Media declining numbers reveal brooding reality

(Berita Daily) – Truth has a way of making itself felt, albeit slowly, as shown by recent news of the massive loss in readership suffered by the mainstream newspapers. Still, while newspaper company like New Straits Times Press (NSTP) chose revamp as its knee-jerk measure to boost sales, other publications struggle to sneak into the comfort zone.

According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations Malaysia, all mainstream newspapers suffered nosediving circulation numbers in 2016 when compared with 2012 figures.

Harian Metro suffered the worst drop – at 62.5% – from 379,169 copies to 142,262. The New Straits Times was the second worst, with circulation falling 41.6% from 93,321 copies at the end of 2012 to 54,490 copies at the end of last year.

Major Bahasa Malaysia dailies Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian each saw their circulation figures fall by 30% in the same period.

Kosmo Ahad was the only Sunday title that recorded an improve dreadership by three per cent.

The MCA-owned English daily The Star meanwhile suffered a drop of readership by 32 percent, a fate which also befell its Sunday publication, Sunday Star which nosedived to 38 percent.

However, instead of resorting to cosmetic makeover, The Star Media Group has opted for a drastic move – reducing 200 jobs via a mutual separation scheme and early retirement option.

The declining numbers reveal a brooding reality. Still, has the fact that readers are forsaking the mainstream media in favour of digital news sunk in with the newspaper companies?

Or is the conventional press in denial about the reality that has forced its earnings to shrink considerably?

In the case of companies like NSTP which is owned by media conglomerate Media Prima, why bother with a revamp when the fact of the matter has its roots elsewhere? Why not accept the truth that readers are demanding uncompromising honesty and impartiality by way of news shared with them?

Is the mainstream media not attuned and vigilant to the needs of present day readers? Will an “overhaul” revive the lost faith the country’s major newspapers once unequivocally enjoyed?

Bemusing indeed that instead of addressing the root cause of the problem, the mainstream media is preoccupied with dealing with the symptoms. And for how long more?

Last Friday (Sept 29), newspaper industry veteran Abdul Jalil Ali raised the red flag vis-a-vis the major newspapers falling circulation figures, a whiplash that he said leaves BN government ineffective in inveigling voters via the mainstream media.

Abdul Jalil who is KarangKraf Media Group executive editorial adviser, said a weak mainstream press with low readership translated to bad news for the ruling coalition especially with the 14th general election looming.

KarangKraf is one the biggest publishers of Bahasa Malaysia magazines and books, and owns national Malay daily Sinar Harian.

Atrophy affecting traditional media

Incidentally, a similar concern was heard on Sept 29, 2016 when former NST group editor Mustapha Kamil disclosed that the newspaper company was poised to close its printing plants in two states, believed to be due to dwindling revenues from newspaper sales and advertising.

Talking to Facebook then, Mustapha had said that he had been informed that staff affected by the closures of the two plants – in Ajil, Terengganu, and Senai, Johor – would be given a choice to either move to the printing plants in Prai, Penang, or Shah Alam, Selangor, or resign.

“I believe the closure of the two plants are steps by the company to avoid incurring further losses, brought about by dwindling newspaper sales and advertisement revenue.”

A year on, effective yesterday (Oct 1), NSTP ceased selling its print newspapers in Sabah and Sarawak, with east Malaysian readers will only be able to follow the daily through its online version.

The 2016 Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) report showed that newspaper sales in Malaysia plummeted in 2015, compared with the numbers recorded the previous two years.

As for digital media use, the report said it recorded an increase of 148 percent. The sale of newspaper sales however fell to more than 30 percent in 2014.

Mustapha then urged NSTP to “come clean” on the reason behind its poor performance, hoping the company would sincerely study the reason behind the fall.

“I believe the company knows very well about what is causing the fall in its product. You cannot deny the truth any longer and you don’t have the time for it.”

He had also previously questioned the journalism ethics practised by the pro-Umno paper.

It is a different story that Mustapha took almost three decades before taking up cudgels with his employer, NSTP, citing dismal journalism ethics as the reason for readers rejecting the NST. He finally resigned in May 2016 after spending 26 years with NST.

The atrophy plaguing conservative media is all-encompassing and with it the belief that draconian legislation aside, political parties are to be blamed for the downfall of mainstream newspapers.

Uncanny that in spite of the blistering truth staring at them, there is little the rooted newspapers are willing to do to “rock the boat” – that too for the sake of bolstering their credibility and that of the hard-hitting and inexhaustible profession called journalism.