Nip any authoritarian tendencies among PR leaders

But a couple of media sources tell me that the NST journalist is probably reluctant to provide specific instances of preferential treatment of businesses and projects as that would amount to revealing his sources, including who the disgruntled business people are. “He can’t expect journalists to dance to his tune,” one of them said. They also felt that it was unfair to single out particular media organisations to be barred as it amounted to “divide and rule” over the media.

It has just come to my attention that the main reason Guan Eng is unhappy with the NST is that he felt the journalist had questioned his personal integrity by reporting that certain business people had lamented that he had given preferential treatment for certain projects and personalities. From what I understand, Guan Eng had challenged the journalist to produce a list of such occurrences – and has not yet received such a list, and thus he felt the journalist’s statement was unfair and had cast doubt on his integrity. It was for that reason that he had barred the NST from press conferences.

Despite the obvious political leanings of papers like the NST, Sharanjit Singh has a point in his piece: What’s your beef, Guan Eng?

The Pakatan fellas have to get used to the idea of “unfriendly media” or critical media covering their press conferences and not pick and choose their media.

In Ipoh, at the height of the crisis, I was barred from entering the MB’s residence for 45 minutes while “friendly media” such as Harakah and Suara Keadilan as well as ordinary folks were allowed in by the Pas Unit Amal folks at the gate. I don’t blame them as they were just “ikut arahan” – whose orders, I dont know.

Apparently, the instructions were issued after certain mainstream media had been portraying the Pakatan in a negative light in the preceding days. Also kept out for a while at the front gate were other independent media such as the Chinese-language Merdeka Review and blogger Wong Chin Huat.

I pointed out to the guards that their instructions were reminiscent of the BN way of doing things.  And then fresh instructions arrived that the Chinese-language media would be allowed in – which only made matters worse. (It still left me out!)

Finally, I had to barge my way in with the rest of the ordinary Perakians who were attending the ceramah. All this hassle because I had identified myself as “media” and was carrying a “dangerous weapon” – a laptop.

We have to nip any authoritarian tendencies in the bud and that includes those displayed by Pakatan leaders.

The tendency to choose only friendly correspondents is not confined to local politicians. When I submitted my name as IPS correspondent to cover the World Bank and IMF annual meetings in Singapore a couple of years ago, the organisers initially rejected me – until IPS themselves intervened and got them to reverse their decision.

In this day and age, when every other person has a blog and when scores of citizen journalists are roaming around, it doesn’t make sense trying to restrict the media – especially at a time when the new  media are giving the traditional media a run for their money.

Let the contest be between opposing ideas and world views.  And let the people decide which ideas they find palatable and acceptable and which media they want to read or follow.

Anil Netto