If the mainstream media coverage of the Hulu Selangor by-election can be summarised, it would come across as ‘BN good, Pakatan Rakyat bad’.

Two media monitors say little has changed in this respect, as they reviewed media reports of the campaign that pitted BN’s P Kamalanathan against PKR’s Zaid Ibrahim in the polls last Sunday.

Mustafa K Annuar, secretary of Penang-based social reform group Aliran, said the mainstream media was largely supportive of BN and Kamalanathan, while running down Pakatan and Zaid.

mustafa anuar “If there was prominent mention of Pakatan personalities, it was in a negative light - such as the treatment accorded to Zaid, who was somewhat depicted as an ‘alcoholic’, among other derogatory (labels),” said Mustafa (right) , a communications lecturer.

“On the whole, the new media did try to be fair in their coverage. At times a few of them provided additional space for Pakatan, as if to make up for the little space in the mainstream media.”

Mustafa also said the by-election had witnessed many “unethical practices” especially by BN, although these were not highlighted as such in the mainstream media.

NONE “This included brazen offers of 'development goodies' to the voters of Hulu Selangor,” he said, although Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak (left) has denied ‘buying votes’ to secure victory in the parliamentary seat.

 

“Certain political observers, who were less charitable, have even likened those who offered such 'gifts of development' to mobile ATMs.”

‘Clear bias’

Centre for Independent Journalism communications and publications officer Yip Wai Fong concurred, saying the print media coverage was very much “skewed” towards BN.

“The gravity of bias is not uniform - the bias is stronger in media that are directly controlled by Umno,” she said of print media coverage of the campaign.

NONE She cited the situation of the Felda settlers that was raised by Pakatan, but which was given scant coverage by the print media.

 

“(But they) emphasised the federal government's side of story. Malay-language daily, Utusan Malaysia ran a two-page spread on the success of the Felda scheme in Hulu Selangor on April 21, without reference to (issues) raised by Pakatan.”

Media coverage by the print and broadcast media of election campaigns has frequently provided cause for complaint among opposition parties, who have claimed that they do not get a fair deal.