Malaysiakini’s report on Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy appeal was the most balanced among online media, according to a study done last week.

 

“For the online media, Malaysiakini emerged as most balanced with 40 percent positive (towards Anwar) stories, 31 percent neutral and 29 percent negative,” said media watchdog Centre of Independent Journalism, which has conducted a study of news reports on the Sodomy II appeal.

                                               

“ The Malay Mail Online had the coverage that was most positive for Anwar at 58 percent, 19 percent neutral coverage and 23 percent negative coverage.”

 

In contrast, its print daily - which is considered most balanced for print media - has more negative reports: 39 percent negative, 33 positive and 23 neutral reports.

 

Online media were generally found to be more balanced compared to the print media, it said.

 

CIJ had monitored news portals Malaysiakini , The Malay Mail Online and The Malaysian Insider , and newspapers The Malay Mail , Sinar Harian , The Star , The New Straits Times and Utusan Malaysia .

 

It had monitored the news organisations’ coverage during PKR de facto leader Anwar’s final appeal at the Federal Court from Oct 28 to Nov 8, 2014.

 

Generally, it said, the defence’s submission is considered by the survey as “positive” in favour of Anwar, while the prosecution’s submission is taken as “negative”.

 

When an article includes rebuttals to the submission, it is considered “neutral”.

 

News items reporting Anwar’s supporters “behaving badly” is considered negative to Anwar, while those quoting sources saying the opposition leader is “innocent” is considered positive.

 

Utusan, NST least balanced

 

In the print media landscape, The New Straits Times and Utusan Malaysia were the “least balanced” with 56 percent and 54 percent negative reports respectively, while positive reports were at 28 percent and 14 percent.

                                                                       

“The print media generally did not feature the Anwar trial on its front covers, with Utusan at times relegating the story to pages 14 and 15.

 

“However during the defence’s case on Oct 30, Utusan featured a front page photograph of a woman crying “tears of sympathy” for alleged sodomy victim (Mohd) Saiful (Bukhari Azlan),” it noted.

The Star “generally buried the story of the trial between pages 6-16", said CIJ.

 

“Only Sinar Harian consistently placed the story on its front cover, with follow-up stories between pages two to four,” it said.

 

It said that print media generally quoted civil society organisations which urged justice for Saiful and for Anwar to respect the judiciary.

 

The online media, meanwhile, quoted those who urged the government to “end the politically-motivated persecution against Anwar”.

Malaysiakini withdraws bid to recuse JC

A David vs Goliath battle for online media