Two UMNO dailies blundered but only one sorry
(HarakahDaily) – KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 14: It was more like being ‘laughed at’ rather than ‘laughed with’ when Malay-language daily Berita Harian’s joke fell flat following publication of a cartoon showing Japanese superhero character ‘Ultraman’ running away from a fierce tsunami wave.
TWIN BLUNDERS … Berita Harian’s ‘humour’ and Utusan Malaysia’s ‘news report’
The cartoonist might have hoped to receive some light hearted applause in the wake of the disastrous earthquake-tsunami tragedy, leaving a trail of destruction in several Japanese cities, nuclear radiation fears and tens of thousands missing or dead.
However, all it generated was public outrage, with Twitter and Facebook users urging the daily to issue an apology.
“Berita Harian can laugh at the Japanese now, but Malaysians may be facing big flood or radioactive leakages.. in the future,” said one message, in a warning against the Malaysian government’s plan to build a nuclear reactor.
The paper however took swift action by issuing an apology.
“We had no intention to make fun of the disaster which had hit Japan, and we grief and sympathise with the Japanese people,” came a statement of apology on the daily’s Facebook site.
Utusan’s headline
Such courage to own up to its lack of knowledge in ethical journalism, however, has not been the case with right-wing Malay daily, Utusan Malaysia.
STILL ALIVE … By naming an unknown teacher in its heading, the paper had hoped to make a connection to the more well known Elizabeth Wong
The paper’s online edition reported an incident in which a school teacher was killed when fire engulfed her apartment in Damansara Perdana, yesterday.
