THE INTERNET RULES

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Malaysiakini help to improve the media situation in Malaysia. That online newspaper is putting pressures on the mainstream media by reporting things that are not being reported by mainstream media. People are able to see that there is other news that is not being reported in the mainstream media.

For example, the chief justice had gone on holiday with a corporate lawyer who had appeared in his court. That was clearly a case of judicial misconduct, but that was not appeared in headlines of the mainstream media. Only Malaysiakini had published that controversial holiday.

There were photos on the Internet of the chief justice and the lawyer together in New Zealand. Malaysiakini also published evidences, which included ticket stubs showing that they actually took the same plane all the way to and from New Zealand with their families.

Malaysiakini attracts public attention because it gives people “the other side of stories”. It gives them “out there news”. It gives information that they couldn’t find it in mainstream media.
There are other factors behind its success. The most important thing is Malaysiakini breaks “government’s monopoly of the truth”. Malaysiakini becomes one of the country’s only sources of independent news.
International Press Institute (IPI) gave Media Pioneer Award to Malaysiakini because “the online organization works against a backdrop of harsh government restriction on independent and pro-opposition print media”.
IPI Media Pioneer Award was established to honor “individual or organizations who have fought against great odds to ensure free and more independent media in their country”. |more...|