'It is mass media's role to bridge gap between govt and public'
Monday, March 26, 2007
HOW has the media sector in Brunei changed over the years?
What would our mundane life be without the media? Dull days have been made interesting with the presence of the media in our lives.
Fifty years ago, technology was not as advanced as it is now. With manual printing processes, news took much longer to reach the audience, and there wasn't as much material as there is now to be released to the public. In the mid 1970s, RTB introduced television to the nation.
Now, with technological advances and the Internet, the average Bruneian is able to access news in a matter of seconds after it is made public.
Has the significance of media's role increased throughout the years?
Obviously yes. With more and more people having access to the media, whether on a national or global scale, more weight has been put on our responsibility to act as the bridge between the public and the government. The objectives of media organisations differ for government and private agencies.
Could you elaborate more on such roles that the media in Brunei should play?
I believe that whether private or government-owned, the most important thing for media agencies in Brunei to have in mind is to always support the Government and in our case (the Information Department), the concept of the Malay Islamic Monarchy.
In today's watchful world, there are all sorts of challenges imposed on our country, our government and our way of living.
Media agencies have the authority, which comes with responsibilities, to turn these challenges around into words and images of support. As in our case, we have the duty to uphold the sovereignty of the centuries-old Malay Islamic Monarch philosophy. We have the duty to show the world that our concept works that it works well with the fast changing times, in harmony with the world as it progresses.
Do you think journalism should be taught in schools? Why?
Yes. Whether it is a subject by itself or as part of another, it would bring great benefits to the media industry in Brunei. Ideally, journalism involves good language, analytical and communication skills. Basic language, analytical and communication skills are usually cultivated in secondary schools in numerous subjects, be it languages, history or math.
In teaching journalism as a subject in schools up to the tertiary level, it could generate more local-bred journalists. In turn, the quality of material released by the media will also improve. Through extensive education, there is also the possibility of Brunei having its own local-bred, multi-lingual journalists.
Being multi-lingual is an asset, having the skills to communicate to those who do not speak English is an advantage in today's world. It means that news can reach the non-English speaking world in their own language, cutting down risks of misinterpretation.
What is lacking in Brunei's media industry at the moment?
Human resource. We need more journalists be it reporters, photographers, cameramen or editors to do much more. For example, Brunei's tourism could benefit from extensive coverage on the country that can be made available in the public domain so the world can see what it has to offer.
The more journalists we have, the more material there is out there for people, such as foreign investors and tourists, to view.
Implementing journalism in the educational system would certainly be a boost to the Brunei media industry.
The Brunei Times
What would our mundane life be without the media? Dull days have been made interesting with the presence of the media in our lives.
Fifty years ago, technology was not as advanced as it is now. With manual printing processes, news took much longer to reach the audience, and there wasn't as much material as there is now to be released to the public. In the mid 1970s, RTB introduced television to the nation.
Now, with technological advances and the Internet, the average Bruneian is able to access news in a matter of seconds after it is made public.
Has the significance of media's role increased throughout the years?
Obviously yes. With more and more people having access to the media, whether on a national or global scale, more weight has been put on our responsibility to act as the bridge between the public and the government. The objectives of media organisations differ for government and private agencies.
Could you elaborate more on such roles that the media in Brunei should play?
I believe that whether private or government-owned, the most important thing for media agencies in Brunei to have in mind is to always support the Government and in our case (the Information Department), the concept of the Malay Islamic Monarchy.
In today's watchful world, there are all sorts of challenges imposed on our country, our government and our way of living.
Media agencies have the authority, which comes with responsibilities, to turn these challenges around into words and images of support. As in our case, we have the duty to uphold the sovereignty of the centuries-old Malay Islamic Monarch philosophy. We have the duty to show the world that our concept works that it works well with the fast changing times, in harmony with the world as it progresses.
Do you think journalism should be taught in schools? Why?
Yes. Whether it is a subject by itself or as part of another, it would bring great benefits to the media industry in Brunei. Ideally, journalism involves good language, analytical and communication skills. Basic language, analytical and communication skills are usually cultivated in secondary schools in numerous subjects, be it languages, history or math.
In teaching journalism as a subject in schools up to the tertiary level, it could generate more local-bred journalists. In turn, the quality of material released by the media will also improve. Through extensive education, there is also the possibility of Brunei having its own local-bred, multi-lingual journalists.
Being multi-lingual is an asset, having the skills to communicate to those who do not speak English is an advantage in today's world. It means that news can reach the non-English speaking world in their own language, cutting down risks of misinterpretation.
What is lacking in Brunei's media industry at the moment?
Human resource. We need more journalists be it reporters, photographers, cameramen or editors to do much more. For example, Brunei's tourism could benefit from extensive coverage on the country that can be made available in the public domain so the world can see what it has to offer.
The more journalists we have, the more material there is out there for people, such as foreign investors and tourists, to view.
Implementing journalism in the educational system would certainly be a boost to the Brunei media industry.
The Brunei Times
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