Overcoming challenges, forging ahead with resilience
PETALING JAYA: The Star will continue to uphold its commitment to delivering the best in its reporting. We have done so well before and we will try to the best of our abilities, to keep up the standard.
That assurance was penned by The Star’s then chairman Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj after the suspension of the paper was lifted almost four decades ago under Ops Lalang (see story below).
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Fifty-five years on, The Star marked its anniversary on Sept 9, a celebration Star Media Group managing editor Brian Martin describes as a reinforcement of Tunku’s promise to uphold a strong journalistic foundation that continues to guide the newsroom as the media landscape evolves.
Ops Lalang helped shape the values that continue to guide The Star today, he said.
“We have had our share of ups and downs.
“That experience was a defining moment of resilience for The Star.
“We are stronger today because of the values and lessons we learnt from our predecessors who guided the paper back to its feet almost 40 years ago.”
The suspension of the paper in 1987 had a profound impact not only on the newspaper’s employees, but also on how Malaysians viewed the publication, he said.
“The ‘People’s Paper’ tagline continues to resonate with Malaysians because of the resilience shown by The Star in overcoming this major setback and coming back stronger,” he said, adding that the current content team embodies a strong journalistic DNA forged over decades of compelling storytelling.
Today, said Martin, The Star serves an increasingly diverse readership, with its digital platforms reaching audiences across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
That wider reach, he stressed, comes with an even greater responsibility to uphold the principles that have endured through the newspaper’s history.
“We’ve moved on from Ops Lalang to continue innovating and leading the media space in Malaysia.
“The responsibility of creating journalistic content for both local and international audiences means that our ethos of getting the facts right and reporting with accuracy is more important than ever,” he said.
As The Star looks towards the future, Martin believes those enduring values will remain central to its evolution as a multi-platform news organisation.
“As we navigate the challenges tomorrow brings, this ethos will continue to define The Star as a multi-platform content producer driven by the core principles of good journalism.
“Responsible, truthful, fair, ethical and transparent reporting is non-negotiable.”
