The effectiveness of social media in assisting opinion leaders to disseminate political ideologies in developing countries: the case of Malaysia

When the Internet started to be widely used by the people around the world in the 90s, this technology was seen as a promising alternative for the traditional media outlets, especially in the countries where the people in power (i.e: the government) control the media organs. By controlling major media organs, by logic, people in power can easily manipulating the information with agendas of their interests before providing them to the general public. Hence, the general public is fed with information that has been specifically altered, which, in the long run will have effects on the public’s perceptions towards various thing especially their perceptions towards the people in power. In this paper, the researcher explores the effectiveness of the Internet, especially social media in assisting opinion leaders to disseminate political ideologies in Malaysia. Through examining the Malaysian media structure, an interview with eight Malaysian opinion leaders, the researcher finds that although to a certain extent the Internet provides alternative for the people to voice their opinions, the effectiveness of Internet based platforms like social media actually depends on how one utilizes it. Through interviews with the Malaysian opinion leaders, the researcher also investigates how the current Malaysian laws (especially media related laws) affect how the general public voices their opinions online

Fake news and elections in two Southeast Asian nations: A comparative study of Malaysia general election 2018 and Indonesia presidential election 2019

The increased penetration of Internet connection in Malaysia and high mobile device affordances in Malaysia over the last two decades resulted in significant changes in the media ecosystem and information consumption patterns in Malaysia1. Like in many parts of the world, one of the side effects of increased liberation of information production in Malaysia is the flooding of mis/disinformation, particularly in cyberspace. This paper will focus on political mis/disinformation, government responses to this pressing issue, and some suggestions for Malaysian policymakers to improve current mitigation efforts.Media and Strategic Communication

Analysis of cultural elements in selected festive advertisements

Cultural knowledge and understanding are fundamental in a multiracial society like Malaysia. One of the ways to foster a good relationship between people of different cultural backgrounds can be achieved through the use of media. One of the means of such a message that could be disseminated to the public is through festive advertisements. Previous studies have shown that the portrayal of culture in ads is a pivotal element that should be considered by all advertisers in producing festive advertisements. This study aims to explore whether the content of festive advertisements in Malaysia portray and deliver messages that could potentially assist in fostering a good relationship between races in Malaysia. A quantitative content analysis was done on ten festive ads. These ads were selected based on pre-determined criteria – 1) ads have to be produced by a local company, 2) uploaded on YouTube, and 3) related to the festive season. For this research, a festive ad is defined as advertisements related to festivals celebrated by the Malaysian community. Research results revealed that the majority of the selected festive ads for this study portrayed positive values that could assist in fostering good relations among people of different cultural backgrounds. The element of togetherness has been used across different festive ads to intensify the need for cross-cultural understanding, especially during festive seasons.Media and Strategic Communication

Exploring contemporary security issues near Sarawak-Kalimantan border

Stringent border control is one of the methods to secure national security across the world. Securing the border is essential for both economic and political reasons. In Sarawak, border security is one of the most discussed topics on the social media domain when it comes to state security concerns. Due to the porous Sarawak-Kalimantan border, a worrisome number of illegal activities had been recorded. Throughout the years, cases such as illegal crossings, drug syndicates, kidnapping, auto theft, smuggling, infiltration of illegal immigrants were reported to local authorities. These are among many other cases that highlight the gravity of the security issue near the Sarawak-Kalimantan border. Despite the continuous effort to increase security by Sarawak government through establishments of five new guard posts in Sarawak in 2018, security issues near the borderline is still a great concern. Sarawak is vulnerable not only along its border with Indonesia but also its shore and airspace. This research aims to explore the contemporary security issues near Sarawak-Kalimantan borders and efforts taken by the authorities to minimize security threats along the borderline. Through content analysis of Facebook discourse on security issues in Sarawak and in-depth interviews with eight informants - the findings of this research are hoped to be able to provide more updated data on Sarawak security issues with particular focus on border safety

Revisiting Transnational Media Flow in Nusantara: Cross-border Content Broadcasting in Indonesia and Malaysia

Previous studies on transnational media have emphasized transnational media organizations and tended to ignore the role of cross-border content, especially in a non-Western context. This study aims to fill theoretical gaps within this scholarship by providing an analysis of the Southeast Asian media sphere, focusing on Indonesia and Malaysia in a historical context—transnational media flow before 2010. The two neighboring nations of Indonesia and Malaysia have many things in common, from culture to language and religion. This study not only explores similarities in the reception and appropriation of transnational content in both countries but also investigates why, to some extent, each had a different attitude toward content produced by the other. It also looks at how governments in these two nations control the flow of transnational media content. Focusing on broadcast media, the study finds that cross-border media flow between Indonesia and Malaysia was made possible primarily in two ways: (1) illicit or unintended media exchange, and (2) legal and intended media exchange. Illicit media exchange was enabled through the use of satellite dishes and antennae near state borders, as well as piracy. Legal and intended media exchange was enabled through state collaboration and the purchase of media rights; both governments also utilized several bodies of laws to assist in controlling transnational media content. Based on our analysis, there is a path of transnational media exchange between these two countries. We also found Malaysians to be more accepting of Indonesian content than vice versa

