KUCHING: Professionalism in journalism must be guided by ethics and integrity, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He reminded media practitioners to continuously uphold integrity, ethics and professionalism in delivering accurate information to the public, especially in the rapidly evolving digital era.
“In the past, people waited to read the news in newspapers in the morning, but now news is delivered every minute and second via smartphones.
“For example, live streaming has its advantages because information is delivered directly to the public, without the possibility of being distorted.
“However, if there are efforts to manipulate information, issues of integrity will arise, which brings us back to the question of a journalist’s ethics,” he said.
Abang Johari said this in his speech at the closing of the Training Programme for Sarawak Journalists at Raia Hotel and Convention Centre here today (Thursdsy).
He also said that media practitioners with integrity would be highly regarded, and the information they provided would be trusted.
“I also appreciate the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) for expanding the field of journalism in this ever-changing era. The training it provides helps to improve the quality and standard of our journalism,” he said.
Abang Johari pointed out that with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), the ways journalists gathered, analysed and presented information were also evolving.
He mentioned how AI, which was beginning to impact industries including journalism, could both be a tool for progress or for harm, depending on its ethical use.
Looking forward, he predicted that in the next 15 years, AI would be able to read human thoughts, leading to even greater scrutiny of public figures and the media.
“This will happen in the next 15 years, I believe. Meaning, all of us need to know what’s going on — the good and bad of technology. But at the end of the day, it’s personal integrity that will stand the test.
“If you have that kind of character, your credibility level will be high. There’s another term for this. Not just in accounting or finance, but we are being audited by the community. It’s an audit—we are being audited,” he added
Meanwhile, MPI president Datuk Yong Soo Heong praised the Premier for his sharp mind. He also hoped that the recently conducted course could be translated into better storytelling and clearer information delivery.
“This is important so that the significant developments happening in Sarawak can be well understood and accepted, not only by the local community but also by investors, both foreign and local,” he said.
Yong added that to produce better reporting, MPI believed that continuous learning was critical for the media practitioners and communication officers.
