KUALA LUMPUR – The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) has called on the Parliament to lift media restrictions immediately and ensure that other measures are put in place in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This comes after the Parliament’s corporate communications unit's announcement yesterday that in-house media coverage for the November 2 Parliament session will be limited to 15 media houses mostly from TV and print publications.
Notably, the list excludes online news portals which operate exclusively online.
“We would like to ask how the Parliament determined which media should be allowed to cover the proceedings. Why were online news portals sidelined?
“Why is the state responding to Covid-19 related challenges by discriminately limiting the media’s access and undermining their rights and independence in the process, rather than thinking more constructively of other adaptive or mitigative measures that would guarantee the protection and safety of the media?” said CIJ executive director Wathshlah G. Naidu in a statement today.
CIJ also said there is a need for fair and equal media access to information through and beyond the current Covid-19 pandemic.
In recent months, she said CIJ has observed the shrinking of spaces for local and international media to report due to unfair restrictions or denials of access on the basis of Covid-19, including instances where access to certain spaces and press conferences is limited to just a few “official media”.
“This clearly denotes an attempt by the state to control the narrative and for how and by whom information is to be made available to the public,” she said.
She also gave suggestions that would enable a safe environment for all media organisations, including:
> Placing a cap on the maximum number of staff from each media organisation instead of limiting the number of media outlets. News agencies may be permitted to send in only a journalist and a photographer or videographer;
> Converting unoccupied rooms into media rooms to ensure that more people can be accommodated, and have a dedicated room just for press conferences to take place;
> Making masks mandatory at all times and ensuring proper temperature taking facilities are in place. Hand sanitiser stations must be installed within the premises while frequent disinfecting of high traffic areas must be ensured;
> Ensuring that the guidelines and SOPs are implemented without double standards, and ensuring journalists and other visitors disclose any travel, especially to high-risk areas, within the last 14 days and/or any symptoms of illnesses;
> Consider establishing a fund to cover the costs of the Covid-19 swab tests (RT-PCR) for media organisations that cannot afford it, and;
> Suspend all social functions or events within the premises to outside the hours of the proceedings to minimise risks to media and others. – The Vibes, October 17, 2020
