KUCHING: With the rise of social and digital media, some believe that the print media is a sunset industry while others are of the view that it is still important even in this modern era.
Nevertheless, most agree that the print and social media each have their own sets of benefits and disadvantages.
The social media, for instance, allows news to be conveyed to the public in real time while traditional newspapers are usually printed and distributed the next day.
However, many people still feel that traditional newspapers are more reliable sources of information compared to the social media.
Newspapers can stay relevant and fresh in many ways through their contents and delivery.
By doing so, they will be able to maintain a sturdy readership base and keep their readers thoroughly informed and entertained.
New Sarawak Tribune spoke to members of the public for their thoughts on the matter.
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GWENDOLYN LEWIS (Events and Communication Director)
From the print media, I would expect credible, factual, and unbiased reporting and views on current affairs covering politics, economy, and the community. On the social media, the news is oftentimes distorted and edited to benefit a party. The way forward for the print media is to understand the readers’ needs and interests. Bring us back to the time when we all looked forward to reading the papers — there was always something for everyone.
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SIDDIQ SULAIMAN (Public relations specialist)
In newspapers, I want to read about the major events that have occurred. I also expect traditional newspapers to be more credible and truthful in their reporting since fake news can be very rampant on the social media. Having a digital news portal will definitely help in reporting the news immediately. Perhaps the print version that is published the next day can expand more on the stories whenever possible.
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DR HAMRILA ABDUL LATIF (Senior lecturer)
News in the print media should highlight local initiatives and strive to educate readers. There should be contents on uplifting the communities and shaping debates via awareness. The print media should focus on its advantages such as marketing opportunities to remain relevant.
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EZEN CHAN (Multimedia officer)
As a lot of the news on the social media are quite general, the print media could include more backgrounds and analyses to better inform their readers. I prefer reading feature articles on specific topics such as lifestyle, farming and culture as well as articles that link the environment and livelihood. Perhaps the print media can adapt by introducing electronic or digital newspapers which people can subscribe. However, there are pros and cons because some locations in Sarawak still do not have internet access.
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CATOHRINNER JOYCE GURI (Marketing executive)
The print media is important, engaging and credible but needs a new direction. Many people now prefer to read news online as it is faster.
I hope the print media will have more interesting and good contents that grab the people’s attention and educate them. Perhaps there could be a column on ‘Just in Borneo’, just for the print media.
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AINA YEO (Marketing executive)
I expect the print media to provide full coverage on politics in the country. I also feel that quality over quantity is essential for the print media to sustain itself. I believe that the print media still has its place even in the digitalisation era. All it needs to do is to cover both sides of the story and not be biased. The industry should also always follow current and latest trend of news.
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VOON YIH BOON (Quality control officer)
Newspapers convey more verified news to the public and can be delivered to the older generation or those who are not so tech-savvy. I would like to see more coverage on daily life topics in newspapers such as recipes for different ethnic dishes.
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GERALD WAH ONN (Oilfield engineer)
Cutting down on newspapers and going digital can help to reduce the amount of waste created every day. I feel the news should focus more on the current situation such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
