Dear valued readers,
This is an announcement meant to inform you that the author of Over A Cuppa Tea does not support and absolutely condemn the press/news agency listed below for. Short review for those who are interested on why the author of Over A Cuppa Tea condemned the presses is as written below:
Utusan Malaysia – For promoting havoc and chaos through their irresponsible and racist writing. Utusan Malaysia has not only been practicing proper journalism ethics as an influential national press but has been practicing Yellow Journalism instead for the past few years. Utusan Malaysia is a perfect example of ultimate bias reporting that is boot licking and apple polishing whatever party that is governing the country. A definite medium for political propaganda for the government. If you are not a racist and loves to promote harmony in this multi-racial country, kindly avoid buying Utusan. They not only loves to confuse their readers with incorrect and overly sensationalize news, but they also promote terrorism through their literary articles. With newspaper like this, the races in Malaysia will forever be in turmoil.
The Star Malaysia– For lack of content in the press in most section, Star Two and inTech included. There’s also horrible command of English among the columnist as well as featured writers. Grammatical errors can be found almost everywhere very often in both printed and online version. Absolutely not worth buying if the reason you buy the newspaper strictly for informational purposes. As of late, The Star has been reduced to a tabloid-like newspaper where quality is no longer important and emphasize more on entertainment news. The Star Malaysia lacked talent. Yours truly has stopped buying the Star for some time now and only browse through when there’s NIE (Newspaper in Education) and inTech ( IT Section). Even then, yours truly truly felt that those section lacks information and full of unrelated advertisement and advertorials. The only thing worth reading in The Star is only the daily television schedule and the comic strips section.
News Straits Time Press Malaysia– For not being able to differentiate between man and woman and addressing woman as a ‘he’ in one of their article. This is completely a disaster. This shows that NSTP’s editor is either irresponsible or too lazy to do the job properly. However, if it’s information and news is what you’re seeking from NSTP, it’s still a worth buy.
China Press– For sensationalizing what is not necessary to be sensationalize. And from experience, their reporters are rather insensitive towards certain cases and issue. During coverage on accidents or death, their reporter failed to have compassion for victim’s family. China Press trained their journalist to be very paparazzi-like.
Malay Mail- For creating confusion and misinformation among the readers for publishing incorrect information on international news very often. If you’re buying Malay Mail strictly for the tabloid-like news, then I guess Malay Mail is a safe deal as it is a tabloid in the first place. They are not specialize in real and important news, however.
Buletin Utama, TV3– Sometimes provide incorrect information in their news. And same like Utusan, an ultimate boot licker news agency that practices bias reporting to the max. Full of bullshits despite of being a privatized company. They also use their news slot for various advertisement, and it’s annoying at times. Their coverage usually depicts government as saint while the opposition as the lowest scum on the face of the earth. Not a safe watch for people who prefers unbiased and fair news reporting. Their charity news, like Utusan, is also concentrated on the welfare of only one race.
Over A Cuppa Tea’s author will be adding and reviewing more news agency and add it to her condemnation list in the future for the reader’s perusal. Thank you for your kind attention.
Cleffairy: The purpose of news and reporting is supposed to be informational and not overly sensationalize. If it’s rating that the news agency seek, why not close down the news agency and get involve in movie-making instead? Biased reporting that is practiced widely in Malaysia is putting journalism industry in the gutter, and if this continues, journalism industry will only be viewed as a non-professional industry.
they ar all ass hole lar,
in fact, the belongs to the BN component party, of course they side them lar.
so no point to read their news….
LOL… all are government’s lapdog. 🙁 only know how to bark at others and whimper when the government scolded them.
I don’t buy any of the abovementioned papers neither do I watch TV3 not RTM .. I go to foreign news channels or read blogs for local updates 🙂 You’ve a good head on your shoulders, Cleff!
Fergie, if you need to bitch about what’s gone wrong in Malaysia, yeah, those papers are quite a worth buy, but definitely not for people who lacks brain to think and simply believe whatever they wrote. I believe, some Malaysian are really incapable of thinking.
😛 Good for you, Fergie. At least you don’t waste your money on buying those piece of junk where the reporting are not newsworthy. Might as well recycle and make toilet papers out of those papers rather than really paying attention to their brainwashing writings.
