Journalism as National Dialogue Platform: Celebrating the News and Opinion

In a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society, journalism is expected to play a mitigating and stabilizing function. We generally expect balance and objectivity. But what we see and expect to see is couched in Manichean terms – the black and white, binary rendition of the narrative which we nurture and in turn nurtured us. Prejudice is learnt. We need to unlearn prejudice without being apologetic. This paper argues that the Malaysian media should project a national consensus in the form of a ‘Journalism Dialogue.’ The initiative calls for some philosophical reflection on the news and opinion.