Amid an existential crisis in the media industry, more and more newsrooms are foregoing investigative reporting, which can involve a lot of resources without the certainty of a payoff. But Sonia Randhawa, Co-Director of the Center for Independent Journalism argues that there should be continued funding for media investigations that hold power to account. We also speak to Malaysiakini's Aidila Razak on the ICIJ's latest financial expose, the FinCEN files and what it reveals about the global banki...
Sep 28, 2020•21 min
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe caused a splash when he unexpectedly resigned due to health concerns earlier this month. Abe has the distinction of being one of the longest-serving leaders of Japan - but what does he have to show for his time in office? We discuss his legacy and the future of Japan under new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga with journalist and author William Pesek. Image Credit: Drop of Light / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Sep 21, 2020•22 min
The Daily Express is one of Sabah’s oldest newspapers, established since the formation of Malaysia in 1963. We speak to long-time Chief Editor James Sarda on efforts to stay relevant in the changing media landscape, as well as thoughts on bridging the knowledge gap between East and West Malaysia. Image Credit: Augustine Bin Jumat / Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 14, 2020•19 min
China’s strategy to expand its economic influence, through ambitious projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative is well-documented and monitored. But perhaps less paid attention to is China’s parallel effort to boost its global media presence - which observers say may not be as innocent as it seems. A recent report published by the International Federation of Journalists assesses the impact of China’s media influence on global journalism unions and individual journalists. We speak to co-autho...
Sep 07, 2020•23 min
Indonesia has recorded over 150,000 confirmed case of Covid-19, with the number of infections rising by the hundreds daily. How did it get to this point and what is being done to tackle both the healthcare and economic costs of the pandemic? We speak to writer and political commentator Johannes Nugroho for insight into the situation in Indonesia. Read his latest commentary on the pandemic in the South China Morning Post here . Image Credit: EPA-EFE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...
Aug 24, 2020•19 min
The warehouse explosion at the Port of Beirut on August 4th has brought a global spotlight on the political and economic fault lines within Lebanon. We speak to Lebanese journalist Michael Karam, on his experience of what happened and the political situation in the wake of the disaster. You can read his article for The GroundTruth Project on observations of the aftermath here. https://thegroundtruthproject.org/helping-beirut-dig-out-bearing-witness-explosion/ See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...
Aug 17, 2020•17 min
Some 129 countries have a right to information or RTI law - but what does the right to information really mean? The Centre for Independent Journalism, Malaysia has been advocating for a Malaysian RTI law for the past 16 years. We discuss how this law would look like and its practical benefits with CIJ Malaysia co-Director, Sonia Randhawa. Image Credit: Giulia May/Unsplash See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Aug 10, 2020•21 min
How do radio and television differ as a medium for journalism? How big is the market for English news programming beyond the Klang Valley? We discuss these issues and more with radio-turned-television presenters Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan, who host the current affairs programme “Consider This” on Astro Awani. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 03, 2020•19 min
The Al-Jazeera documentary, “Locked Up in Malaysia’s Lockdown,” and the ensuing government response has sparked controversy over what laws apply in news video productions. We discuss the implications of licensing requirements for news video reports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 27, 2020•20 min
Public media, or public broadcasting, is sometimes conflated with government-run media. But the mandate of public media is not simply as a a mouthpiece for the state, but to provide a shared space of discussion for the people. Furthermore, Sally-Ann Wilson of the Public Media Alliance argues that in times of crisis, public media stands out as a credible sources of news and information. She speaks to us about the principles of public broadcasting, and whether public media organizations are adapti...
Jul 20, 2020•22 min
Singapore became one of only a handful of countries to hold general elections amidst Covid-19. Did the governing PAP party miscalculate in their strategy to hold polls during the pandemic? And what does the outcome mean for Singapore’s future? We chat with Singaporean journalist Kirsten Han on her observations. You can check out more analysis and coverage on Singapore issues at wethecitizens.substack.com . Image Credit: Roslan Rahman/AFP See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jul 12, 2020•22 min
In Malaysia, the narrative on migrants and refugees has taken a particularly ugly turn lately amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. This narrative exists in other countries too, but in parts of the developed world, there’s also parallel conversation recognizing the contribution of migrants in essential services. Can Covid-19 provide an opportunity to reimagine how we view migrants and migration policy? Amy Leach of the Overseas Development Institute sheds light on public discourse in Europe and the US. ...
Jul 06, 2020•22 min
With the proliferation of misinformation through social media, fact-checking has become a critical tool to combat “fake news.” Politifact was one of the fact-checking pioneers, set-up over a decade ago under the Tampa Bay Times in Florida and now housed under the Poynter Institute of Media Studies. We speak to Jon Greenberg, one of its senior correspondents on the process of fact-checking, measuring accuracy via its Truth-O-Meter and the climate of discourse in the US. See omnystudio.com/listene...
Jun 29, 2020•21 min
The Philippines’ constitution expressly protects freedom of the press, earning it the distinction of having the freest press in the region. And yet while freedom of speech may be protected by law, media practitioners and human rights activists have long decried the culture of impunity endangering human rights and the weaponization of laws against journalists, particularly under the current administration. We discuss threats against the free press in the Philippines, in light of the cyber-libel c...
