak Lah’s leadership
2. Anger and hatred towards Khairy Jamaluddin in UMNO circles leading to many traditional supporters voting non-BN.
3. Sympathy for Dr Mahathir especially after they denied him a place as a delegate in the UMNO general assembly in 2006.
4. Inflation
5. Crime
6. Non-Malay resentment that peaked with BN’s arrogance over race and religious issues.
So, I feel if Pak Lah is replaced, BN may have a chance to regain its power. My guess is many ordinary older Malays feel PKR is the same as UMNO. To them, the alternative is PAS.
But since PKR seems to be playing UMNO style of politics like encouraging hop-overs, which has now been condemned by PAS president Hadi Awang and DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang, the party may attract disgruntled UMNO-ites if the Pak Lah problem stays.
The MSM powerful?
Ha ha ha ha. By talking to them, PKR, PAS and DAP give them credibility. It’s either you accept what they write about you good or bad, or you reject them.
All this while The Sun and Edge have been steadily giving more impartial coverage and hence includes the three parties. It’s time these two papers are rewarded with some exclusive interviews and “journalists”, like Wong Chun Wai, are ignored when they call for interviews.
Look, the DAP, PKR and PAS don’t need the MSM. They won without the latter despite all the one-sided reports, and some bordering on libel, in the papers and TV stations.
The fact is people are keen to read anything about the three parties. If you sell A4 black-and-white flyers of information on the three parties, I’m sure people will part with 30 cents for a single sheet of double-sided printed material.
The MSM is only “powerful” if people believe the articles that they carry. Otherwise, they are about as influential as the boy who likes to cry “wolf”….
DAP, PKR, PAS should boycott the MSM
Just stop talking to them. See what they will report now. And whether they can survive or not! Just talk to Edge and Sun.
Don’t forget the Star tried to do you guys in over the elections man! YOZ! Star is BN!
Come on, remember
1. Playing up that problem with that disgruntled local Penang DAP member who allegedly was not selected as a candidate.
2. Those “editorials” by Wong Chun Wai highlighting Jeff Ooi was an “outsider” and how Ooi’s jokes fell flat ‘cos he couldn’t speak Hokkien.
3. That bigoted article on PAS with that photo of Muslim boys in traditional clothes, mocking them as “tomorrow’s leaders”.
4. Fong Po Kuan frontpage and those allegations that she was not working well with Perak DAP.
5. Ignoring HINDRAF (unarmed men and women herded behind Batu Caves temple gates and then police shooting tear gas and water cannon at them). Additionally demonising the demonstrators as “thugs”. That “report” about the temple guard “confessing” that he made the police report ‘cos the crowd allegedly broke into temple grounds. And that oh-so-drama photo of a bleeding cop!
6. That stoopid photo of cars stuck in a traffic jam to represent the BERSIH rally. The paper reported that the police said the crowd size was 4,000! It was estimated to be about 10,000, including those scattered throughout the city.
7. The regular misquotes or quotes taken out of context.
8. Almost total blackout of PKR’s, PAS’s, DAP’s views.
9. Batu BuruK! Remember how they reported BATU BURUK with that picture of a guy in a helmet burning the Malaysian flag?
***Remember how BN banned Malaysiakini from government press conferences and events initially?
I know it’s unfair to some journalists who are trying their best and have no say as editors choose and chop the stories. But PKR, DAP, PAS, do you think for a moment some editors gave a rat’s ass about you guys when they chose to publish those bias stories? Were some of them consciously doing you guys in?
DAP, let’s remember who Wong Chun Wai is
He is the head honcho behind MCA’s and BN’s election media campaign out to “destroy” the Opposition, especially DAP.
He is also the guy whose paper didn’t print photos of the massive crowds at DAP ceramahs but instead those of some crowd in a BN rally in which Pak Lah attended.
His paper also published endless character assassinations on Anwar Ibrahim.
And that photo of Lim Kit Siang with a PAS flag towards polling date.
Why didn’t he interview Kit Siang, Guan Eng, Anwar, etc before the election?
Let’s not pretend Wong is some impartial, professional journalist. He didn’t even have the balls to ask his own questions in his interview with Guan Eng. You think readers can’t email Guan Eng these days to ask him such matters?
Trouble in Tibet
China Tries to Thwart News Reports From Tibet
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
TUE - Marc 18, 2008
SHANGHAI — The Chinese government is restricting foreign journalists from entering Tibet and neighboring areas, and blocking some news, video and Internet reports about the protests there from appearing inside China, according to journalists working here.
For the past few days, CNN, the BBC, Google News, Yahoo and YouTube have been blocked or have faced temporary blackouts or service disruptions in some parts of China. Some foreign journalists also say their e-mail service has been disrupted.
Continue reading @ The New York Times
Woof, woof, woof
After so many years, at last Star interviews Guan Eng, the new Penang Chief Minister and DAP secretary-general. Actually, the paper’s group editor-in-chief personally delivered readers’ questions to Guan Eng in Penang. Gee, why not just email? So out of touch with technology? Maybe another photo op for the publicity-crazy chief editor. You don’t see Ho Kay Tat plastering himself all over The Edge or The Sun. Ho also lets his senior editors do the leg work and hardly interviews anyone these days…..Gila glamour.
Haris Ibrahim: Boycott MSM newspapers
More @ harismibrahim.wordpress.com
A mainstream media editor in denial
An editor from a local English-language tabloid specialising in classifieds and advertisements wrote today that the “denial syndrome has to stop” in the MSM.
Can the MSM stop referring to PAS, PKR, DAP as the Opposition
Heard over the radio…Penang is the “Opposition-led state”…..XXX has fell to the Opposition. Yo BROS, no longer the Opposition.
Get it out of your brains, BN. BN does not equal government. In some states, BN is no longer the “parti pemerintah“. The BN is the Opposition in some states. And maybe soon at the federal level too.
Letter: V K Chin, heavily biased and nonsensical
A letter to Star from Ooi Ee Ling but unpublished to date. She sent a copy to me.
Dear Editor (of Star),
I am writing to you as a very irate reader. For the past week, there has been a lot of coverage on the upcoming general election. That is expected because the general election is certainly of national interest. However, the coverage is heavily one-sided (read: pro-Barisan Nasional). The Star is filled with propagandistic reports and articles with no substance to say the least. Before you jump into any conclusion, let me clarify that I am not a staunch supporter of any political party. I am writing to you simply because I feel insulted as a reader.
I am especially irritated by the recent articles by V.K. Chin. His views are heavily biased and nonsensical. He does not provide any supporting evidence for his pro-Barisan arguments. As a senior editor (his actual title is “Senior Group Editorial Adviser”) of a major newspaper in this country, he disappoints me. He makes broad, sweeping statements without any attempt to support his claims.
