GEORGE TOWN, Penang is known as a tourist destination rich in heritage buildings, unique food and modern development. It is now the state with the highest investment in Malaysia, amounting to RM71.9 billion in 2023. However, many do not know that Penang used to be the largest contributor to the printing and media institutions, especially the newspaper industry, in line with the progress of media technology in the 19th and 20th centuries. This Pearl of the Orient was also once the development centre of the printing institution in the country as it was where the first newspaper, The Prince of Wales Island Gazette, was printed in Malaysia and was in 1806. A veteran journalist in the state, Arulldas Sinnappan, who has been in the media for almost 44 years, said most newspapers in the country, including the Malay, English and Tamil newspapers, started their publication in Penang. Now aged 70 years, Arulldas, who started his career with the Tamil newspaper Osai in 1980, said that based on his research on the history of the Indian community in the country, Penang used to be the 'tool for news'. He is doing the research in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Penang Indian Chamber. 'Penang Gazette was established in 1923, and all the Tamil newspapers were also published in the state. I also found out later that, until the 70s before the establishment of The Star, the Straits Echo, the most popular newspaper at that time, was also published in Penang. "So, I can say that Penang has always been the centre of many news readers. In other words, Penang is the people's 'tool for news'," he told Bernama. According to a Malay journal, 'Pulau Pinang Bandar Percetakan Awal Negara', by a writer and former lecturer at the Centre for Humanities Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Associate Professor Dr. Jelani Harun, there were dozens of newspapers and magazines published between 1894 and 1940, thus becoming the early basis of the operation of the printing institution in Penang. Until the end of the Second World War (1942), no less than 20 printing companies existed and operated in Penang and with the progress of the state at that time, it also attracted the entry of experienced authors and publishers from Sumatra, such as Muhammad Yunus Abdul Hamid. According to the journal, several factors led to the emergence of Penang as the country's early printing city, including being a British colony that grew rapidly to become a cosmopolitan and modern trading city. "The existence of various printing institutions in Penang led to the publication of several influential newspapers and magazines which also provided special columns about language and literature," it said. Among the newspapers that were published then were Tanjung Penegeri (1894), said to be the earliest newspaper published in the state, Pemimpin Warta (1895), Chahaya Pulau Pinang (1898), Lingkungan Bulan (1900), Bintang Timur (1900) ), Idaran Zaman (1925), Suara Melayu (1926), Saudara (1928) and Pemimpin Malay (1933). Now, the media indus try in Penang is also facing challenges from social media and digital media. The president of the media club, Kelab Media Mutiara Pulau Pinang, Mohd Iskandar Othman said the industry is facing stiff competition, especially from social media journalists or netizens who are quick to spread news without first verifying their information. 'This situation is a big challenge for conventional media practitioners because we also need to be quick to counter the (unverified) information," he said. Themed Etika Teras Kewartawanan Mapan, the National Journalists' Day (HAWANA) 2024 celebration will take place from May 25 to 27 in Kuching, Sarawak. It is organised by the Ministry of Communications in collaboration with the Sarawak Government and the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama). Source: BERNAMA News Agency
Thursday, October 17, 2024