Ha ha, Cleff the Media Slayer. LOL
Pete… I really got sick of buying and reading things that’s not newsworthy. Total waste of money! And they have the cheek to call themselves journalists. They do not even adhere to the most basic journalism ethics… all biased and selected reporting. Biased and unethical only never mind, but you see, articles by Utusan these days sounded like it’s being written by some sick pigs, lazy cows, and Osama bin laden wannabes! To make things worst, they NEVER apologize for their havoc provoking writings. Their news usually serve to fuel anger among the people. And the greatest news of all is, they are protected like an endangered species by the gov! ARGH! 🙁
Tell me..
How are they different if not better than
Harakah, The Rocket, Malaysia today and Suara Keadilan
Elementary, my dear Sinatra. Harakah, The Rocket, Malaysia Today, Suara Keadilan are politic based newspaper/press. Though widely circulated, they are originally meant to be sold and read by party members. They are not endorsed officially as national press and originally not meant for informing the public on what’s going on. Even if most of their writers wrote for them and the article is published, most are not paid, and they are not professional journalists. So even if they suck to boot, I can’t complain because I did not spend a penny on them, what more, they did not study on how to be ethical journalist.
The above mention, however is associated to the ruling coalition. But of course, to be fair… if there’s a chance that there will be a change in which party that govern Malaysia, without a doubt, the above mention presses will also boot lick the new ones. They are nothing but a tool for propaganda. True reporting? Freedom of expression? In Malaysia? Not a chance!
And yeah, forget to mention… ahaha… Harakah and those that you mentioned dun hv daily Tv schedule. 😛
i dont read the papers anymore and i have no time to watch tv. i only read entertainment mags and photography stuff. i get my latest info from friends, colleagues and family members. i go online for blogging and surfing for photography stuff, and i play my ps3 at home while my wife reads her chinese novels. i go jogging almost every 2 days and play bowling to take some time off. i have family outings for foster relationships but i dont go to pubs and discos…..but certainly no time for craps in the newspapers and tele. 🙂
Borneo post is good..just a bit politics crap only =X but I think only sarawak got Borneo post? @_@ Jie go read more maple news..got new job coming oo lol
sometimes, some jornalists can go down so low again the ethic just to please their bosses, i consider these kind of journalist as ‘sampah”
if u guys know much about IT and about free & opensource softwares, u will find that it is not worth to read The Star InTech at all.
that fucking thing is just Microsoft propaganda press. There talk about reuse back old PC to run as a file server, say it can save cost. But then, th ask ppl to buy Windows Home Server Edition wirth RM300+ to use with it. Stupid 1!!!
Since it is reusing old PC, better to use Ubuntu Linux which it is free and it is more suitable to run on low CPU and RAM PC lar.
I remember there was a writer in The Star InTech insist to write about free & opensource software, that few edition of InTech is very interesting to read, but after a week, I don’t see any of his article appear in InTech anymore and the editions after that everything only Microsoft stuff and Mac OSX (where Apple’s share half is own by Microsoft).
I heard that the writer was fired for letting ppl know there is such free and opensource alternative to the expensive Windows softwares.
It looks like The Star is paid by Microsoft for not to write anything about Free & OpenSource softwares in order to help them monopoly the market!!!
MSM I only use for my doggie to “poo” on hehe
Calvin… I still browse through newspaper sometimes, but lately, I feel that it’s really not worth buying at all, considering what the writers wrote. I used to buy The Star on Saturdays and Sunday, but I figured, I might as well throw my money in the rubbish bin rather than buy The Star on weekends. 🙁 So full of craps! You’ll wonder if they’re paid to write news or write entertainment stuff on weekends. LOL. Good for you Calvin. Spending more time with friends and family definitely is better than watching craps on tv.
Seng… jie never see Borneo Post before. Jie think peninsular dun have leh. LOL. Maple news ah? Lazy lah, maple also full of crap. Outdated game liao.
Eugene…yeah…writers are supposed to write out what’s in their minds, but these days, all they do is apple polishing everywhere. Tainting the industry only.
