The RM100,000 fines recently imposed on Sin Chew and Sinar Harian have sparked heated debate. PAS has gone so far as to call the penalties “media bullying”, while the Malaysian Media Council warns of creeping self-censorship. Critics argue that any punishment of press outlets constitutes an attack on “free speech” itself.
But let’s pause and ask a fundamental question: are media outlets truly institutions that embody noble values such as truth, justice, or freedom? Or are they, in practice, simply companies that sell content for profit — no different in principle from a car manufacturer selling vehicles or a shoe company selling footwear?
Companies first, ideals second
Ideally, journalism should “speak truth to power” and keep the people informed. That is the romantic image attached to the profession. But in reality, most media organisations today operate primarily as businesses. Their survival depends on circulation, clicks, advertising revenue, and the interests of their owners.
At best, they are profit-driven companies. At worst, they act as propaganda units, amplifying the views of their political or corporate paymasters. This does not mean quality journalism never happens — but it does mean that the structural incentives of media firms are not fundamentally different from any other profit-making enterprise.
Institutions serve higher causes
An institution, properly understood, serves something greater than itself — be it humanity, the public, the nation, or God. We safeguard institutions because they uphold enduring values larger than the individuals or organisations within them. Institutions deserve protection because they serve us, our nation, or even God, by embodying such timeless virtues as truth, justice, and integrity.
If media companies want to be treated like institutions, then they must behave like institutions — consistently upholding truth, integrity, and the public interest, even at the cost of profit. If they act instead like companies seeking revenue, then it is unreasonable for them to demand institutional protection.
Fines are not an attack on freedom
Viewed in this light, the fines on Sin Chew (for publishing the Jalur Gemilang without its crescent) and on Sinar Harian (for falsely linking the Inspector-General of Police to a political party) should not automatically be equated with an attack on free speech.
If fining a car company for defective brakes is not an assault on Malaysians’ “freedom to travel”, and if fining an event organiser is not an attack on the “right to assemble”, then fining a media company for factual errors or national symbol misuse should not be mistaken for an attack on freedom of expression.
Accountability matters
Media organisations, like all companies, must be accountable for the consequences of their products. Content is their product. When that product misrepresents a national emblem or spreads false information about a public official, accountability follows.
For all we know, these mistakes may have occurred because the companies were cutting costs — by not putting enough personnel in place to do the job properly. If so, the errors are not simply accidents but consequences of profit-driven choices. Heavy fines can serve as a deterrent, reminding owners that it may be more cost-effective to invest in proper staffing and editorial safeguards than to risk costly penalties.
Institutions must earn their place
What the nation must protect are not the rights of private companies to operate unchecked in pursuit of profit, but the rights of genuine institutions that serve causes larger than themselves.
If journalism aspires to be such an institution, then journalists and media owners must first prove — through consistent action — that they serve truth and the public above all else. Until then, it is misplaced to treat commercial media companies as sacred cows beyond reproach.
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