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School of Technology Multimedia and Communication (SMMTC) \College of Arts and Sciences, Universiti Utara Malaysia

The Government Transformation Programmes (GTP): The Influence of Berita Harian’s Editors Section On Creating the Awareness and Understanding Among

Society

Azahar Kasim 1, Awan Ismail 2 , Mohd Sobhi Ishak 3, Norsiah Abd Hamid 4

Nurzalyna Mohamed Zaki5

University Utara Malaysia, Kedah, Malaysia.

ABSTRACT

- Understanding the different ways of how media is conceptualised through an investigation of how and why GTP is practised in Malaysia.

- Done in two phases : Exploring the frequencies of news article from May 2010 and June 2013 on three themes of GTP.

: Examining the contributing factors impacting on editors by delivering the GTP news through the understanding of readers.- In-depth interview with BH editors was conducted to identify the political strategies that

address the importance of GTP through media and another 50 respondents among BH readers to complete a survey on their understanding and awareness of GTP.

- An analysis of 18 BH news article documents from 2010 to 2013 is included, to investigate how BH demonstrates and frames GTP.

- The research concludes with a summary of what has been discovered about these main three GTP practices in Malaysia and a note on what possible changes will occur in the future.

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INTRODUCTION

- In Malaysia, media organizations play a crucial role as a partner of government especially in these movements of transformation by the government.

- The media will play their role in deciding which issues should receive people’s attention while government assigns their political relevance by selecting and emphasizing certain issues.

- This happens in other countries too.

eg : In Pakistan, daily Masawat is been established as political parties communication organs.

- Media has the potential to foster greater interaction between policy makers, government officials and their constituency (Lampe, Larose, Steinfield & Demaagd, 2011).

- According to McCombs & Shaw (1972), in publishing news for the reader, the mass media have to determine the main issues that will be an agenda in each campaign.

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PROBLEM STATEMENT

- Since the GTP been introduced, it has becomes increasingly important to identify the government synergy among the society.

- Not only in Malaysia, India too have their own economic transformation that makes India’s annual growth rate accelerated. Vietnam also has undergone transformation to enhance the living standard of the people.

- However, do all these transformation aware by Malaysian?- All government policy should be communicated to the people.- The editor’s section in Berita Harian should be the best platform to identify whether the

GTP produces effects towards the society.

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LITERATURE REVIEW

- Editor’s column is seen as one of the most important section in a mainstream newspaper and normally highlights the major concerns or issues discussed daily in the country.

- According to White (1964), reviews by the editors contain three different roles which related to the gatekeeper process. Those are:

i) Disseminate the news stories

ii) As the ‘gate’ in the process of news making.

iii) Decide issues goes into the news.- June, Hong & Sung-Min (2011) stated that media has the ability to add pressure on the

government in determining policy.- Other articles, like editorials, also contain opinions, but are different from a column in that

an editorial is “a newspaper or magazine article that gives the opinions of the editors or publishers” (Merriam-Webster, 2013).

- Editors play a crucial role in delivering news to public as mention by Ikuya (2012), editors play a key role as intermediaries between the production and consumption of printed (and now, increasingly, electronic as well) cultural materials.

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RESEARCH QUESTION

1) How the Editor’s Section in Berita Harian provide thematic information about GTP and three NKRA’s pillars?

2) Do Berita Harian’s readers gain general knowledge of GTP and three NKRA’s pillars thematic issues from Berita Harian?

RESEARCH OBECTIVES

1) To examine whether the Editor’s Section in Berita Harian provide thematic information about GTP and three NKRA’s pillars.

2) To identify the general knowledge of GTP and three NKRA’s pillars thematic issues to Berita Harian’s readers.

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METHODOLOGY

- The research consists of two separate methodology which are content analysis and survey.

- Content analysis provides data on priority articles in editors’ section by theme in the core areas of NKRA. Random sampling survey was conducted to identify reader’s choice of NKRA areas (issues).

- From 6 NKRA pillars, this study choose only 3 pillars to be highlighted. The 3 pillars were focus based on the most written pillars in editor’s section, the second highest and the pillars that not been mention at all.

- It is also been choose because of the focus issues in the election.

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i) News of NKRA (2010-2013)- Since its launch in March 2010, the first news about the NKRA was published in Berita Harian newspaper editorial column in May with a total of two articles on reducing crime and raising living standard of low income household, followed by two articles in June

2010. In October 2010 a total of three articles have been published. The total number of articles that have been published about the three NKRA’s pillars during 2010-2013 was 13 articles.

ii) Editors’ Articles Priority by Theme in NKRA

- The theme that has been given more focus by the author is on the ‘Raising Living Standard of Low-Income Households’ which was written as much as nine (50%) articles. It shows that the author support government’s action in focusing the lower income household. The theme on reducing crime was been written four times in editors’ section while no article was written on the addressing cost of living theme.

