Amid the confusion surrounding the different media card validity periods issued to journalists, the Information Department has revealed the new terms which take effect today.
The department said the terms will see government and local media practitioners, including online journalists, get the pass for two years.
Malaysians working for foreign media outlets will also be eligible for the two-year validity compared to the previous one-year pass.
"Media practitioners who work on annual contracts, such as stringers, will get one year. The same applies to foreign media practitioners and those who are on long-term visit passes.
"Media practitioners who work for online portals which are newly registered with the department will get a six-month pass. This is to ensure the portal remains active, operatives legitimately, and does not spread disinformation," it said in a statement today.
After that, the validity period would be the same as the abovementioned category, the department added.
The Information Department earlier this week said it was reviewing the standard operating procedures (SOP) for issuing media cards, including the validity period.
Malaysiakini recently reported that the Information Department sparked concerns by issuing media accreditation cards with substantially reduced validity to numerous journalists from online media organisations.
While some received cards valid for only six months, others, including several from Malaysiakini, were granted one-year validity periods, significantly shorter than the standard two-year term typically accorded to local media outlets.
Local and regional press freedom advocates took the government to task over the move, saying it goes against the government’s pledge to uphold press freedom. - Mkini
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