KOTA KINABALU: Sabah journalists are appealing to authorities to differentiate between the mainstream media and the social media influencers covering court cases involving Zara Qairina Mahathir.
Sabah Journalists Association (SJA) president Mariah Doksil said non-media personnel were blending in with the media, posing serious concerns as some of the women journalists felt harassed by unknown men bumping into and rubbing up against them.
"This sort of harassment is alarming, it raises safety concerns for the media covering the developing story," she said in a statement Tuesday (Aug 18).
"At Monday's (Aug 18) Coroner Court sitting for the Inquest in Zara's death, an unidentified individual blended into the mainstream media area.
Two female journalists reported feeling unsafe when the individual stood uncomfortably close to them.
"We call for stricter enforcement to protect working journalists," she said.
Doksil also said that untrained individuals disrupted official coverage by entering media zones and later monetised livestreams meant for public information.
"This undermines journalistic work and creates confusion," she said.
She said misreporting of legal proceedings and false claims were spread by unverified sources.
Doksil said that only registered media should be given access to press conferences to ensure accurate reporting.
"We urge authorities to enforce access control in sensitive areas like courts and prohibit recordings where not allowed to avoid compromising media access," added.
SJA urges all parties to respect journalistic standards and legal boundaries as responsible and accurate reporting, not sensationalism, best serves public interest and justice.
