Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has outlined five important criteria to be adopted by media practitioners, including social media movers in every news reporting.

Speaking at the Premier Media Night 2015 (Malam Media Perdana) in Kuala Lumpur tonight, Najib said the criteria were maintaining a professional attitude all the time, being responsible, and giving constructive views and criticisms.

"The third criterion is that media practitioners must report issues based on valid and accurate facts, and not based on assumption and rumour although they (media practitioners) rush to produce the news, but (they) must ensure what is reported are actual facts," he said.

Also present were the prime minister's wife, Rosmah Mansor; Communications and Multimedia minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek; chief secretary to the government Ali Hamsa; cabinet ministers, deputy ministers and senior editors of local media organisations and media practitioners.

Najib said the fourth criterion was that the media practitioners must practice healthy reporting by rejecting slanderous elements, the tendency to pit one individual against another, being racial or touching on sensitive issues such as religion.

"Although we succeed in terms of managing the national economy, do not forget that we are also part and parcel of nation building [...] if we talk about nation building, we must inculcate noble and positive values such as the values of moderation, mutual respect between one another and having the 1Malaysia spirit or principle so that we will have the feeling of togetherness," he said.

Be ethical

In addition, he said, every media practitioner should practise journalism ethics based on universal noble values in discharging their responsibility and duty.

Najib also reminded the media practitioners who were facing the era of social media development such as the Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and WhatsApp to always be sensitive and to make adjustments on how to react if there were major issues arising.

"If 40 years ago we could have a longer time (to react) compared to today, for example if a major issue arises we could still respond within 24 hours, but today if something spreads especially in the social media, the response time is not 24 hours but two hours or possibly 20 minutes.

"Another thing, if in the past news were written in length in the form of news portal and so on, today however the people prefer news that are brief, concise and leisurely especially if it carried a caption or photograph that is attractive," he added.

The Premier Media Night 2015, with the theme of black-red, aimed to give an appreciation to media practitioners whether they were involved directly or indirectly in the fields of broadcasting, printing and digital media who were always striving to give the best report to the public.

Najib said the government always considered the media as a partner in developing the country towards realising the universal dream of taking Malaysia to greater heights.

Thus, he said, the media played an important role in moulding the people's mind so that they could have a better understanding of any decision or policy made by the government.

- Bernama