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Year (Month) NKRA KeywordPILLARS RC RLIH ACL2010 (May) / / -

2010 (June) / / -

2010 (Sept) / -

2010 (Oct) / / / -

2011 (June) / -

2011 (July) / -

2012 (Oct) / -

2013 (Mar) / -

2013 (June) / -

TOTAL 4 9 0

Note : RC = Reducing Crime, RLIH = Raising Living Standard of Low Income Household, ACL = Addressing Cost of Living

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Items Statements Mean SD

1. I know street crimes such as snatch thefts and robberies without guns cause a lot of trauma to the victim.

4.500 0.6145

2. I know the government’s efforts to fight crime to satisfy people. 4.200 0.7559

3. I know the existence of the young volunteer programme that aims to help prevent street crime.

4.000 0.8081

4. I know the use of mobile police stations and motorbikes are enhanced. 3.980 0.7690

5. I know the addition of CCTV has helped to prevent crime. 3.940 0.9127

6. I know the involvement of the Voluntary Patrol Scheme (SRS) and Cop as the ‘eyes and ears’ of the authorities in the fight against crime.

3.860 0.9691

7. I know the government’s target to reduce street crime rate in 2010 as much as 20%.

3.700 0.8631

8. I know senior officers are required to ‘walkabout’ to meet with people in their respective areas.

3.620 0.9666

9. I know PDRM have managed to reduce the crime index rate for 5% for 3 years in a row and street crime as much as 20% by the end of 2010.

3.560 0.8369

Table 2 : Reducing Crime in NKRA

Overall mean score= 3.7800, Overall SD = .5632

• The majority of the respondents indicated a high tendency to know about the government's efforts to reduce crime (Mean=3.7800, SD=.5632).

• Respondents tended to agree that crime is theft and robbery that leaves a deep trauma to the victim (Mean=4.500, SD=0.6145).

• However, the tendency of respondents to be aware of the facts related to the crime is considerably less. This shows that respondents less likely to take note of the reports issued by the authorities from time to time about the crime rate statistics.

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Items Statements Mean SD

1. I know about the increasing of medical clinics in urban, rural and mobile medical clinics.

3.820 0.8497

2. I know about the implementation of employment opportunities through establishment of a retail store 1 Malaysia.

3.720 0.8340

3. I know about the provision of training enable low income households to improve their economy.

3.700 0.9530

4. I know the expansion of financial aid to people of low income households to buy artificial limbs and prosthetics.

3.560 0.9723

5. I know about the supply of 1 Malaysia insurance scheme which covers areas such as education, and critical illness to poor households.

3.560 0.9071

6. I know about increasing in assistance for home ownership by offering 44,000 low-cost housing, for sale and rent.

3.540 0.8621

7. I know about the government’s efforts to accelerate the pace of poverty and eliminate extreme poverty by 2010.

3.440 1.0910

8. I know there are more than 200,000 households are classified as poor. 3.420 0.7584

9. I know about the distribution of federal welfare assistance to those who qualify on the first day of each month.

3.240 0.9596

10. I know about the standardization of the definition of low-income groups. 3.060 0.9982

Table 3 : Raising Living Standards of Low-Income Household in NKRA

Overall mean score= 3.5060, Overall SD = .6199

• Most of the respondents knew about the government's efforts to improve the living standard of low-income households through the NKRA.

• Respondents are moderately agreed on almost all items. Highest tendency is for the statement "I know about the increasing of medical clinics in urban, rural and mobile medical clinics' (Mean=3.820, SD=0.8497).

• While the lowest level of agreement was for the statement "I know about the standardization of the definition of low-income groups' (Mean=3.060, SD=0.9982).

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Items   Mean SD

1. I know about giving 1 Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) by the government. 3.940 0.6824

2. I know about the financial assistance under the BR1M for households earning below Rs 3,000 a month by giving a cash voucher worth RM500.

3.800 0.7825

3. I know about setting up 1Malaysia clinics to help people get affordable treatment (RM1 for each session).

3.800 0.7284

4. I know about the provision of public housing for low income groups (PR1MA) by the government.

3.780 0.7900

5. I know about the abolishment of school fees and to provide a free public education.

3.680 0.8676

6. I know about the 1 Malaysia Book Store (KB1M) was created in an effort to reduce the costs associated with education.

3.660 0.6263

7. I know about the Menu Rakyat 1Malaysia (MR1M) was created to help low-income workers and students.

3.640 0.6627

8. I know about mini market opening is to provide essential supplies to low-income people who live in urban areas.

3.620 0.8781

9. I know subsidies given by the government RM260 million under the 1Malaysia book assistance program for universities / colleges, matriculation and Form 6 students.

3.460 0.8621

10. I know about the government's efforts to reduce raw material costs by increasing supply in the market.

3.280 0.7826

Table 4 : Addressing Cost of Living

Overall mean score=3.7440, Overall S.D=.8155

• The government's efforts to address concerns regarding the cost of living are known by the respondents.

• The majority of them show a tendency to agree that they are aware of the assistance provided by the government such as the BR1M, 1Malaysia Clinic, PR1MA, etc.

• Nevertheless, they are more aware on the general knowledge pertaining to the specialized assistance such as 1Malaysia book vouchers and efforts to reduce the cost of raw materials in the market.

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DISCUSSIONHalf of the NKRA information reported by the editors were on the government's efforts to improve the lives of low-income households. This agenda (media agenda) is likely to inform the people that the government (policy agenda) is working seriously to help low-income earners who are burdened with a low standard of living. But surprisingly, the readers (public agenda) do not obtain the desired information, instead look to the government's efforts to combat crime through their reading of the newspaper. This reader may be selective, to see something of interest to just reading them alone.

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THANK YOU

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