Report
The purpose of the "New Media and the Informed Citizen" project is to understand, analyse and compare the effect of new media on the political scene and on the role of citizens in politics in both Australia and Malaysia. Mainstream media around the world has dedicated much commentary and attention to the new media in the last few years, especially social networking applications and sites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Recent political events from countries as disparate as Iran and the US have seen new media play an important role in connecting participants and disseminating information.
The Australian Federal elections in 2007 and the Malaysian General elections of 2008 saw an unprecedented use of new media techniques such as blogs, online news, You-Tube postings, and social networking sites by politicians, commentators and voters. This trend was similar to that seen all over the world but there are distinctive differences between how these techniques were employed in the Australian context and the Malaysian context and the interplay of politics and new media in each. In Malaysia’s case, new media has been felt by many commentators to have played a major role in shifting public opinion and providing alternative sources of information at the last General Elections in 2008, particularly in the face of a mainstream or traditional media which is heavily Government linked and self-censoring. This election was a turning point in Malaysian politics, and changed the expectations of voters and politicians alike. In contrast, Australian politicians and citizens, having at their disposal a mature and developed democracy and generally free and open mainstream media, have made far less use of the new media.
Key Findings
Some of the key findings of the New Media and the Informed Citizen project are:
- Australia has strict media ownership rules aimed at preventing media ownership from being concentrated in few hands. Malaysia does not have such media ownership rules.
- Australia’s proposed new media censorship laws have caused disquiet and uncertainty in the new media industry and has challenged the view of Australia as an advanced liberal democracy. Malaysia has shown great restraint in dealing with the new media and has demonstrated a greater tolerance of media freedom in the Internet age.
- Australia has a well-established and arguably relatively independent mainstream media. The new media by contrast is relatively undeveloped compared to Malaysia.
- Malaysia ’s mainstream media operates in a culture of constraint and self-censorship. However, Malaysia’s new media practitioners adopt the opposite approach.
- Australians generally do not use new media for engagement in politics, although politicians do use new media as a marketing channel. Malaysia on the other hand is an advanced user of new media in politics.
- From a legal perspective Malaysia has arguably greater freedom than many Western countries especially in terms of new media , and arguably greater internet freedom than Australia.
- Malaysia has a thriving media industry and globally it is at the cutting edge of new media usage and blending the application of traditional and new media, thus allowing Malaysian citizens to have even better access and greater interaction with politics than is the case in many other countries.
Research for the report has taken place in both Australia and Malaysia, and the final report is currently being completed. When finalised, the report will be published on this website. The final report will also be available in a Malay language version.
Interviews
In undertaking this research project, the team has interviewed prominent journalists, bloggers, editors, and politicians, as well as policy makers and officials. Interviews and research has been carried out in both Australia and Malaysia. Transcripts and video of the interviews will be posted onto the website as they become available. Where possible, transcripts will also be translated into Malay language.
