KUCHING: The Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) is committed to supporting journalism through continuous training and development in an ever-evolving national media landscape.
With a focus on ethical standards and adaptability, MPI is equipping media professionals to meet the demands of today’s rapidly changing digital environment.
As traditional and digital media converge, MPI remains a key advocate for credible journalism, fostering skills that uphold accuracy and integrity.
Through strategic initiatives and partnerships, MPI aims to strengthen Malaysian journalism, ensuring it remains resilient and responsive to modern challenges.
Sarawak Tribune recently spoke to MPI President Datuk Yong Soo Heong for his thoughts regarding MPI as a whole, its continous role in supporting fellow journalists and the future ahead.
Sarawak Tribune: Can you share the main objectives of the Malaysian Press Institute and how these align with the current media landscape in Malaysia?
Yong: Being relevant to media needs is our main objective. And that means we have to undertake programmes to ensure the viability of our members, in this case, media organisations and their employees. In other words, reporters, sub-editors, editors, broadcast journalists, presenters, photographers, etc. These programmes primarily centre on training and exposure to current trends as we believe that upskilling will go a long way to ensure the local media remains sharp in the face of the ever-evolving challenges. We must always remember, training is not an expense, but an investment in human capital.
Sarawak Tribune: In what ways has the rise of digital media and social platforms affected traditional journalism in Malaysia?
Yong: Digital media has impacted the printed media tremendously and people are more inclined to access news via their digital devices.
Maybe it is easier as information is at their fingertips. You do not have to go to the newsagent to buy your newspapers or pick it up from your front gate and as such, we see traditional media has also gone online to stay relevant.
As for social media platforms impacting traditional media, that is very true as almost anyone can post information. Mainstream traditional media do rely on these social media platforms as tip offs in the event that the tips can be developed into a credible and newsworthy story if it warrants public interest.
I am of the view that when real media enters the fray, that is when we see things like accuracy, fact-checking and respect for the law come into play. There is a huge investment in the treatment of the story as media organisations want credibility to what they produce in the area of verification of facts and authenticity of the news sources.
Sarawak Tribune: What challenges do journalists in Malaysia face today, and how is the institute addressing these issues?
Yong: Journalists these days face a lot of challenges like security of tenure, opportunities for advancement and decent compensation for the work that they do and having employers demanding that they multitask.
For MPI, we are addressing these concerns like providing multi-skilling training so that journalists can be adept in handling the story narratives, take photos and videos, as well as other presentations. These days a journalist can longer say that he or she is only there to write.
Sarawak Tribune: How important is press freedom in Malaysia, and what role does the institute play in advocating for it?
Yong: First of all, we must remember there is no absolute press freedom. In any society, there must be adherence to and respect for the law. We cannot take a stance like “I am a journalist, I can write what I want”.
As journalists we have to be cognisant of potential for libel and slander. There are many ways to skin a cat and the best way would be to stay within the law and yet be able to give the issue some airing.
Training and experience will help a journalist to stay clear of trouble. Sometimes we also have to respect the privacy of a person or the timing of something or an event that is going to happen. We should not preempt something that is not even fnalised and publishing it for the sake of a scoop or seeing one’s byline when in the end we may cause embarrassment just for a few hours of self-glory.
Sarawak Tribune: How has the institute worked to strengthen media literacy among the Malaysian public?
Yong: On this score, I am proud to say that MPI undertook a townhall for public relations officers and communication officers of companies in May this year. In that town hall, we shared the difficulties faced by the media and how public relations executives can help to enlighten their superiors, principals or clients on the changed media landscape these days.
Sarawak Tribune: In your view, what can be done to combat the spread of misinformation and fake news, especially in the context of Malaysia?
Yong: I believe if the mainstream media, be it print or online, continues to provide credible information, then we should be able to combat misinformation. Bona fide media organisations should continue to stand out to be the beacon of accurate and credible news.
We often get questions from people who ask whether a particular information can be relied upon after they had seen it on their phones from obscure sources. My answer would often be – if it came from a news organisation, it should be true.
I do not see why news organsations should want to manipulate the truth as claimed by some cynics or skeptics. One should tell what it is to gain the trust if the public. As for analytical opinion pieces, it is up to the individual to discern whether he agrees or disagrees with the opinions aired.
Sarawak Tribune: How does the institute ensure that media practitioners adhere to ethical reporting standards, particularly in sensitive areas like politics and social issues?
Yong: For us, it is all about training and exposure. With the revamp of MPI from 2024, we are beginning to see a lot more changes in this direction because we want to shake off our image of just holding our annual journalism awards.
We are more than that. And we are expanding our range of training courses to suit both reporters and editors. And since the third quarter of this year, we have stepped up our visits to media organisatiios to better understand what they require from us and to make their employees better skilled. And if we don’t have the expertise within our ecosystem, we would outsource. The idea is to better equip journalists to face the future. Someone did say that the biggest room in the world is room for improvement!
Sarawak Tribune: What is your vision for the future of journalism in Malaysia, and what are the institute’s strategic plans moving forward?
Yong: For us, there are two important areas: training existing journalists and would-be journalists with courses from more experienced and competent journalists and giving them greater exposure on pertinent issues and current affairs.
To do this, we are thinking of hosting special talks that will appeal to media practitioners. Also, we are thinking of launching a different category of awards for university and college students so that they can start to be competitive and be industry-ready when they graduate. This is going to create more excitement among budding journalists and communicators.
