Friday 27 January 2012

Does anyone think that Taib Mahmud will allow "fair reporting" in Sarawak?

Food for thought for the editors of the Borneo Post and New Sarawak Tribune
Ahead of polls, NUJ moots 'fair reporting' pledge
As a stop-gap measure to encourage fair and balanced reporting in the run-up to and during the impending polls, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) is mooting a ‘fair reporting pledge' for all members to sign, to show solidarity with its official stand on journalism ethics.

NONE"Yes, the executive council has unanimously agreed on the matter as it is one of NUJ's objectives - to practise ethical journalism," its general secretary V Anbalagan (right) told Malaysiakini.

However, Anbalagan said, the council would still call for an extraordinary delegates conference to debate the issue further.

"We feel it will give legitimacy to our action if a decision is made by the highest decision making body and not (just) the exco," he explained.

Preparations are ongoing to hold the conference in late February or early March, with the 13th general election expected to be held around June.

The idea of a 'fair reporting pledge' stems from a dialogue session held by UCSI University's Malaysian Institute for Development and Asian Studies (Midas) on Jan 12, entitled "Truth Matters: The Media and GE13" attended by representatives from the NUJ, the academia and media practitioners.

The pledge was one short term solution suggested to address the deplorable state of Malaysian media practitioners, accused to be just stenographers and note takers prone to regurgitating the views of their political and commercial masters, rather than adhering to the tenets of professional journalism such as fair, balanced, accurate and analytical reporting.

'Journalists worried about losing jobs'

The forum agreed that such alleged bias, especially in the mainstream media during election periods, is a black mark on Malaysian journalism.

The move, while it may not be able to stem the tide of crooked journalism in itself, is deemed as necessary to send a firm message on NUJ's stand on the matter and the union's fortitude in pressing this issue to the powers-that-be and errant journalists.

jalan sultan land acqusition press conference 280811 press conferenceAnbalagan admitted at the forum that the lack of fortitude on the part of NUJ members, as a result of the worry about losing their jobs, more than anything else, stood in the way of the union's fight for media freedom and ethical journalism, what is supposed to be the guiding light of their profession.

For the long haul, the NUJ also submitted its recommendations on how to ensure fair election news coverage to the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on electoral reforms on Tuesday, focusing on the Election Commission's (EC) handling of the media and ceramah sessions during the election campaign period.

Some salient points include:
  • Empowering the EC to form a media monitoring committee with enforcement powers whose duties will include issuing guidelines to print, broadcast and online media;
  • To revert the sitting government to 'caretaker' status during the election period and prevent it from monopolising the mainstream and public media;
  • All media, alternative and private included, to give fair, balanced and ethical coverage, give fair advertising space and right of reply to any adverse reports; and,
  • EC and police to ensure speedy processing of ceramah permits and provide the necessary assistance required.
NUJ argued that such measures would not only ensure fair and balanced reporting but also lend credibility to any government elected in a non-biased electoral environment.

The semi-nomadic Penans could face the same fate?

SURVIVAL INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE

January 26, 2012


Two years after death of the Bo yet another Andaman tribe ‘faces extinction’


Boa Sr died exactly two years ago. She was the last
member of the Bo tribe. © Anvita Abbi/ Survival
Two years after India’s Andaman Islands lost the last speaker of ‘Bo’, a leading linguist has warned the Jarawa could face a similar fate unless the road running through their reserve is closed.

Professor Anvita Abbi specializes in endangered languages, and has recently published a dictionary documenting four of the oldest ones in the world.

She said, ‘unless we develop alternative sea routes, we cannot safeguard the life, culture, language and identity of one of the oldest civilizations on earth.’

Her stark prediction comes exactly two years after the death of Boa Sr, which led to the extinction of ‘Bo’, one of ten Great Andamanese languages.

The Great Andamanese were neighbours of the Jarawa, until the Indian government forcibly resettled them to Strait Island in 1970.

They once numbered 5,000. There are now 56.

Before her death, Boa Sr lamented the loss of her language to Anvita Abbi. She confided, ‘the Jarawa are lucky as they shun contact with city dwellers. It is so nice to see they’re not dependent on outsiders for food and shelter. Our boys know nothing about hunting and cannot feed themselves.’

To mark the two-year anniversary of her death, Survival International has released unique video of Boa Sr talking about the importance of holding on to a language.

Watch the video of Boa Sr


She said, ‘If they don’t speak to me now, what will they do once I've passed away? Don’t forget our language, grab hold of it.’
Jarawa girls in clothes given to them by outsiders
who can enter the reserve through an illegal road.
© Survival
Anvita Abbi said to Survival that Boa Sr, ‘had no idea the Jarawa would soon face the same fate as the Great Andamanese.’

Survival’s Director Stephen Corry said today, ‘At a time when evidence of human safaris has prompted global outrage, it’s vital the Indian government closes the Andaman Trunk Road. Whilst Minister Chidambaram’s public statement not to ‘thrust or impose anything on the tribe’ is deeply encouraging, the only way to truly guarantee this is by closing the road. The legacy of Boa Sr’s death should be enough of a warning.’