By Phlip Rodrigues
COMMENT We live in uncertain times. The economic outlook is bleak, the political scene murky, the social milieu hostile. The country seems to be drifting down a dangerous path and at a frightening pace. Everywhere we turn, there is little to cheer our flagging spirit.
It is times like this that we need clarity and direction. This is the time for truth!
This is the time to tell people the true story of foul deeds done, justice denied and veiled threats made.
Now is the time to reveal truth that is distorted, sanitised or buried and how certain unsavory acts go unpunished.
It is essential that the fourth estate be an active participant in the life of the nation.
As an influential voice, the Press, printed or online, must act as a watchdog for the citizens by keeping tabs on the affairs of the state. This is easier said than done, given the many restrictions placed in the way. But it is better to stay awake at all times than to fall asleep and let bad people do all the talking and acting.
To gain public trust is not the job of politicians alone. The Press too must fight hard for the common good. Providing accurate and objective articles is what will win the day. For this, news hound must set high ethical and professional standards.
In the past, people depended on the mainstream media for their daily dose of news.
They took as gospel truth whatever was published. They hardly questioned those in authority. Thus, public opinion was easily moulded by whoever held sway.
If there were dissenting views, there was no outlet for them.
But in recent years the alternative media has drastically altered the way people think and act. No longer is the newsstands a priority stop or a coffee-table necessity. The new-age readers have chosen not to digest the one-sided, crude attempts at manipulation served by the mainstream media.
In short, Malaysians now know that there is a better serving of real-time news on the net.
Today, a new power has been unleashed, one that can decide the course of a nation's life. Readers, young and old, have tasted it in 2008 and found it sweet. It pays to to convey the plain truth, however unpalatable or painful it may be. It pays to work for all that's good and fair. It pays to pull the wool away from, and not over, the eyes of the public.
Phlip Rodrigues is FreeMalaysiaToday's managing editor
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