MEDIA: KUALA LUMPUR: Call to rebuild public trust in the media
DAP member of Parliament for Kluang, Wong Shu Qi (pix), raised the need for the government, civil society and media practitioners, to work together to gain Malaysians’ trust in the media.
In a statement dated June 25, 2020, she cited Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2020, which said that public distrust in the media had plunged from 31% last year to 25% this 2020. “Public distrust in the media is detrimental to our democracy,”she stressed .
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Her call for action:
* A widespread media literacy programme to educate the public how to conveniently access and critically assess the media. “When media consumers wisen up against misinformation and disinformation, the demand for quality media will increase.”
* Safeguard media independence by reviving the media council set up by the former Pakatan Harapan government to play the role as guardian of media independence in the country. “The media, as the fourth estate;the government must take its hand off media and must not reduce media into its political mouthpiece, serving the interest of the government alone.”
* Legislation not only to punish fake news offenders,but to safeguard the survival of credible media. “The government can incentivise good media companies through tax measures, for example reducing corporate tax on certain types of media outlets, tax exemptions to encourage media subscriptions so that quality contents are properly compensated etc.”
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6.25.2020
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