KOTA KINABALU: The Kota Kinabalu Journalist Association (KKJA) aims to revive the culture of reading newspapers through a 'Read Newspapers' campaign in schools.
KKJA chairman Jimmy Goh said digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) are beginning to dominate life, including how information is shared and received, leading to a decline in reading.
"I am talking about reading books, papers, newspapers, not scrolling through the internet," he said.
He noted that the culture of reading has changed significantly today compared to the past.
Goh said people once relied on newspapers and mainstream media for accurate information and news, but now they just click on their phones or computers to scroll through.
However, the risk of misinformation and misleading materials is higher because anyone can say what they want and post anything online without considering repercussions.
"Although there are laws against fake news in the country, how often can the government monitor everything on the internet?" he asked.
International news can also be distorted or spread with malicious intent, he said, citing numerous scam cases as evidence of this negative impact.
"Therefore, we in KKJA feel it is our duty as seasoned journalists to do something, and in this instance, revive the art of reading via newspapers in schools," he said.
Asked why schools were chosen, Goh explained that students are easier to mould, and as future leaders and movers of this country, they are the best targets to start with.
Students are easily susceptible to new information, trends, and ways of life, Goh said, so change must start with the younger generation.
However, it is vital that schools and news agencies work together to make this campaign a success.
He said this is still an idea that needs to be properly drafted before implementation.
Many factors must be considered, including funding, cooperation from schools and related ministries, and manpower from media practitioners, Goh said.
He wants to revive not only the media industry but also reintroduce newspapers to the younger generation.
With this, they hope to create a safe and credible news platform on paper and digitally to reduce the spread of misinformation in society, he added.
