Media should defend their work, not take down when asked: Veteran journo

 

Any editors afraid to defend their newsroom against external interferences, including from authorities, should consider taking up another job, said National Press Club chairperson Ahirudin Attan.

Ahirudin said no one, including the police, ministries, or authorities, has the right to ask for an article to be taken down.

The former Malay Mail executive editor stated that if an editor accepts such a request, the editor and publisher should pursue other careers.

“They can do the 4D (lottery) business, contract jobs, or something else. But don’t go into journalism,” he stressed.

Ahirudin added that if media practitioners are concerned about their salaries being affected by such requests, they should not be journalists in the first place, claiming that journalism is among the lowest-paid professions globally.

Without offering proof, Ahirudin also linked Malaysia’s downgrade in the World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) to editors who complied with take-down requests due to fear of being questioned.

“Editors should stand their ground and defend our position,” he added.

Malaysia’s position in the World Press Freedom Index fell 34 places to 107th compared to 73rd last year, with a score of 52.07 points.

Amendments or fact-checks

Instead of requesting articles to be taken down, Ahirudin suggested amendments or fact-checks.

“The police don’t have the right to ask the media to take down articles. They can instead request amendments or fact-checks,” he said.

He emphasised that since the media and the police share similar disciplines in their work, both parties should respect each other.

“What if we asked the police to do something against their principles? Would they be happy? They wouldn’t.

“What if we told them not to arrest somebody or criticise them? Will they like it? No. So hands off,” he said.

He claimed that the relationship between the media and the police used to be close but now, some authorities only allow certain press to cover their programmes. - Mkini