Revisiting transnational media flow in Nusantara: cross-border content broadcasting in Indonesia and Malaysia

Previous studies on transnational media have emphasized transnational media organizations and tended to ignore the role of cross-border content, especially in a non-Western context. This study aims to fill theoretical gaps within this scholarship by providing an analysis of the Southeast Asian media sphere, focusing on Indonesia and Malaysia in a historical context—transnational media flow before 2010. The two neighboring nations of Indonesia and Malaysia have many things in common, from culture to language and religion. This study not only explores similarities in the reception and appropriation of transnational content in both countries but also investigates why, to some extent, each had a different attitude toward content produced by the other. It also looks at how governments in these two nations control the flow of transnational media content. Focusing on broadcast media, the study finds that cross-border media flow between Indonesia and Malaysia was made possible primarily in two ways: (1) illicit or unintended media exchange, and (2) legal and intended media exchange. Illicit media exchange was enabled through the use of satellite dishes and antennae near state borders, as well as piracy. Legal and intended media exchange was enabled through state collaboration and the purchase of media rights; both governments also utilized several bodies of laws to assist in controlling transnational media content. Based on our analysis, there is a path of transnational media exchange between these two countries. We alsoPeer reviewedMedia and Strategic Communication

An analysis of cultural elements in selected festive advertisements

Cultural knowledge and understanding are fundamental in a multiracial society like Malaysia. One of the ways to foster a good relationship between people of different cultural backgrounds can be achieved through the use of media. One of the means of such a message that could be disseminated to the public is through festive advertisements. Previous studies have shown that the portrayal of culture in ads is a pivotal element that should be considered by all advertisers in producing festive advertisements. This study aims to explore whether the content of festive advertisements in Malaysia portray and deliver messages that could potentially assist in fostering a good relationship between races in Malaysia. A quantitative content analysis was done on ten festive ads. These ads were selected based on pre-determined criteria – 1) ads have to be produced by a local company, 2) uploaded on YouTube, and 3) related to the festive season. For this research, a festive ad is defined as advertisements related to festivals celebrated by the Malaysian community. Research results revealed that the majority of the selected festive ads for this study portrayed positive values that could assist in fostering good relations among people of different cultural backgrounds. The element of togetherness has been used across different festive ads to intensify the need for cross-cultural understanding, especially during festive seasons

Virality is not enough when the audience misses the point: A content analysis of youtube comments on environmental documentary “Sexy Killers”

During the Indonesian presidential election campaign, a documentary on coal mining problems in Indonesia titled “ Sexy Killers” became viral and was highly engaged on YouTube in early 2019, attracting 36 million views and above 100,000 comments. The documentary also received mainstream media coverage and had such a far-reaching appeal that it swayed many voters into not voting in the election. Showing the impact of coal mining on Indonesia’s environment and its people, the documentary exposed networks of business owners and politicians who had stakes in the coal mining company. This research thus delves into understanding the public discourse, especially the high number of YouTube comments on the documentary. The analysis revealed that despite the documentary’s widespread popularity, the discussion within the comments did not focus on the environmental problems (72.9%). Most of the comments discussed the political campaign and presidential candidates (41.3%), instead of discussing the environmental impact of coal mining in Indonesia (13.9%). The research is valuable in highlighting the centrality of political debates dwarfing real environmental issues in Indonesia. Environment activists use documentary movies as one of their advocacy strategies, but it must be followed by audience engagement strategy to assure the discussions are still relevant to increase audience awareness on the issue

Blaming others:Stigmas related to COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia and Malaysia

High stigma toward COVID-19 sufferers was observed in Indonesia’s and Malaysia’s social media spheres, especially at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. This study compared individual and interpersonal stigmas through analysis of online conversations and established government protocols in handling COVID-19 in Malaysia and Indonesia. The critical narrative found was ‘blaming others,’ pointing fingers toward other actors, such as certain ethnic and religious groups, for the continuous spread of the virus. We found that stigmatisation of COVID-19 in Indonesia and Malaysia pointed out jarring concerns, 1) lack of knowledge on COVID-19, 2) the need for effective and efficient dissemination of information to avoid victim blaming, and 3) politicisation of COVID-19 for one’s benefit. In times of public health crises such as COVID-19, governments should not only be responsive in formulating just policies that could help to control the spread of the virus but also mitigate stigmatization towards certain members of society. For Indonesian and Malaysian governments, while there were attempts to address COVID-19 stigma through various online and offline campaigns, observers expressed concern over the lack of recognition of the effects of stigma in COVID-19 official protocols. We discovered that COVID-19 protocols did not provide sufficient information on how to develop a safe environment for COVID-19 sufferers, thus preventing people from getting health treatment and other public services during the pandemic. Also, the protocols were found to have strengthened existing negative stereotypes toward marginalised groups