Given the high volume of research and information flow on COVID-19, media industries and communications channels have become more critical than ever in setting the agenda for public discourse and support towards policy measures undertaken by the government. In this situation, it is more critical that we have access to news and information that we trust and can help in understanding the crisis and what is required to protect ourselves, as well as independent information on how our government is responding to the pandemic.

Our report highlights the Malaysian media landscape in 2020, as journalists and media organisations navigate the new normal. We also study the media’s performance in the past year, highlighting the positives and negatives of media coverage during the pandemic. We also explore challenges to media sustainability and economic viability, government restrictions and lack of transparency in providing information, and the lack of strong media and information literacy capacities among the public. Media and information literacy is particularly important as people can recognise, value, and demand good journalism and access to information as an integral part of a democratic society.

The Malaysian Media Landscape: A Snapshot of 2020 report can be accessed here.