PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Media Council (MMC) has condemned the doxxing, harassment and intimidation of journalists following an online backlash against a Free Malaysia Today reporter after a public lecture earlier this week.
The council said it has taken note of the public apology issued by the news portal and the clarification provided following its internal review into the recent matter involving one of its reporters.
MMC said it acknowledges the steps taken by the news organisation to address the issue and to publicly account for its handling of the situation, in line with principles of transparency and editorial responsibility.
“MMC strongly condemns all forms of doxxing, harassment, intimidation and threats against journalists.
“Such actions place media practitioners at risk, violate their privacy, safety and basic human rights, and undermine the fundamental role of journalism in a democratic society.
“No journalist should be subjected to personal harm or intimidation, regardless of disagreement over their work,” it said in a statement yesterday.
At the same time, the council said journalists must uphold critical thinking in their reporting, including in the framing of questions and narratives.
“Such critical inquiry must be grounded in thorough preparation, in-depth research and careful analysis of the issues being covered,” it said.
However, the MMC stressed that the responsibility for maintaining these standards does not rest solely on individual journalists but on newsrooms and media organisations themselves.
It said this includes providing proper training, guidance and a strong editorial culture that supports responsible journalism while avoiding a climate of fear or self-censorship among journalists.
The council also urged restraint, saying “cooler heads” should prevail.
“As an independent statutory body established to uphold media standards and accountability, MMC stands ready to offer its good offices to facilitate dialogue or mediation between the parties concerned, should this be appropriate,” it said.
