To spin a fact is to lie, Utusan

YOURSAY 'There's a fine line between deception and blatant lies. What this filth of a newspaper condones is nothing short of the latter.'

Utusan editor: Spinning to attack opposition is okay

Voice: Before a fact becomes a blatant lie, it has to be spun. Otherwise a fact is a fact, and a lie is a lie.

It is totally the opposite of what Utusan Malaysia'sdeputy chief editor Mohd Zaini Hassan said. And he dares to confess that they do spin the truth.

Hang Babeuf: "We spin" means "we manipulate". That in turn is a declaration that "we hold you, our readers, and the entire Malay people whom we address through our paper, in contempt."

Well, that is not the basis upon which a newspaper can operate, either practically or ethically. It is not the basis upon which a leading political party, owning that newspaper, can operate successfully, morally and responsibly. It is no basis upon which a government that is associated with and supported by that newspaper can govern.

It is no foundation upon which the leader of that party and the head of that government can hope to survive. Only the politically deluded could imagine otherwise. Yet those people wonder, as election time approaches, why this government is in trouble!

Face the facts, all you scheming party loyalists in Umno and atUtusan. Not all the consultants in the world, not all Umno's horses nor all Prime Minister Najib Razak's hired men, can fix a problem like that. Nothing can save those who are already benighted, lost.

Multi Racial: They have just admitted that they practice the lowest form of broadcasting. They are not independent. They do it for money. They treat the opposition like their enemy. They will twist and turn the story as they deem fit to make the opposition look bad.

They are not professional news people. They are merely servants of BN. They will do anything to make sure BN wins.

Once Pakatan takes over government, we have to get rid of all these people who are not fit to run news organisations. We have to create a more independent media.

Black Mamba: Utusan was once ‘the Malay newspaper' to be read, as they were very vocal about the ruling government.

Today times have changed, especially since the day they were bought over by the Umno business machinery, and they are today's best ‘spin newspaper'. Give them an award for that. It's long overdue.

SMC77: Do you know the definition of "spin", Zaini? If you spin a fact, it won't be a fact anymore. So, you are blatantly telling a lie. Utusan is telling the world that they lie - all the time.

Moontime: There's a fine line between deception and slander. What this filth of a newspaper condones is nothing short of the latter.

Utusan almost always remains unsold in many grocery shops and 24-hour convenience stores. Surely this is a clear sign that Malaysians have thoroughly rejected its spins, lies and blatant sycophancy in favour of the ruling elite.

Utusan, I hope that all the victims of your slander and lies will sue for defamation so much so that ultimately, you have no choice but to file for bankruptcy.

Geronimo: You don't spin. Instead, you cook up stories to lie to the public. That is the difference and that is defamation.

I am a graduate in journalism and nowhere during my course did we have any module that taught us the art of spinning or ‘bullshiting' the public. If this is what you learn in your journalism, then it must be from one of our moronic local universities.

So finally, the truth is out. Utusan is not a newspaper but a propaganda sheet for Umno, period.

Simon Lee1: Utusan has just raised their middle finger and declared war against the National Union of Journalists and the rakyat by their arrogance and their public declaration of their absolute right to breach every universal and fundamental ethic of journalism.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and the Penang government were right to ban these evil propaganda machineries of Umno bent on corrupting the truth by perpetually spinning lies, spewing seditious statements and inciting racism in their attempts to arouse racial conflict and animosity amongst the rakyat.

Anonymous_6957: So now we have an open admission thatUtusan is a mouthpiece for the ruling BN.

So much for that "press freedom" ruckus MCA had tried to kick up with the opposition for banning Utusan and other BN media. Sorry MCA, Utusan never deserved press freedom because they are not considered the press.

Today, they just confirmed it for all to see. So what does MCA have to say about this now? And what of BTN (Biro Tatanegara) using our money to run this kind of blatant partisan propaganda for BN?

Hasrul Junaidi: I appreciate Zaini for admitting the fact that they spin. He is a gentleman to admit that they do not practice ethical journalism after all. How many journalists from the local media would admit this?

Anonymous #08167141: What a disgrace - telling young Malaysians that it is perfectly okay to lie to get ahead. They may take it as endorsement to cheat, whether in their academic or working life.

It is really hard to believe BN is so desperate to the extent of admitting openly that they are liars and are motivated by money.

Lim Chong Leong: Utusan is not fit to call themselves newspapers. And they are lying when they say they only spin facts and not lie.

Substituting the word Scientology with Islam is blatantly lying and evil to create hatred. Use deception against your enemies? Who is the enemy? A person with a differing view is your enemy? - Malaysiakini