KUALA LUMPUR: The Communications Ministry stressed that the RM30 million Media Innovation Fund rollout will not undermine media freedom in reporting current issues.
Instead, it is aimed at strengthening the resilience of the local media industry amid challenges posed by the digital ecosystem.
Deputy Communications Minister, Teo Nie Ching, said the fund was introduced to support local media organisations in their digital transformation.
This follows shifts in the advertising landscape that have seen revenue increasingly diverted to global platforms such as Google and Meta, affecting traditional media outlets.
Teo said the government’s intention was not to ensure favourable coverage or allegiance from the media, but to help local media organisations remain relevant and competitive in the digital era.
“This fund does not come with conditions that compromise journalistic principles, such as requiring media to only praise the government. I follow local media closely, and they are very critical of government actions.
“They do not merely praise the government but also scrutinise and criticise,” she said during Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today (Feb 5).
Teo was responding to a supplementary question from Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden (PN-Alor Setar), who voiced concerns that eligible applicants receiving the Media Innovation Fund might be bound by certain conditions that could undermine the principle of media freedom.
Commenting on the transparency of the fund’s distribution, she said a special committee had been established to evaluate and select eligible applications.
The committee is chaired by the Deputy Secretary-General of the Ministry of Communications and also includes representatives from the Malaysian Information Department (JAPEN), the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), and relevant agencies.
Teo said today marked the first day of presentation or pitching sessions by fund applicants, with 10 organisations scheduled to make presentations, while another 29 will be called in subsequent sessions.
“This committee will conduct evaluations and determine whether applications are approved and the appropriate amount of funding to be granted,” she said.
She added that the Media Innovation Fund offers financing of up to RM300,000 per application and is open to locally registered media organisations that are legally registered and meet the stipulated eligibility criteria, including registration with JAPEN.
The fund, she said, can help create a healthier and more sustainable media ecosystem, while ensuring media organisations are able to adapt to the latest technologies without compromising the quality of news produced. – BERNAMA
