An alternative change

In our digital age, new forms of media's are arising to take old media's place in publishing. These days, we don't read through text word by word it's all about fast news and updates. With today's innovation we will be able to see new digital platform arise regularly.

These platforms such as:-
a. Device/media types of blogs:
• Moblog – mobile blogging,
• Vlog – video blogging
• Splog – spam blog
• Linklog – URLs (hyperlinks) blogging
• Sketchlog – sketch blogging
• Tumblelog
b. Twitter
c. Online newspaper,
d. Online magazine
e. Online books
f. Youtube
g. Facebook

With the digital media arising so rapidly without gatekeeper's to control the flows of text, the public tends to go overboard with their freedom of speech which is just a simple push of a button that can cause racial, social and political issues locally or internationally. Where else, print and analog broadcast media journalist have to bear the responsibility of what news they produces and always has to go through an editor.  Take twitter for example, CNN senior editor Octavia Nasr resigned following a controversial tweet saying "Sad to hear of the passing of Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah ... One of Hezbollah's giants I respect a lot."

Fadallah had constantly denounced Israel and the United States and also supported suicide bombings against Israeli civilians. Moreover, his writings and sermons inspired the Dawa Party of Iraq as well as a generation of militants, reports the New York Times. Because this tweet was so controversial that the public had an uproar about it, she had no choice but to step down.

In Malaysia, there is an on-going affair on freedom of speech in new media- YOUTUBE. Name Wee a freedom fighter who regularly post up Youtube video's concerning current affairs have been in and out of trouble numerous times because of his controversial videos:

This video named Negaraku-ku made headlines as he used the national anthem over with his criticism words  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyiBvJtJ5Z4

Another recent video was about a headmistress and a few other was criticized by him for making racism speeches and acts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePSupJ3J7-c

Is his actions right or wrong for voicing out justice? Name Wee a freedom fighter may be looked up by a certain audience and be a voice for many but his actions are clearly unethical. He clearly misuse freedom of speech and took it to another level but uttering foul words numerous times in his video's upon political and current affair. Because this concerns the Government and Malaysia, authorities have tried apprehending him but the laws and regulations in Malaysia for new media is weak and not established therefore he get's away with his acts.  The Government has seen new media potential arising and are working on policy's to contain such destructive act, and develop the country further using new media. Can they contain every information by the publics? but then again, why call it alternative media if everything is censored and contained?

References

1. Carole W 2010, CNN fires veteran editor over controversial tweet, Viewed 29th September 2010, http://www.editorsweblog.org/newsrooms_and_journalism/2010/07/cnn_fires_veteran_editor_over_controvers.php
2. Big Ideas 2005, News media publishing, viewed 29th September 2010, http://www.abc.net.au/rn/bigidea/stories/s1485827.htm
3. Alex B 2008, Select issues with new media theories of citizen journalism,  Viewed 29th September 2010, http://journal.media-culture.org.au/index.php/mcjournal/article/viewArticle/30
4. Ali S 2009, ICT the new media and developement, viewed 29th September 2010,  http://www.innovation.cc/scholarly-style/salman_internet_malaysian3final5.pdf