New Media and the Informed Citizen Project and International Symposium
The Paradigm Infinitum project team for “New Media and the Informed Citizen” have just completed ten high profile interviews in Malaysia. The study will examine influence of the Internet and new media on the political process in Australia and Malaysia. The project is funded by the Australia-Malaysia Institute, an arm of the Australian government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
As part of the project, an International Symposium will also be hosted in Brisbane, 24th July 2009. The Symposium will include special guests R. Nadeswaran, renowned journalist and blogger, Steven Gan, co-founder and editor in chief of Malaysiakini, Tian Chua, Parliamentarian and blogger, Graham Young, Chief Editor and Publisher of Online Opinion, former Liberal Party State President, Datuk Azman Ujang, Director of Berjaya Media Berhad and a New Media Specialist from Media Prima Berhad.
"Over the last two weeks we have interviewed people from politics, the media, and the corporate world. Interestingly, almost every interviewee was also a blogger, which demonstrates the profound influence of new media on Malaysian society in general," said Shona Leppanen-Gibson.
The interviewees were:
- Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the former long-serving Prime Minister of Malaysia
- Mr Ragunath Kesavan, President of the Malaysian Bar Council
- Tunku Abdul Aziz, the well respected former head of Transperancy International Malaysia and current Senator and Vice-President of the Democratic Action Party
- Mr Jeff Ooi, well known blogger and Member of Parliament
- Mr Khairy Jamaluddin, Member of Parliament and UMNO Youth chief
- Mr Din Merican, renowned corporate identity and blogger for Parti Keadilan Rakyat (the Malaysian Opposition)
- Mr Tian Chua, Member of Parliament and information chief for Parti Keadilan Rakyat
- Mr Rocky Bru, journalist, editor of The Malay Mail, President of the National Press Club and President of the National Alliance of Bloggers
- Datuk Ahmad A Talib, Executive Director of News for Media Prima
- Datuk A Kadir Jasin, Editor-in-Chief of Berita Publishing
Interviews, transcripts, information and pictures from the symposium and the final report will be available at www.paradigminfinitum.com/NMIC shortly.
For more information about the Symposium click here.
Picture from left: Khairy Jamaluddin, Member of Parliament and UMNO Youth Chief being interviewed by Shona Leppanen-Gibson, Kiong Chan and Vicknaraj Thanarajah (Raj) at Parliament
Picture from left: Vicknaraj Thanarajah (Raj), Rocky Bru, prominent blogger and journalist, Shona Leppanen-Gibson, and Kiong Chan