THE DAY THE STAR HAD SEX

The Star on Saturday confirmed the sorry state of Malaysian journalism and the newspaper industry. It has to rely on SEX to sell newspaper.

Such stories would normally appear in newspapers like Kosmo and Harian Metro and the fact that the Star decided to go the Kosmo and Harian Metro's way confirmed the belief the newspaper industry is heading for the sunset.

The only thing missing from the Star yesterday were erotic pictures of Alvin and Vivian. The Star would have sold more copies had they published these pictures.

At least, yesterday and the few days before, there were some exciting stuff in the Press. Some would say at least sex stories don't contain lies, political stories are full of it.

LET'S FIGHT FOR THE PRESS

You are a hero when they need you, you are a scum of the Earth, if they don't need you. They treat journalists like thrash, they beat them to the pulp and now they whisper in your ears and say "I am sorry".

Hat off to the journalists in the vernacular newspapers. The Chinese newspapers today stood their ground and made the voice heard - they want Press Freedom.

The message to the establishment cannot be louder and clearer. Treat journalists with respect. Treat them with honour.

While these journalists have guts, such an honour cannot be accorded to their friends in Utusan Malaysia.  They have no balls. They just ape.

Congrats to those who wear black today.  

NADES IN THE DOCK

Journalist ordered to pay RM500,000 in damages over tweets

UPDATED @ 01:46:42 27-04-2012

Apr 27, 2012

 

KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 — Journalist R. Nadeswaran has been ordered to pay RM500,000 in damages to Datuk Mohamad Salim Fateh Din over defamatory statements made on social networking site Twitter.
Star Online reported that the High Court has awarded the property developer RM300,000 in general damages and RM200,000 in aggravated damages.
It is understood that Nadeswaran, who writes The Sun’s Citizen Nades column, is the first person in Malaysia to be sued for defamation over a Twitter posting.
The Gapurna CEO filed a RM15 million lawsuit against the journalist in March 2011 over postings on his Bumiputera status.
Contacted later, Nadeswaran told The Star that he would appeal the decision.
“I intend to exhaust all my legal options, including an appeal against the decision for damages.
“The hearing took place without the benefit of my defence and I intend to continue to pursue the matter for my defence to be heard,” he was quoted as saying.

No apology and no sympathy. A journalist lives by the sword, dies by the sword. When a journalist takes up the profession, they know the risk and of course, the discipline. It the case of Nades, he is experience enough to know his boundaries. Ergo, he earns no sympathy.