The Missing Narratives: Exploring the Experiences of Malaysian Journalists and Family Members and Friends of Victims during the MH370 Aviation Crisis

Abstract

The MH370 crisis which attracted global attention is considered one of the most perplexing disasters in aviation history by aviation experts. One of the highlights of the crisis was the alleged inability of Malaysian journalists to provide accurate information on the issue. Maximum news coverage, commentaries, expert views, and researches were carried out regarding the issue. However, most of them only focused on how Malaysian authorities handled the crisis. None ventured into Malaysian journalists’ perspectives particularly on their concerns regarding their coverage of the crisis. Therefore, this study seeks to investigate the perspectives of journalists from the selected newspapers on their framing of the crisis, the alleged inconsistencies in their coverage, and the perceived lack of access to information. By giving journalists a voice to express their views on their performance, it is hoped that will deepen knowledge and understanding of the dynamics of press freedom, ownership, and control in the country. Through qualitative data analysis, the study found that MH370 news frames were greatly influenced by both internal and external factors, ranging from individuals to state levels. They include lack of experience in aviation news coverage on the part of the local Malaysian journalists; the internal gatekeeping process by the news editors of various newspapers which tend to undermine the work of journalists; and the seen and unseen restrictions experienced by journalists and media houses at the state level. References

Press Freedom In Asian Countries (2010-2023): A Systematic Literature Review.

“…When imposing restrictions on freedom of speech and media, the authorities in Myanmar give the reasons for law and order, state security and protection of morality, or public order, are, in fact, afraid of criticism and possible public actions against the current authorities (Ochwat, 2020). Although journalists from alternative newspapers can provide a more critical news report in Malaysia, they are labeled antagonists and are usually barred from entering the Prime Minister's Office and UMNO headquarter (Shiang et al, 2021). Fake news laws have chilling effects on journalism and free speech in Indonesia and Singapore.…”