Course Content

Lesson 1: Make no mistake, freedom of the press is not a constitutional right

“Freedom of speech” and “freedom of the press” are two different but related concepts. Article 10 of The Federal Constitution of Malaysia perfectly guarantees citizens’ freedom of speech but does not guarantee the freedom of the press. The first session clarifies the differences between the concepts of freedom of speech and freedom of the press, points out why freedom of the press is not a constitutional right in Malaysia, and introduces major media legislation.

Lesson 2: Does media ownership really matter

Explain the importance of media ownership from the concept of communication political economy, point out that it is another important means of media control besides media regulations, and understand the history and evolution of media ownership control in Malaysia. After the emergence of Internet media, is media ownership still important

Lesson 3: Media economics and the chaos of net red

From the perspective of media economics, explain why circulation (newspapers), viewership/audience rate (TV/radio) and click rate/traffic are important, and then understand why there are Internet celebrities

Lesson 4: The Internet and the Ghost of Fake News: Are we Freer

“Compared to traditional media, the Internet can be lawless,” a belief held by many, especially the Multimedia Super Corridor’s Bill of Guarantee that “Malaysia will ensure that the Internet is not censored,” has led many to believe that they can speak their minds freely on the Internet, a public space. Is it so?