Fergie… MSM… lol… use for your dog’s poo… LOL… well… at least it’s good for one thing! LMAO.
weyyy…true la i dun read nor watch any of those…err…news sources? if they can be called that…
I am working in China Press and I really shouldn’t said anything bad here but what Clef said is definitely true. However, government imposed lots of rules in news reporting and I think that is one major reason that nowadays newspaper tend to hide those bad and evil things that the government are doing and show only the good part.
Dear cleffairy,
I am truly impressed that you are full of knowledge and able to differentiate every newspapers weakness, it must be a long time for you to review all those newspaper that you mention. Anyway, I do agree that newspaper should do more reporting on informational rather than overly spread propaganda.
And to tell the true, I am the Star reader and I read that newspaper from Monday until Saturday. And since the newspaper is so thick, of coz I can’t finish read it all. I only read the section that I interested which is the BIZ section, sport, world updated, some columnist and jobs advertisement.
The reason I read newspaper is to obtain accurate information and also opinion based on the section that I read. There for some grammatical error is not my concern, but tell me cleffairy, what do you mean when you said lack of content for every section??and, not worth to buy if read for informational??
I find that it is very fine for biz section and in fact it have more business information compare to the NSTP business section and so as jobs advertisement.
Beside, advertisement is also part of information, I believe that the star has more advertisement compare to other newspaper.
Even though the poll show result is not favor to The Star,
but tell me what will makes the Star worth to buy??
100% grammatical correct? Free source of software written by intech writer?? Or NIE section all the time??
Sincerely comment
IsleyChang
Pamina…those above mention is news source? If the above mention can be classified as a news source with credibility, then the gossiping aunties at the pasar have more credibility than them.
Celine, you’re working for China Press? Whoa! Are they still practicing paparazzi-like reporting? During my time, that’s exactly what they practiced. 🙁 Well, nothing can be said about press freedom… there’s almost no press freedom in Malaysia… probably the only reason why I left journalism industry in the first place… I’m always on the stubborn side… if i cannot write the truth and practice fair reporting, I might as well do not write at all.
Allan, frankly speaking, The Star is almost the same as Utusan, a tool for propaganda, and so, their news usually favoured the government or the party that is affiliated with them, which is MIC. I used to subscribe The Star and it was delivered to me every morning by the paper boy and I would read every section and every pages, except sports. But I stopped doing so since 2003, because I found that their quality slowly decrease and gets worst by the day, hence, not worth spending a single penny on it. It is okay for me though, if I want to browse through for the sake of passing time.
If you make comparison on The Star and other presses, their news information is not always correct, and always have contradiction in their articles. Perhaps you did not know about this, but every now and then, The Star newspaper that’s been distributed as early as 3- 4am in the morning are constantly recalled for re-publishing…for either their mistakes or censorship problem. So, to me, it’s common sense that when a printed newspaper that is always re-called to for the purpose of rectifying their information to suit the Malaysian censorship, there’s something wrong somewhere, and that the news is not trustworthy is highly probable.
Okay, to be fair, I did not pay much attention to their BIZ section, because if I were to get infos on what’s going on in business world, I would go for The Edge, they give good insight on business. I would prefer to go for press that is specialize in certain area rather than go for The Star, because they’re definitely not specialized in business. However, if you must know, the BIZ section’s article usually is not written by The Star staff themselves, only a few selected articles were written by their staff. Most articles are bought from other news agencies such as Bernama and other of their affiliates that’s more specialized in that particular area. Please note the the world news as well as sports is also not always written by the staff from The Star, so if their news have credibility, real credits are ought to be given to the real source.
Okay, advertisement and classified… I’m sure you noticed that some advertisement in the classified is a scam, right? So not all are very informational. While I can’t blame the Star for wanting to make money and being rather careless in their advertorial selection, I still hope there’s some improvement after all this years.
Grammatical errors are sometimes unavoidable, but then again, if they continuously published what is incorrect for reading pleasure, I won’t be surprise that Malaysian English level would forever be mediocre. What’s worst, students who read that particular newspaper would think that whatever they published is correct and continue to use it. I used to think that it was fine, but I changed my mind once I heard a British friend of mine laughed his head off at The Star for having so many grammatical error, and by international standard, The Star would only be passed a tabloid. I did not agree at first, but soon, I’ve come to the same agreement when I saw that quality has dropped since early 2004. Perhaps, the political influence has contributed to the lack of quality control and transformed The Star strictly as a propaganda tool where it practiced biased and selected reporting.
