Some journalists covering the 13th general election faced ethical challenges, having been offered cash and other benefits by election candidates and their parties.
Centre for Independent Journalism executive director Masjaliza Hamzah (right) said more than half of the journalists said so, when interviewed for the NGO's qualitative research on media experience during the polls.
"It (incidents of politicians offering journalists cash) is like cancer. You either have it or you know someone who does. It took a toll on some of them. Some break down when it happens to them," she said.
She was referring to a journalist who broke into tears after being forced to confront the situation many times.
Presenting her preliminary findings based on extended interviews with 1,513 editors and reporters, she said the handouts were at times forced into the journalists' pockets or sent to their homes.
"If the journalist's family doesn't know his or her position on it, they would then receive the money," she said, noting that giving cash to journalists was said to be common in Sabah.
In another instance, a candidate, when contacted for an interview invited the journalist for "a treat (belanja)" and offered to sponsor the journalist to stay at a swanky resort for the campaign period.
She said that journalists interviewed, who were from online, print and broadcast media and had experience ranging from two to 27 years in the field, also made numerous references to "wahyu" (divine revelation).
In this context, she explained, journalists say they would get “wahyu” or instructions to do a story, whether or not it is actually news-worthy.
One editor explained that an example of a “wahyu” is instruction that if senator S Nallakarupan says something negative about PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, it is something that "must to be covered".
Speaking at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia today, she added that reporters also claim to feel "uncomfortable" hearing racist remarks used by candidates on the campaign trail, but were unable to report on this.
Butchered stories
Journalists also said they were worried about their stories being re-written to match a certain agenda, so they tend to self-censor.
"You worry your stories will get butchered, therefore you sanitize," she quoted a reporter as saying.
Veteran journalist K Nadeswaran said reporters have complained to him how they cannot recognise their own stories on the page.
Calling newspaper coverage of the election "disgusting", he said that re-writes which happen at the newsroom can change anything from the most basic crowd size to what was actually said.
He said this was because politically-owned newspapers are headed by "political appointees" who "want to take care of their rice bowls and chauferred-driven cars".
"He decides what he thinks what his bosses want even though his boss may not want that kind of 'bluff-ology'," the Sun journalist said.
He said that this is likely to continue in the next general election, unless reporters can stand up to their editors.
"It'll be the same unless journalists can find the gall and gumption to stand up to the editor and say 'Keep your job, this is not on'. Right now, for every guy who walks away, 10 more will jump in."
Centre for Independent Journalism executive director Masjaliza Hamzah (right) said more than half of the journalists said so, when interviewed for the NGO's qualitative research on media experience during the polls."It (incidents of politicians offering journalists cash) is like cancer. You either have it or you know someone who does. It took a toll on some of them. Some break down when it happens to them," she said.
She was referring to a journalist who broke into tears after being forced to confront the situation many times.
Presenting her preliminary findings based on extended interviews with 1,513 editors and reporters, she said the handouts were at times forced into the journalists' pockets or sent to their homes.
"If the journalist's family doesn't know his or her position on it, they would then receive the money," she said, noting that giving cash to journalists was said to be common in Sabah.
In another instance, a candidate, when contacted for an interview invited the journalist for "a treat (belanja)" and offered to sponsor the journalist to stay at a swanky resort for the campaign period.
She said that journalists interviewed, who were from online, print and broadcast media and had experience ranging from two to 27 years in the field, also made numerous references to "wahyu" (divine revelation).
In this context, she explained, journalists say they would get “wahyu” or instructions to do a story, whether or not it is actually news-worthy.
One editor explained that an example of a “wahyu” is instruction that if senator S Nallakarupan says something negative about PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, it is something that "must to be covered".
Speaking at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia today, she added that reporters also claim to feel "uncomfortable" hearing racist remarks used by candidates on the campaign trail, but were unable to report on this.
Butchered stories
Journalists also said they were worried about their stories being re-written to match a certain agenda, so they tend to self-censor.
"You worry your stories will get butchered, therefore you sanitize," she quoted a reporter as saying.
Veteran journalist K Nadeswaran said reporters have complained to him how they cannot recognise their own stories on the page.
Calling newspaper coverage of the election "disgusting", he said that re-writes which happen at the newsroom can change anything from the most basic crowd size to what was actually said.
He said this was because politically-owned newspapers are headed by "political appointees" who "want to take care of their rice bowls and chauferred-driven cars".
"He decides what he thinks what his bosses want even though his boss may not want that kind of 'bluff-ology'," the Sun journalist said.
He said that this is likely to continue in the next general election, unless reporters can stand up to their editors.
"It'll be the same unless journalists can find the gall and gumption to stand up to the editor and say 'Keep your job, this is not on'. Right now, for every guy who walks away, 10 more will jump in."
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