Wednesday, February 04, 2009

The Star Still Shine?

Is it me, or is it a fact that after a mini-Prague Spring post the March 8, 2008 elections where The Star demonstrated greater balance as "The People's Paper", the blooming period is all but over? It appears that we have now entered the period of "normalisation".

Reading The Star (yes I know it's difficult reading the paper, but it's part of my job) these few weeks has been more often than not, a little (understatement) nauseating, especially with the editorial slant and direction.

What happened to the lessons learnt after the last elections? Quickly forgotten obviously. The Unbearable Lightness of Being no more... Sigh.

Of course, it'll now also become the key vehicle for it's shareholders to launch its "rebranding" exercise. Maybe they'll come up with a new name for MCA... (or a new tagline for The Star).

Update: Interestingly, this report was published after I wrote the above post - The Star is expected to suffer first contraction in 10 years.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tony,

What do you expect a broad-SHIT like the Star to do except to spin bald lies, half-truths, etc to run down the PR for its political masters in UMNO/MCA? With the internet, more and more people are seeing through the hypocrisy of the Star and many people are boycotting the paper. But I would prefer that the public would also make bonfires of that stinking broad-SHIT to show its political masters in UMNO/MCA that enough is enough!

Anonymous said...

Well.....Wong Chun Wai was just promoted to "Datuk Seri"....so, what can we expect?

At the end of the day, which mouth is going to bite the hand that feeds?

Anonymous said...

I feel the same lately. The spin & slant is fast becoming unbearable. I used to have a bit of respect for OTK but it now seems he is more of the same, probable worse

Anonymous said...

Part of the MCA rebranding, not re-invention mind you, will be new angle for The Star editorial. More focus on new MCA President (which is happening.

In final analysis, toe the line.
Look at Wong Chun Wai (now Datuk Seri) blog. Guess his new title justify his more obedience to the new masters.

Anonymous said...

The ones (at the top) who were "trying" to be more objective were replaced with all the president's men...

Anonymous said...

he prays, and all sins, including blatant lies will be forgiven.
i wanna pray too but my God is different from his and am told that I destined not to go to heaven although I didnt lie.
well, thats life isnt it Tony?

Anonymous said...

an editor getting datuk seri title?? something's fishy up there.. looks like the titles are already a norm. as the cantonese saying goes, ' any pig, any dog ( ah chu, ah kow) can also get a title now'

-JoE.CoM- said...

Nahhh .. Forget about it ..

Ong Tee Keat won't change The Star into the People's Paper.

What he will do is rebadge and make it looks like the Utusan Melayu for UMNO.

If that really happen, what we will be reading is Malaysiakini and Malaysian Insider.

Cheers !


-JoE.CoM-

Anonymous said...

Notice how the editor's tone changes once someone is out of power ? When the ex PM was in office, Anwar bore the brunt of most of the Star's criticisms. Today when the old guy has fallen out of grace, he has now become the paper's editorial target to "shut-up" campaign. What can you expect from a paper that bends like the wind? The day it will start licking Pakatan's boots, is the day BN's power has totally collapsed.

It is indeed the "people's" paper.
People with swanky boots to lick of course....

Anonymous said...

No disrepect or anything, but don't care if you will post this comment but you just need to know this. Like many of the comments posted, you keep saying The Star is a bad paper and people shouldn't read it. But... That's only for matters involving politics right? Millions of Malaysians still read The Star not because its biased... They read The Star because its reporting news. How many people die in Ops Sikap. Sports section. Business section. Metro highlighting KL rat problem. Metro highlighting abandoned projects. Robbery committed. Missing person reports, etc. Don't generalize just because you don't like one aspect of the reporting. If DAP launches a national level paper, they would practice the same type of reporting. Don't be a prick. I think you're smarter than that.

Golf Afflicted said...

Hi Be Rational,

Of course, if DAP is to launch a national paper, we'll write stories from our view points, no question about it.

But that's the problem isn't it? Papers are not supposed to be controlled by political parties. Sure we have our own newsletters which are strictly restricted to "members" only, but MCA and other BN parties then get to own all the national papers?

Yes, you are right. Be rational, and don't be a prick.