Background of Research
BACKGROUND OF RESEARCH
Today, the development of this information orientation in Malaysia can be seen in many forms. The print media has the longest history, beginning with the earliest newspaper, the Penang Gazette in 1838. Now there are about 50 newspaper dailies and weeklies, either broadsheets or tabloids in the various languages of the main ethnic groups in our country - Malay, English, Mandarin and Tamil. It is a truism that the mass media, like any other social institution, do not
Operate in a social vacuum. There are forces in society that interact with the media, each trying to gain access to the media in the hope of exercising influence and control. This often involves the state, political parties, corporate entities, lobby groups, and civil society groups, among others. In many cases, particularly in countries where democracy is fragile, the relationship between the state and the mainstream mass media has become so strong over the years that it threatens media freedom and credibility and this relationship, as in the case of Malaysia, is made more apparent in situations such as general elections when the political hegemony of the ruling party requires urgent protection and promotion.( K.ANUAR 2005). Newspapers in Malaysia have been a part of political revolution in Malaysia, without the newspapers the political agenda or political events that had taken place would have never been known.
The freedom of expression is upheld as a fundamental freedom in most democratic countries, the ruling (federal) government has asserted that media should emphasize values that aim to preserve the stability of the nation, religion, culture, race, family and community. This research is to compare the headlines between these two newspapers and to know how politically are they influenced or controlled and we will look into the agenda setting of two newspapers in Malaysia, which is the Utusan Malaysia and News Straits Times. The Utusan Malaysian was incorporated in
Today, the development of this information orientation in Malaysia can be seen in many forms. The print media has the longest history, beginning with the earliest newspaper, the Penang Gazette in 1838. Now there are about 50 newspaper dailies and weeklies, either broadsheets or tabloids in the various languages of the main ethnic groups in our country - Malay, English, Mandarin and Tamil. It is a truism that the mass media, like any other social institution, do not
Operate in a social vacuum. There are forces in society that interact with the media, each trying to gain access to the media in the hope of exercising influence and control. This often involves the state, political parties, corporate entities, lobby groups, and civil society groups, among others. In many cases, particularly in countries where democracy is fragile, the relationship between the state and the mainstream mass media has become so strong over the years that it threatens media freedom and credibility and this relationship, as in the case of Malaysia, is made more apparent in situations such as general elections when the political hegemony of the ruling party requires urgent protection and promotion.( K.ANUAR 2005). Newspapers in Malaysia have been a part of political revolution in Malaysia, without the newspapers the political agenda or political events that had taken place would have never been known.
The freedom of expression is upheld as a fundamental freedom in most democratic countries, the ruling (federal) government has asserted that media should emphasize values that aim to preserve the stability of the nation, religion, culture, race, family and community. This research is to compare the headlines between these two newspapers and to know how politically are they influenced or controlled and we will look into the agenda setting of two newspapers in Malaysia, which is the Utusan Malaysia and News Straits Times. The Utusan Malaysian was incorporated in