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A veteran journalist once shared his work experience with me. He has an interesting interpretation of our role as journalists. "We are like a story teller, we report truthfully of what we have seen and heard during our interviews. We are telling the stories on behalf of those who can't tell their stories, to inform those who are not witness to their stories." he told me earnestly.
To fulfill such an obligation, we have to listen attentively, and pen our words cautiously, mindful of what we have written will affect the lives of certain people. Listening to him, I can't help to admire and respect his passion for the profession. The recent Ahmad Ismail's story reminds me of this conversation that we had a while ago. I realised that to be a good journalist, a lot of effort is needed. A public speech made in front of the Deputy Prime Minister and many others could end up having various versions. Ahmad did not deny that he had called the Chinese (penumpang) lodgers (who do not deserve equal rights with Malays) but he insisted that his speech was quoted out of context as he was referring to the role of Chinese prior to Merderka. He has refused to apologise . This is not the first time when the media has been made a scapegoat, and most likely it will not be the last. I felt vehement over the fact that my colleague, Tan Hoon Heng, was made a scapegoat in this whole incident. To report truthfully is our duty as a journalist. I am proud that the two other reporters who were present at the scene dared to tell the truth. I believe our readers would have the wisdom to see through all the lies and nonsense. In days when public opinion is spun to cause confusion, we, the storytellers have to be extremely cautious and careful. We have to listen attentively and write cautiously, to ensure that the whole story is accurately presented before our readers, and to ensure that we ourselves are not made scapegoat of certain politicians with personal agendas only known to them. (By TAN LEE CHIN/ Sin Chew Daily)
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