A selection of comments from Malaysiakini readers on the situation in the Fourth Estate and how it performed in the run-up to the recent general elections.

On Media changes tone after shock poll results

Concerned Malaysian: The mainstream media should start realising that we Malaysians are no longer blind and naive to their one-sided and corrupt pactice within the field of journalism. They should be truthful, impartial, correct and fair in pursuit of nation-building.

They are still in denial of this fact, thus it is time to launch a public awareness program to repel and avoid bad reporting. The mainstream media should allow this change willingly and voluntarily for the sake of a new Malaysia.

Tang Ching Leng: The opposition has broken the BN’s seemingly invincible two-thirds majority. This was despite the extreme biased reporting on the part of the mainstream media. I have never seen such one-sided opinions in favour of the ruling party. Positive spin was poured on ruling coalition candidates’ campaign rounds, while the opposition’s campaigns were barely covered. And when it was, it was mostly negative commentaries.

Where is the responsible and fair journalism? Do not mock our intelligence. By demonstrating such blatant disregard for unbiased reporting, the mainstream media has failed in its duty to play a role as an important pillar of Malaysia’s democratic process. Their reports was read with great scepticism, and in some instances, even anger at the complete disregard for fair competition in a democratic country.

If the mainstream media continues to neglect its role as a provider of balanced views and genuine news to the people, then it will be a matter of time before its readers forsake it and turn to other sources that will.

Daphne Oon: The position taken by mainstream media in biased reporting is a truly frustrating situation. For me, and I believe, for many others also. As a relatively regular user of the mainstream media, I cannot help but be extremely irked with the news in the past few days. All that has been published or aired is the moaning, wailing and whining of BN for losing some seats in this elections.

And the mainstream media keeps bombarding irrelevant news - how BN lost, why they lost, how they are going to work hard in the next elections (well, if they worked hard earlier, to start with, they would not be voted out, right?), and a bunch of other BN-related issues.

Why does the whole nation have to mourn with BN on their party issues in the mainstream media? Since these are party-issues, leave it within the party. I would truly like to see some reality reporting for once.

Chris Robinson: What everyone seems not to have noticed is that this election result was strongly attributable to the Internet. The BN for years has controlled the media through threats and ownership. Now we see the mainstream media completely lacking in any credibility and the populace increasingly referring to the Internet for some access to the truth.

Let's hail the Internet for the ability it has given ordinary Malaysians to break through the web of lies and deceit that have defined the BN for may years and spread through the mainstream media.

YC Kwong: This is in response to the article written by a mainstream media editor entitled Silent majority should return Barisan. He had argued that if we, the wise voters, vote out MCA, Gerakan, or MIC, this will effectively weaken our representation in the government, and therefore we do not have representatives to voice out much on our behalf.

However, the past four years have already proven to us, the wise voters, that electing them did not seem to help us voice out much anyway. Not only they failed, they become subservient to the dominant party until they are perceived as meek mice in the coalition. The solution is not to subscribe to the same system that did not work earlier, and that will not work in the future.

Voting for the opposition today may not guarantee a better future, or a better system. In fact, no one will know. But there is one thing I do know, if we do not speak out today, our voice may not be heard anymore in future. And one final note, instead of being a political tool, a journalist should redeem himself/herself to reporting the truth objectively, and without bias.

W Arun: A firm warning must be given to the mainstream media (MSM). Stop this rubbish reporting or face the same fate as the once thought unbeatable Barisan Nasional. For starters, stop calling the PKR-DAP-PAS coalition the ‘opposition’. They are not the opposition in the five states where they hold the collective majority. They are the government, albeit a new one. Barisan is the opposition. To keep this line of reporting up is akin to telling all Malaysians that we have been stupid and made an gross error in our judgement.

The MSM should stop thinking that Malaysians are fools, and stop these nonsensical statements such as ‘Malaysians in shock’. How can Malaysians be in shock, when it was Malaysians that voted for change?

Trade Central: Over the course of the last three weeks, we have witnessed countless tactics employed by politicians in their bid to reserve their seats. While all may be fair in love and war, there is a select group - whom we trusted to provide us with information and reasoned intelligent opinion - which has misplaced that trust. The Malaysian mainstream media - in particular, the press.

While the press should have focused on institutional scrutiny and accountability, and upheld the ideals of democracy itself, it has instead focused on biased character assassination and one sided arguments in their attempt to influence our judgment while they deceive us.

I am proposing that we boycott them. Just stop buying till they come to their senses. If we do this collectively, their readership numbers would fall, and eventually, advertisers would look elsewhere. Now, that we have started the wave of change, let's ensure that we bring about total change.

JTB: Yes, I am a subscriber of the local press and I feel that all reading Malaysians have seen the rubbish they have churned out all the time. Okay, so they have to praise the government of the day - what a fantastic job they have done.

I am sure many of you would have noticed that a few days before polling day, they went on a rampage and started this amok attack on Anwar Ibrahim, vilifying him to the ground. To the local papers, it is time that you wake up and play that important role of guarding the nation’s conscience with fair reporting

Jules Ong: Our mainstream media had a major role to play in why BN fell. They really have to shoulder the blame. But the biggest blame, of course, goes to the BN itself which had over the years cowed the media and taught it how to report what it wants to read.

Adept at parroting the ruling party's line, the mainstream media has created a bubble for the politicians to feel safe and secure in so that they truly believe everything is rosy on the ground and they can continue to behave as they do.

The mainstream newspapers, radio and TV have completely failed in their duty and debased the very reason for their existence - the simple role of being in tune with reality and providing a truthful picture of reality. The have utterly failed the rakyat and the people whom the rakyat entrusted to take care of them.

Alex Wong: If you were watching RTM1 on the night of the election, you would have thought that Barisan was heading for their usual 2/3rds majority. There was not even a hint of an upset in place, no mention about the situations in Penang, Perak, Selangor and Kedah. It was one of the most biased kinds of media reporting that I have ever encountered in my life. It showed our national media in the worst possible light. I guess that this is just one of the symptoms of our current political system.

Rick Khor: Just look at the headlines ‘Parties in a quandary’. Is it really true that the parties are in a quandary? The mainstream papers are trying to paint a gloomy picture of the consequences of the great tsunami . Why? Why? Whatever the observations are, the facts still remain that the mainstream media is too worried of their own rice bowls. What a pity.

Thanner: I am very sad and disappointed that during the election period, all the government- controlled media (eg RTM, TV3 and the mainstream newspapers) all reported one sided news. All these media reported BN’s agenda - not even one reported on the opposition parties. It’s time to change. Please stop all the lies by the government media. I am very fed up of reading of lies.

If the media doesn’t change, the people will lose confidence in it. All Malaysians want a media that reports the truth. Give us balanced reports covering both sides. Furthermore, now that the opposition controls five state governments, they should not ve called the ‘opposition’ at the state level anymore.

An Honest Malaysian: This change of heart by the mainstream newspapers is quite insincere, as they have (unashamedly) proven that they are motivated only by greed ie, by the hope of improving their bottom-line if they can entice back the readership that has abandoned them because of their unconscionable reporting over the many years.

As long as these papers are owned /controlled by the BN/BN-related parties, readers should continue to boycott them until the BN/BN-related parties' ownership and control is reduced to 30%.

Lai: During election, our TVs and newspapers were similar to their counterparts in China, Cuba or North Korea. Luckily this time Malaysians woke up and started to believe in the Internet rather than the mainstream newspapers. Malaysiakini , you are great!