What is the situation of "media control" in Malaysia and how will it affect the coming elections? Will all candidates and parties get equal or at least fair access to media coverage to campaign, explain their election manifesto and tell voters their hopes for Malaysia's future? Is the media structure fair and free? Is the growing presence of alternative media an effective challenge to the media hegemony of the ruling elite? How do we help the consumers of mediated information understand how the media works? Beyond the elections, how can we educate the next generation on the importance of recognizing the difference between 'truth and spin,' and discerning between 'truth and imagined reality'. These questions of public policy concern will be addressed through two expert panel sessions on the media and the forthcoming 13th General Election in the MiDAS@UCSI convened dialogue.
In view of the high stakes involved -- both in terms of influence and impact on the election outcome as well as the shaping of the country's political future - it is timely that the prime movers and shakers in Malaysia's electronic, online and print media engage in a dialogue to discuss and assess their roles in the coming elections and explain to an engaged audience the rationale for their expected coverage.
Participants in the sessions will not only be enriched by the insider information on the state of the media but they will also have the opportunity to share their views on how they perceive the Malaysian media should cover the elections so as to meet the expectations of the citizenry.
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