Seldom does the Malaysian media eat humble pie. That rare honour went yesterday to Sin Chew Jit Poh , one of the country's best selling Chinese newspapers. Editor-in-chief Liew Chen Chuan apologised to readers for a doctored photo that appeared in his newspaper last week. This, thanks to the power of the Internet.

Messages condemning the doctored photo was initially posted in a number of Chinese discussion groups, and it was later picked up by other groups, such as Sangkancil.

It appeared that Liew and his editors were hoping to ride out the storm. After all, it was an issue confined mainly to the virtual world of the Internet. Net power, however, could not be dismissed so easily.

On Sunday, malaysiakini posted two photos which conclusively proved that Sin Chew Jit Poh did indeed "update" their photo by replacing sacked deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim with current Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The editor responsible for the blunder was, however, quick to defend himself. The image, he said in a posting, was not meant to reflect reality. Nowhere was there any hint that this act of deception was terribly wrong.

And when contacted early yesterday, most of the Sin Chew Jit Poh editors remained reticent. Some pleaded ignorance. It was not until later that Liew issued his statement of apology. Why it took so long for the newspaper to own up to its mistake, no one knows.

That the editors of Sin Chew Jit Poh are not aware that it is wrong to change the image of a photo to suit the prevailing political circumstances is appalling. Indeed, just about everyone can tell that deliberate misrepresentation goes against the basic tenets of journalism. If the editors did not know that, they should quit journalism altogether. Simple as that.

The Sin Chew Jit Poh episode has also demonstrated the growing power of the Internet. It is often said that the first Internet revolution took place in Indonesia when former president Suharto was toppled last year. As students were camping outside the Parliament, many Indonesians kept abreast with the latest developments through the Net.

Clearly, that Internet revolution has now reached our shores. Increasingly the Net is being used to break the government's monopoly on information. Over the past year, pro-reformasi websites have mushroomed, much to the chagrin of the powers-that-be.

Still, the Internet cannot dream of overcoming the staple diet of distortion and misinformation fed by the government-controlled media. Like it or not, the majority of Malaysians are still receiving their news from the traditional media.

The Internet alone cannot be a solution to the woes of our mass media. Not now. But perhaps soon. Malaysiakini , launched only three days ago, is already contributing, in its only little way, to make a difference out there.

However, much of the credit in the battle against the doctored photo should go to those who posted protest messages. Truth prevails only when citizens dare to think. And journalists, of all people, should not only think, but must ask the questions as well.