Regarding your question on what makes The Star worth buying is probably just this- Better quality control on the contents, ethical reporting and highly knowledgeable columnist who knows what they’re talking about and not view certain things in a rather shallow manner. Do note that even the law column is also biased, and serve to instill terror in people who refused to side the ruling government or whatever law is imposed by the government. I feel that this is not quite fair for the people. As for inTech… I think they would improve if they do not promote Microsoft products all the time. InTech should be able to provide various options on IT products, not just brainwash people to think that Microsoft is the only ultimate IT product that is supposed to be used by Malaysian. But well, can’t really blame them though, they are paid by the Microsoft to do so. That way, Microsoft could monopoly the market. I guess, news industry is just business, after all.
@Allan Chan,
U know why i stopped subscribe The Star?
the main reason i buy newspaper is to read accurate news and accurate information. But what I get is just some propaganda by paying RM1.20.
And i totally agree with what cleff said.
There was once, I am at a crime scene and see what is happening there. and guess what? I only see The Star reporter come for a while, just take some pictures without even interview the police in charge of that case like what other journalist do, then they just leave after the took a few pictures.
at the next day, when i read the newspaper, they are writing something totally different that the exact news and it is just a fake news! all information they provided in that article is totally fake! i wonder how those news can be publish as they didn’t even know what the hell is going on about that case!
so, if you think that The Star is still worth to buy, go on, no one is stopping you to do so. It is our own opinion about this press company, the decision is still wit you whether you want to continue buying it or not. for me, i will not buy it for getting any news.
Garfield, I dunno when you stopped subscribing The Star…but I stopped a few years ago since I noticed that their quality resembles more and more a rubbish by the day.
Sometimes, journalist practice such thing. They are too lazy to adhere by journalism ethics, and so, opt for an easy way out by opting to write fiction instead of news, and the editors dun gv a damn about it as long as there’s no complaints has been made. Besides, they are serving as a propaganda tool to brainwash the citizens, not a real news agency anyway. Why should they care when their pocket is well insured as long as they write things in favour of the party that they are associated with? 🙁
To quote Clef
” they are originally meant to be sold and read by party members ”
Elementary my dear clef, Malaysia Today and Malaysia Kini are not owned by any political parties. Plus how can one say it is political by nature as that is very subjective and open to interpretations. This is because by definition Malaysia Today and Malaysia kini are supposedly newspapers that debate regarding current issues. Again similar to Utusan or NST and even The Star.
Malaysia Today, MalaysiaKini, Harakah and The Rocket can obtained by the public, Harakah are no longer just for members as they are being sold everywhere and had been given permission to publish at a greater frequency. The only reason they could not publish daily is the fact they do not generate enough income through advertisement as their readership is not that big. The same goes with the rocket.
Then this sentence.
“The above mention, however is associated to the ruling coalition.”
So here we have a paradox, if a newspaper is linked to the ruling coalition then it should be hated because it is perceived to radiate the ruling coalition propaganda. If it is owned by the opposition that’s a different story. The paradox shown here is that it seems that you ask us to hate these newspapers because they belong to the ruling coalition and not because of transparency, freedom of press or bad journalism.
Finally this sentences
“Even if most of their writers wrote for them and the article is published, most are not paid, and they are not professional journalists. So even if they suck to boot, I can’t complain because I did not spend a penny on them, what more, they did not study on how to be ethical journalist.”
Do not look lowly on journalists from these “alternative” newspapers as they too studied journalism, most of them. And when one writes for a newspaper, regardless of what newspaper one is bounded by ethics of journalism. And yes Clef, they are paid, with the exception of RPK from Malaysia Today, but then again he owns that thing. The logic that you use here is quite baffling, you say you do not spend a penny at these media thus you can’t complain. By logic if you don’t spend a penny to buy Utusan,NST, The Star then you yourself can’t complain. What more you don’t spend a penny to watch TV 3.
