The Star was once described as “the paper that is owned by the MCA run by the MIC for the DAP” – meaning the MCA owned the paper but Indians (actually none of them were MIC members) with a slight leaning towards the opposition, ran it.
That was 30 years ago. This was the paper that defiantly published mugshots of those detained under ISA during Operation Lalang in 1987 in its front page to highlight the draconian use of the law by the then Prime Minister – and that was the straw that broke Mahathir’s patience. He ordered the paper to be shut down. After five months, the paper was allowed to start operations after MCA agreed to several conditions, one of which was to get rid of the “James Deans” on the editorial floor.
Today, it is seen as a paper that has lost its soul and direction. The paper made a complete turn away from being the people’s conscience and into the prized cash cow for MCA. The main preoccupation with its political masters and the paper’s officials is profits.
The Star held about 26% of the advertising expenditure for 2009, in the previous years the figure was about 30% to 35%. The average reader of The Star earns RM5,000 and above, and is the staple of policy-makers and corporate decision-makers.
Yet, on the average the journalists earn about as much as a lorry driver, driving many to leave for greener careers. There are journalists who have been working at The Star for more than 10 years earning between RM2,000 to RM4,000 a month. The New Straits Times has a better wage scheme for its journalists.
The wage divide is wide. The top editors are said to earn hefty salaries. A senior editor who resigned last year was said to be earning RM60,000 a month although many were not sure what exactly was his job. There is an editor who was brought in recently with a RM30,000-a-month salary offer. Top editors at NST or the other papers do not earn as much.
Over the last 10 years, The Star saw numerous capable journalists leave the company due mainly to low wages. In the last two years, the drain became even more acute making the editorial severely short-handed.
Many at The Star had hoped that the AGM on Monday May 24 would address the issue of wages but that did not happen.
Along with the issues of low wages at the editorial floor and overworked staff due to shortage of journalists, there is also the issue of the absence of a vision.
Where exactly is the paper heading is anyone’s guess as the paper’s officials try to ensure they do not get on to the wrong side of the government of the day, MCA, the advertisers and the corporate world and because of this, the editorial is constantly walking on eggshells.
Gone were the days of setting goals and targets and making plans to achieve them. These days, it’s “let’s make sure the Barisan guys do not find a reason to shut us down or the Umno guys do not force their representation in the board of directors”.
The fear that Umno would find a reason to pressure MCA to place an Umno proxy in the board has gripped the paper so much that each step they take is viewed and reviewed to ensure they do not incur Umno’s wrath. And Umno has been eyeing The Star not because they want to have a political presence in the country’s most powerful newspaper but to channel some of the profits to Umno’s coffers.
So, how long will The Star continue shining – your guess is as good as mine.
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