Too many ‘divine revelations’ for media bosses now, says ex-editor Kadir Jasin
(fz.com) – “My media friends tell me nowadays that they are being burdened by “wahyus” (divine revelations) from those without power or office who tell them to interfere in national issues. In my time, I only dealt with the top,” said Kadir, referring to Mahathir.
Former New Straits Times Press (NSTP) group editor-in-chief said that his way of protesting against the powers that be, while he was heading the influential media group, was by keeping silent.
Although he was seen to be writing in favour of the then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in his column “Other Thots”, he said that he showed his disagreement with the former’s views by not writing about certain issues at all and Mahathir knew that.
Acknowledging that one cannot rebel against one’s paymasters, Kadir said that although he was not close to any of the top leaders in the country then, his relationship with Mahathir was “somewhat different” and yet he dared to disagree with the premier.
He said that journalists should find other ways of saying what they want by being reasonable, measured and not too abusive.
He also said that politicians during his time as the top NSTP editor were more tolerant.
“My media friends tell me nowadays that they are being burdened by “wahyus” (divine revelations) from those without power or office who tell them to interfere in national issues. In my time, I only dealt with the top,” said Kadir, referring to Mahathir.
Kadir, who received the National Journalist Laureate (Tokoh Wartawan Negara) in 2011, was speaking in an exclusive interview in the Face to Face programme of fz.com on the state of the media and on his tenure in NSTP.
Stating that his Umno membership was something of a “birthright” due to his father’s active participation in Umno, he said that he believed he rose to the top media position as he “was noticed as a reporter” and he “knew many people of Umno” while working in the press.
When asked to comment on the reason why the mainstream media, especially newspapers, were not very popular with the masses now, Kadir said it is “not fair to only blame political masters and owners of media houses”.
“Journalists have to blame themselves for the state the media is in now,” said Kadir. At the same time, he said that “You cannot rebel because you are being paid…you have to toe the line”.