The last thing I would like to say is the link in which you gave to an Utusan article about a piece of fiction that caused problems. Here’s an interesting thought, don’t you also write fiction using nicknames to mock politicians from the ruling party and put them in idiotic, mostly untrue scenarios and portray them negatively. Yet no one, question your right to do so because it is your right to freedom of expression and creativity. So why can you do it but not Utusan’s writer? Isn’t it hypocrisy in a way?
You see I can’t help but to notice flaws in this article of yours, paradoxes that don’t make sense. I hope you’re not mad at me because of that but it seems to me this article is written more by sway of emotion that actual thinking.
I, for one thing, do not suggest killing of politician in my articles. Can you point out any part of my article that suggest and promote terrorism in my mocking of politician? Did I suggest any shooting or murder in any of my articles? If you are agreeing by the fact that Utusan should go ahead and continue to stoke racial tension as well as teaching our children that it’s all right to kill people through their literary articles well, den, I have nothing else to say. Perhaps you’re thinking that I’m siding the opposition for my writing so far, but frankly speaking, I’m damning both parties for causing so much tense in Malaysia these days.
Let’s say the opposition manage to realize their dreams of overthrowing the government(which I really believe is just bull shit, Anwar is no better than Pak Lah anyway, all talk, no action, another hypocrite who can’t just stop from feeding people rubbish) I’ll be the first to damn them if they use the press to make things screwed up too. One question…so far, since when did Utusan promote racial harmony in any way? Since Tun Dr. M stepped down, they have been confusing the readers with their half cooked news in the name of ‘press freedom’. To Utusan and some other presses alike, they are under supreme immunity as long as they are fully back up by UMNO, aren’t they? Somebody somewhere is backing up their asses even though their article lacks sensitivity towards other races in Malaysia.
It’s called creative writing whether you like or not it’s a different purpose. If you support Freedom of Expression you should understand this the fact that people have the right to say or write things whether you like it or not.
Terrorism? The character got killed not by an Ultra Opposition, the Character got killed by her former supporter, the way John Lennon died. Are you saying that in the future no one is to write about stories in which they might have a character that is similar to a real life politician (or anyone) and got the character killed.
Utusan suggest that she got killed. you’re against that. Fine..
Then are you okay with prison break showing a female white president who is very similar to Hillary Clinton being an evil scheming female president who kills people.
So is it okay to ban Utusan because they stoke racial tension and backed by UMNO? Why is it only media that is backed by UMNO deemed ban in your view, why not other media which backed by other parties be banned as well? Media that stoke tensions.
This is not right,
This is selective justice and bias reasoning,
Very much similar to the writings in those newspaper you loathe so much.
So I am sorry but I just cant agree on that.
So NO I will not ban any of these media base on the reasoning given above.
So… since you agree with them (Utusan) for such article, why are you so disturbed about this particular article? I thought you supported ‘Freedom of expression’. This is my way of expressing loathe towards media that promotes terrorism and stoking racial tension. Originally Malaysia has been a very peaceful country where all races live in harmony without having the media telling us that the Indians and the Chinese are bastards that should be treated no less than vermin and scums. Why the abrupt change after 2003?
I did not ask anyone to ban these media. Banning and condemning is two different thing. Do note that I condemn the Star and China Press as well for being shallow. They do not belong to UMNO. And if I could read Tamil, I suspect Tamil Namban wouldn’t escape my criticisms as well.
I don’t watch Prison Break, so I have no idea what the hell it is about, but Prison Break as far as I’m concern it is not produced or directed in Malaysia. It’s not a news agency nor it’s purpose is to spread propaganda in Malaysia.
You can go ahead and choose to buy and read all of those newspapers above. That is your choice, and I will not stop you from doing so, but if I can do that, I hope you can respect my views as a peace loving person who wants nothing more than racial harmony to be restored in Malaysia. You can read them, but you cannot force me to support them or force me to read or applause their action.
So you do agree that my reasoning is selective justice and bias reasoning that is very similar to the newspaper mentioned above…. I’m bias and selective. So if you think that they can do be bias and selective, why can’t I do the same? I may ‘poison’ people’s mind, but my ‘poison’ do not reach the whole Malaysia as my readership only consist of a few people.
okay
I’m cool with that