KUALA LUMPUR: Although the new media is said to be the preference of the current generation of news readers, newspapers as part of mainstream media, have the ability to combat fake news.
Making this observation today, veteran social activist Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said authenticity owing to information derived from credible news sources, was a hallmark of newspapers or the print media.
He said this was why the public continued to buy and read newspapers.
People nowadays receive online news through their phones or other electronic devices, but cannot tell whether the news is accurate, he said, adding that many of these stories later turned out to be false.
On Saturday, Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chairman Datuk Seri Azman Ujang called on Malaysians to continue buying and reading newspapers as a show of support for the monumental role played by newspapers in the development of Malaysian society and the country.
Speaking at the 45th anniversary celebration of the Bernama Workers’ Union, Azman had said that the act of purchasing a newspaper at the cost of about RM1 to RM1.50 would serve as morale booster to journalists and other media staff to continue with their work, while striving to improve on news content.
Lee who is also the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) chairman, said newspapers represent valuable historical records.
He said some people took pains to collect them, and they could used as official documents and serve as evidence, unlike information available on the web which was prone to change or deletion.
He also encouraged institutions of higher learning and schools to subscribe to newspapers as part of efforts to improve the language proficiency of students.
He said both educators and students would benefit from an expansion of their general knowledge and understanding of current affairs. — BERNAMA