KDN covers up by bullying editors and media
By uppercaise
What is the truth?
KDN answer: Whatever we say it is
• Evangelical Christians say KDN confiscated 3,000 copies of the Malay-language Bible
• Evangelicals say govt had agreed to release the Bibles
• KDN warns newspapers for publishing “false news”
KDN says Bibles were not confiscated, merely “not released”
• KDN says govt did not agree to release the Bibles
• Newspapers publish KDN statement as a “correction”
• Conclusion: “the truth” is anything the KDN says. If not editors and publishers go to jail (publishing “false news” is a criminal offence under the Printing Presses & Publications Act)
The home ministry has reprimanded newspapers that carried statements by the Evangelical Christian Fellowship that KDN had “confiscated” a shipment of Malay-language Bibles, causing editors to shrink into self-censorship mode.
Self-censorship is abhorrent to professional journalists who with to live up to their professional principles and report the truth as they see it.
But self-censorship is the mode preferred by KDN and ruling party officials, as it forces editors and reporters to “play safe” by not reporting events in full, and sticking only to the official line as given by bureaucrats and ruling party politicians.
In the past, warning letters have been issued by KDN, reminding editors and publishers that the ministry expects them to practise self-censorship.
In other words, “self-censorship” is official policy, imposed on editors and not something most professional editors wish upon themselves.
But the fact also remains that, over the years, self-censorship has been internalised by many editors and reporters who see their role as that of supporting the prevailing official view. These editors and reporters see that long-term career prospects and success up the corporate ladder comes from toeing the line.
Editors have been jailed before, as “communists” and as “subversive elements” and as “anti-national elements”. Most of the time, those labels only meant that those editors were the victims of political power plays at the very top.
Repeated threats are now made about “reporting false news” — when KDN or ruling party politicians say that, what they really mean is that you did not report what we want to see.
It shows yet again why government and political control of the press must end, and media control laws abolished. Reform is long overdue — because bureaucrats and politicians continue to use the law as a tool of intimidation, as a form of bullying.
Read more at: http://uppercaise.wordpress.com/2011/03/19/kdn-cover-up-with-false-news-threat/
