Dim future for Umno-fearing ‘Star’
By Reina
The Star was once described as “the paper that is owned by the MCA run by the MIC for the DAP” – meaning the MCA owned the paper but Indians (actually none of them were MIC members) with a slight leaning towards the opposition, ran it.
That was 30 years ago. This was the paper that defiantly published mugshots of those detained under ISA during Operation Lalang in 1987 in its front page to highlight the draconian use of the law by the then Prime Minister – and that was the straw that broke Mahathir’s patience. He ordered the paper to be shut down. After five months, the paper was allowed to start operations after MCA agreed to several conditions, one of which was to get rid of the “James Deans” on the editorial floor.
Today, it is seen as a paper that has lost its soul and direction. The paper made a complete turn away from being the people’s conscience and into the prized cash cow for MCA. The main preoccupation with its political masters and the paper’s officials is profits.
The Star held about 26% of the advertising expenditure for 2009, in the previous years the figure was about 30% to 35%. The average reader of The Star earns RM5,000 and above, and is the staple of policy-makers and corporate decision-makers.
Yet, on the average the journalists earn about as much as a lorry driver, driving many to leave for greener careers. There are journalists who have been working at The Star for more than 10 years earning between RM2,000 to RM4,000 a month. The New Straits Times has a better wage scheme for its journalists.
