Tiang (standing) having a chat with members of the media attending the gathering. – Photo by Conny Banji
SIBU (Feb 7): Authentic information is still channelled effectively and transparently to the community through mainstream media as opposed to social media, said Datuk Michael Tiang.
The Deputy Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government said although social media platforms spread news faster, the reliability of their sources is still questionable and may even involve fake news.
He claimed that people still needed to refer to mainstream media because of this.
“They (social media) present interesting headlines together with limited, maybe questionable content.
“There is still room to doubt their news sources. Every time we are unsure about a certain piece of news, we always refer to mainstream media because of their established reputation for credibility, truth, and reliability.
“I want to emphasise that what you are fighting for is not in vain. Even though news appears fast on Facebook and Instagram, people still rely on you as reference,” he said to local media practitioners during N54 Pelawan Service Centre’s pre-Chinese New Year gathering here on Monday night.
About 40 local media practitioners, namely from Utusan Borneo, The Borneo Post, See Hua Daily News, Utusan Sarawak, Sarawak Public Communications Unit (Ukas), RTM, New Sarawak Tribune, TVS, Bernama, and Sin Chew Jit Poh attended the event.
Tiang, who is also Pelawan assemblyman, later expressed his concern about the rise in online scams, fake news, and hacking cases.
He said as the digital technology is getting more sophisticated, it has become more difficult for the people to distinguish between what is real and fake.
“In a situation like this, mainstream media serves as an anchor and pillar for the public to check the reliability and accuracy of news.
“I believe it is the duty of the mainstream media to educate and instil public awareness of this issue,” he said.
In addition, Tiang hoped to strengthen his relationship with the media, especially in Sibu.
He said Sarawak is now on its way to becoming a developed state by 2030, and he does not want Sibu to fall behind.
“Beyond just friendship, I look forward to an ongoing partnership with you. Thank you for your constant cooperation and I hope we can all keep working hard to shape a better future,” he told members of the media.