Thursday, July 30, 2009

Yasmin: Front page apology from Kosmo

Kosmo has made a front-page apology to the family of the late Yasmin Ahmad. All of us who have to make quick decisions, especially in the media, where the deadline can be punishing, understand.

Mistakes are made daily in the newsroom. Sometimes we make poor judgment calls. Unlike other professions, we cannot hold back our work to the following day. This is especially so for those working at the news desk section. The editors and reporters at Kosmo have acknowledged their over-sight.

As a fellow journalist, I understand their problem. I hope the various advertising associations would also respond accordingly. To err is human, to forgive is divine. Let's give our support to TV3 for its effort to pay a tribute to Yasmin Ahmad this Saturday at 9pm. The Majalah Tiga special edition will be followed by the screening of "Mukhsin."

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lesson to be learn by all media. Think rationally before publish your paper.

Unknown said...

Well said. However, as you have recognised, mistakes are made daily in the newsroom. The question is what mechanism is there to address and redress such mistakes? I believe this episode has shown that more voice especially critical voice is crucial. If the media themselves do not wish to correct their own, then it remains the readers' tasks to do so. Correction by admonition should the be order. Malaysians are more than capable of thinking and speaking for themselves, and responding appropriately to criticisms. This episode shows that. Now we just have to carry that over to larger issues of greater impact.

Anonymous said...

Undoubtedly we should be willing to forgive and forget, but what Kosmo did goes beyond that. We can acknowledge their apology, but let us not be too easy to forgive or forget their disgusting mentality.

I say this because it will just be saying to yellow journalists and publishers that it's okay to first vomit distasteful journalism on the front page, and IF -- IF -- there is a strong backlash then just sieze the opportunity to increase circulation yet again by splashing an apology on the front page.

Kosmo may well be enjoying having the last laugh as their paper flies off the shelves yet again.

Kosmo's entire exercise of first vomitting ugly journalism by smearing Yasmin's good name, and then trying to look good by apologizing smacks of arrogance and manipulation.

No way would I forgive them that easily.

If they are really sincere in their apology, they should make a substantial contribution to the cinematic arts, something that Yasmin dedicated so much of herself to.

Suraiya

Anonymous said...

You mean to say UTUSAN has all the while making so many times mistakes with its racist comments on the nonMalays? But they never need to apologise once, so cannot be mistakes isnt it.

Anonymous said...

media should UNDERSTAND the limit in publishing something HOT! but,as a public people, the news are surprising and as a muslim, i am worried....action should be taken to control this unhealthy attitude..

Anonymous said...

You shd read Khoo Kay Peng's blog today on how many Malaysians felt very bad about the country administration/future and of course,thanks to all those spindoctors and leg-carrier.

yes said...

Walau apa pun, Yasmin telah meninggalkan sesuatu di persada seni yang susah di tandingi.

Apa yang di dedahkan bukan satu penghinaan. Itu satu reality in her life. Ler us talked about how great she was.

Alfatihah untuk mu Yasmin. We missed you.

Anonymous said...

Kudos to all who stood up for decency and integrity in your profession. It is pretty powerful especially coming from the peers of the industry. Yasmin too was a peer of the industry, and the swift and firm reaction was very heartening for all to see. We just hope that, if such similar distasteful and dishonorable reporting were to be published on someone that wasn't a peer of the industry in the future, the support would be equally as powerful, and forthcoming.

David Lee said...

....tell them that is human nature........why......why.God Save Malaysia.

Suci Dalam Debu said...

Sir,

Dailies makes mistakes everyday?

Sure we all make mistakes but in the MSM & newspapers' case, your STAR included, spinning and not telling the real picture is just as bad.

We all know it is a tough job to report as-it-is and also to please your political masters.

Nevertheless, some just would not hesitate to stoop to the lowest levels to do the pleasing.

Apologies accepted. RIP Yasmin.

Anonymous said...

rubbish la , datuk

Anonymous said...

Forget TV3: A Singapore station is leading the charge!

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/entertainment/view/445728/1/.html

Greenbug said...

If the advertisers had not threaten their advertising dollars being diverted away from KOSMO, would they have apologized? I doubt their sincerity.

Anonymous said...