Jun 22, 2020•22 min
The movement control order (MCO) has upended the way media practitioners of all stripes carry out their work, particularly multimedia and video journalists. We sit down with the brains behind Fat Bidin Media to find out how they’ve been coping, as well as discuss their latest project to counter disinformation, Berita Busters, and the future of video journalism in Malaysia. Check out more of their work at fatbidin.com and thisinfact.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jun 15, 2020•21 min
What happens to your things once you’ve dropped them off for donations or recycling? In his newest book, Adam Minter explores the global — but often murky — nature of the trade of secondhand goods. We also discuss the culture of buying secondhand and recycling in Malaysia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 01, 2020•21 min
The first Parliamentary sitting of the Perikatan Nasional administration this week has raised serious concerns about the sanctity of Malaysian parliamentary democracy. Electoral system expert Wong Chin Huat argues that people should demand more from their parliamentarians - and highlights several actionable reforms that could enhance the role of Parliament as a check on the executive. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 18, 2020•20 min
The Movement Control Order (MCO) in force from March 18 has upended daily life and confined most people to their homes. Under such circumstances, community media outlets such as the SJ Echo in Subang Jaya become a vital source of information and interaction. We catch up with Managing Editor Teoh Teik Hong on how the MCO is affecting life for Subang Jaya residents. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 30, 2020•22 min
Coverage of women, across and within media organisations, is the focus of the Global Media Monitoring Project, one of the largest studies in the world that looks at the intersection between gender and the media. Following International Women's Day last week, we speak to Gayathry Venkiteswaran, National Co-Coordinator of the GMMP, about how women are portrayed across different segments of the news, as well as the dearth of women in top editorial posts, and the links between the two. See omnystudi...
Mar 16, 2020•20 min
Last year, photojournalist S.C. Shekar stumbled across a community of Orang Asli families living in the vicinity of a landfill in Bandar Muadzam Shah. Subsequent media reports on the living conditions of the community, particularly young children, sparked a range of reactions, from disbelief to denial. We speak to Shekar for his take on the story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 09, 2020•22 min
After a week of drama, Pakatan Harapan will still have the option of exhausting legal avenues to challenge the Muhyiddin administration. In the meantime, the narrative should go back to what is good policy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 02, 2020•22 min
After a week of drama, Pakatan Harapan will still have the option of exhausting legal avenues to challenge the Muhyddin administration. In the meantime, the narrative should go back to what is good policy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 02, 2020•22 min
Ben Suffian of the Merdeka Centre and P. Gunasegaram of Focus Malaysia discuss the political upheaval surrounding Pakatan Harapan. They provide their analysis on what’s on the table for Malaysian politics and how markets could react moving forward. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 24, 2020•19 min
The world is grappling with the impact of the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, and nowhere more so than China, where the virus was first detected. Karoline Kan, a Beijing-based author and journalist speaks to us about the experiences of people in China during this crisis. Karoline Kan is the author of Under Red Skies: Three Generations of Life, Loss and Hope in China. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Feb 17, 2020•21 min
The world is grappling with the impact of the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, and nowhere more so than China, where the virus was first detected. Karoline Kan, a Beijing-based author and journalist speaks to us about the experiences of people in China during this crisis. Karoline Kan is the author of Under Red Skies: Three Generations of Life, Loss and Hope in China. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Feb 17, 2020•21 min
We take the pulse of the publishing industry with Eena Houzyama, Editor-in-Chief of homegrown publication Her World and the Malaysian Women’s Weekly. Amid the overall decline in print media and the rise of digitalization, how are women’s magazines adapting to retain their readership? Also, Eena shares plans to celebrate Her World’s 60th birthday this year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 10, 2020•21 min
We take the pulse of the publishing industry with Eena Houzyama, Editor-in-Chief of homegrown publication Her World and the Malaysian Women’s Weekly. Amid the overall decline in print media and the rise of digitalization, how are women’s magazines adapting to retain their readership? Also, Eena shares plans to celebrate Her World’s 60th birthday this year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 10, 2020•21 min
January witnessed the Kimanis by-election, ongoing debate on Malaysia's leadership succession, and steps towards greater media freedom were set into motion. Meanwhile, the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus has come together with the complication of viral misinformation - how robust is the legal framework to curb "fake news" in this context? We discuss all these issues with Mohsin Abdullah. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Feb 03, 2020•21 min
Nearly two years on from GE14, a new compilation of essays and articles, titled Rebirth: Reformasi, Resistance and Hope in New Malaysia reflects on the dynamics, issues and circumstances that underpinned the historic outcome. Our panel dissects what happened from their perspectives, and also discusses how the country should, or could, move forward. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jan 20, 2020•34 min
The first 20 years of the century witnessed the explosion of digital media to the point of its ubiquity today. How is the digital revolution impacting the media industry - and how will it shape the future of journalism and the media landscape? We discuss this with Prof. Suzanne Franks, Head of the Journalism Department at City, University of London. Prof. Franks was in Kuala Lumpur to deliver a lecture, “Making News and Shaping Views: Riding the Rollercoaster of the Digital Revolution,” as part ...
Jan 13, 2020•21 min
