MP SPEAKS | Public distrust in the media is detrimental to our democracy

MP SPEAKS | Malaysians' trust in the media plunged to a new low at 25 percent, according to the Digital News Report 2020 study by Reuters Institute.

This is an alarming signal to all stakeholders, including media practitioners, and the government.

The destruction of trust in the media is bad for democracy which thrives on the public getting constant, independent, and reliable information to take part in public life. On the contrary, authoritarian regimes delight in the public’s distrust of the media. Without an influential and independent media providing insights into government and other public issues, the people will not be able to properly check on their government.

In the latest Digital News Report, the trust Malaysians have in most of the news and media has plunged from 31 percent last year to 25 percent in 2020. Only a quarter of those surveyed believed in the news they read or watched.

Overall, Malaysia's ranking has dropped to the bottom fourth among all the countries surveyed.

It is important to note that since Reuters Institute started covering Malaysia in the report in 2017, we have always been ranked somewhere...