This country always have a double standard. What is wrong in telling the truth. Kosmos does not insult her. It is the story of her life, nothing to be ashamed of.

By telling it as it is, does not make her a less person.

Come on guys, this country has endured worse thing than this particular write up. There is no slur here. It is just telling the truth and no malice intended

Anonymous said...

No. Lah. It is time to kill Kosmos.

Anonymous said...

WCW wrote..."As a fellow journalist, I understand their problem. I hope the various advertising associations would also respond accordingly. To err is human, to forgive is divine"...

so r u telling us u know what is happening? u could understand Kosmos's problems knowing it is wrong, but still have to put up such demeaning write-up to someone who is so beautiful---full of compassion and bridging all Malaysians to 1Malaysia way before others...

Now I know why Kak Yasmin says..."Tan Hong Min is our Hope,..." as children don't lie unless lead by adults.

Those who demean Kak Yasmin are mainly Males... I really wonder where are these Male heads located? and they have titles too!! which also meant the roadside shrines where people go n pray...

Anonymous said...

I am not in the least surprised that you "understand" the mistake Kosmo made. Any right thinking human being can't. What Kosmo did was malicious because it came at a time when the poor woman had just died and her family and friends in mourning. What possible reason can one have to justify such an act? This is hardly a "mistake". A mistake is usually committed accidently and with no intent. Such a "mistake" is unforgivable especially coming from a newspaper which deals with making such decisions everyday, as you say. An article like this should not even have come under consideration for print because it is blatantly inappropriate. You mean to say after all this time Kosmo still has not learned how to make sound decisions on what to print and what not to print? What a scary thought. Mr Wong, there is no justifiable reason for what Kosmo did, save for maliciousness. Your reasons stated are feeble and an insult to our intelligence.

TOKY said...

Hi Datuk,

What's the point of apologizing???

Will apologise help if I punch you in the face & then I say "SORRY"???

Damage had been done.

Anonymous said...

It is nice to offer the apology, even after the damage is done, but done it is. Otherwise, many would not have known her past facts and why should we, we should only focus on her talent.

Anonymous said...

Let's let this case go to rest. Enough said and enough pain caused already.

Now I read with a shcok today that the PM announced that 100 units of ASM will be given to 1st year students. Sometimes I wonder at the senselessness of govt programs. Look, if the students are too poor to study, then give them loans, or book supply aid, or fees rebates, or low cost accomodation. But ASM units? Why stop there? How about a free round trip Air Asia ticket to any country in the world for "educational tour"? How about a free apartment unit to get them started in life?

Once they graduate, they should be on their own to fend for themselves. No more spoon feeding.
Now with the government dipping its hands into pre-schooling, that will be the next area to get screwed up.

Anonymous said...

these "MCP" in KOSMO, STAR N kwong Hwa probably think that Malaysians will also think like them and erased the Kindness + Compassion of Kak Yasmin when they chose to gossip the Dead. They never had that opportunity when Kak Yasmin was alive... as she read the KORAN n Tao Te Ching so well that such dirt will not rest on her shoulders with the love she had from many many fellow Malaysians... from children to teenagers, young adults and senior citizens. Who has ever command such level of respect that far ? She mentioned about the lotus flower in one of her interviews,growing out from the mud... yet it stood tall. Yes, Kak Yasmin is like a lotus flower standing tall and beautiful and no mud water will stain the lotus as the water will just rolled off from the leaf.
so the MCP...please know where u stand now, below the lotus flower where the mud is...take this as a good lesson and dont say to ERR IS hUMAN, TO forgive is Divine..

Wave33 said...

Kosmo did a recommended approach by taking the front page to appologies. They have the guts and gentlemen enough to appologies. Have not seen any of this in the main stream media. Well, does that mean all these years, the main stream media have not make any mistakes. I wanna puke!

Extreme Power said...

Sad to hear this...

Anonymous said...

In my opinion, Utusan and associates (Kosmos) have been bordering on publishing one sided propagandic rubbish for as long it has been around. As years go by, it gets even more twistedly critical and less-objective in its 'news' reportings. Do their reporters even have proper 'journalism' training?

Nak baca buat apa. Akhbar yang dikarut.