Getting it all wrong


Knee-deep in politics: A Democrat Party member pointing to a picture of Donald Trump on a door hanger with a voter registration list ahead of the California Primary election in Santa Ana, California. — Reuters

ONE of the funny things about a newsroom is that you will occasionally hear journalists speak with great authority about breaking news or an electoral prediction that their absolutely reliable source has given them.

I remember being assured numerous times between 2011 and 2013 about both the timing of GE13 and the impending fall of the Selangor state government, for example. Predictions in which the confidence of the assertion was exceeded only by the substantial scale of error, and speed and conviction with which said error was brushed aside.

The Star 6.6 DEAL: 35% OFF Digital Access

Monthly Plan

RM 13.90/month

RM 9.04/month

Billed as RM 9.04 for the 1st month, RM 13.90 thereafter.

Best Value

Annual Plan

RM 12.33/month

RM 8.02/month

Billed as RM 96.20 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
Opinion , martin politics election

Next In Columnists

Sunny dreams of a World Cup summer�
Don’t turn a blind eye to animal cruelty
Indo-Pacific region does not need another imported security crisis
Beating the odds for BTS tickets
Why the Rukun Negara matters
48 teams, one trophy - what it really takes to win the World Cup
Champion scions give Penang durian its edge
The AI dividend: Advancing shared prosperity in Malaysia and China
The constitutional cost of caning
Don't make assumptions about Chinese mood

Others Also Read