Media freedom is better under the administration of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, said his deputy Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today.

According to Zahid, media practitioners are no longer restrained by agendas as practised under the leadership of a previous prime minister "who administered the country the longest".

These are findings from his doctorate thesis, in which he compared two mainstream media outlets - namely Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian, said Zahid.

"When I look at the facts contained in my study, if they are still relevant, it shows that there were certain elements of agenda setting.

"The agenda setting was done by someone. What was done back then was not agreed by media practitioners. In this case, we can see clearly how freedom of media is better now, compared to when there was agenda setting," said Zahid, who is also the home minister.

Zahid said his thesis compared news reports on five general elections in Malaysia.

Although he did not mention names, he is believed to have been referring to Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who served as a prime minister for 22 years.

Zahid said this in his speech while launching the "BH: Enam Dekad Kekal Dinamik"(BH: Still dynamic after six decades) coffee table book in Kuala Lumpur.

Zahid also urged for journalism ethics to be preserved, while championing media freedom.

He said media practitioners today faced a new challenge in the form of "new media" who had their respective agendas.

Zahid further urged media outlets to not carry news reports that could anger the society.

"This is where social responsibility comes into play, be it among traditional media, or new media practitioners."

He then heaped praises on Berita Harian and Utusan Malaysia, which he said practised journalism ethics.