`


THERE IS NO GOD EXCEPT ALLAH
read:
MALAYSIA Tanah Tumpah Darahku

LOVE MALAYSIA!!!


 


Friday, June 7, 2013

Truth is trending

The days of news fabrications are numbered. Truth seekers are the new vigilantes.
COMMENT
Since the Arab Spring in 2010, nations the world over have seen a remarkable increase in protests and demonstrations of citizens speaking out against injustice. Currently, riots have broken out with millions of protestors uniting in Turkey.
Other than the fact that these protests that take place in different countries share a similar objective, which is to demand for archaic governments to be revamped, they also face the same adversaries – the trigger happy police force at the beck and call of the rulers, and the mainstream media enslaved by their governments.
Reading the news on Turkey and comments by their Prime Minister, Recep Erdogan, one can’t help but notice the similarities between him and our own Najib Tun Razak. Erdogan blames the protests on the main opposition party and Twitter, stating that “social media is the worst menace to society.”
It is true that social media plays a major role in these ‘uprisings’, but why is that? Why are people more likely to believe the news they read online or via social media websites as opposed to mainstream journalism?
Perhaps it is because the news source on the internet provides a space for discourse. Whether in the news sites or Twitter, Facebook, or even YouTube, or forums such as Reddit, every news needs multiple validated sources.
If a rumor is started, it can easily be debunked by running a search on that subject. And readers often post comments demanding proof, or, if found to be false; will make it a point to correct them.
We do not have this option with mainstream media. For years as a naïve, young girl, I believed everything I heard on the news channel as reality. And so do most of the generations before mine.
Documentaries and news alike aren’t challenged for validity as we trust that journalists would be ethical in their reports.
Sadly, this isn’t the case. While news agencies the world over are reporting the riots and police brutalities taking place in Turkey, Turkish media have completely omitted the protests from their television.
Malaysia is guilty of the same thing. Recent mass gatherings protesting the election results either received no coverage in the news, or it was watered down. Peaceful demonstrations and candle light vigils are depicted as violent and unruly.
With the introduction of social media in the past decade or so, the lies told to us by the very people we trusted have been revealed. The mainstream news seems out of sync, and while tattered with loopholes, is filled with pro-government statements.
These days, the mainstream media isn’t even trying to cover up their bias. Look at the recent general elections. Every 20 minutes, every major radio station would spew out Barisan Nasional propaganda, even to the extent of airing clips of Najib’s poorly disguised promotions.
Harder to fool
While they tried to get away with it by not mentioning Barisan Nasional itself, the 1Malaysia slogan was tagged in every public service announcement.
1Malaysia is an idea (and not an original one, at that), coined by the ruling party. It isn’t this country’s slogan. We have always been one nation.
Meanwhile, the opposition party won the popular vote even without the help of mainstream media. Was it because of Twitter and Facebook? Was it a Chinese Tsunami as Najib so conveniently blames? Or was it because the wools they have pulled over our eyes have been torn to shreds?
As these discoveries become more frequent, the people become harder to fool. They are now curious and their appetite for the truth is insatiable.
In fact, tweets, videos and pictures uploaded by witnesses on the scene not only outnumber reports in mainstream media, it is even used by news sites as a source. The people have taken on the responsibility of policing their news.
Of course it is impossible to get completely honest and impartial news anywhere. Each news agency has its agenda, but we now have the ability to judge the facts for ourselves.
Social media isn’t a menace to society. It is a menace to the liars who rule them. The days of news
fabrications are numbered. Truth seekers are the new vigilantes.
Elza Irdalynna writes about art, love, and other things she pretends to understand. She is also an FMT columnist.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.