FLASH MOB AGAINST SPIN-DOCTORING

The following article is taken from People are the boss.

By Chin-Huat Wong

This is a fun activity for people who would stay in KL on New Year Day: collectively throwing mainstream newspaper into dustbin at KLCC in a mob flash fashion. Reader Namewee1 posted this notice (see below) in a comment yesterday.

Some friends criticize this as being either not environmental friendly or counter-productive as it may increase the sale of mainstream newspapers (MSN).

I do not share such concerns. Firstly, the newspapers will not print extra copies in anticipation of the mob flash operation, so no extra trees will be cut. Secondly, the increase of MSN circulation due to this will be either minimal or crowding out the genuine readers (hence protecting them from the corruption of MSN). If you insist not to let the MSN make any money, you can of course now start collecting old newspapers that still look news.

In any case, such a creative form of “civil disobedience” (as the police was reported to have warned against any gathering that harm the national interest) is a good practice of everyday resistance to authoritarianism. Because it is fun, it may attract those young people who are otherwise apolitical. If there are enough newspapers thrown, it will certainly attract eyeballs of even apolitical older people.

The measure of success, to my mind, is however that whether the police will support it by sending FRU to KLCC or guarding every dustbin there. That would surely make it to international news. If you have a uncle or friend working at PRDM, please warn them how dangerous it can be to national security when young people show in-your-face insults to our newspapers.

The post is also carried at People’s Parliament.

FLASH MOB AGAINST SPIN-DOCTORING

http://www.malaysia-today.net/2008/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=54&Itemid=36
written by KopiO, December 18, 2007 18:47:57

Here’s an idea on how to protest agains the spin-doctoring in Malaysian mainstream print media, which my friend and I came across it in a blog.

http://fast0811.blogspot.com/

Here’s the translation and gist of the article:

FLASH MOB AGAINST SPIN-DOCTORING

Time: Main Concourse, Suria KLCC

Date: 1 Jan 2008 (Public Holiday)

Time: 3pm

To do:

1. Go to Suria KLCC Main Concourse on 1 Jan 2008 at 3pm.

2. Bring a copy of local newspaper; it can be The Star, NST, Metro, Malay Mail, Utusan Melayu, Berita Harian, Sin Chew Jit Poh, Nanyang Siang Pow, or any Tamil dailies.

3. At 3.30pm sharp, crumple the newspapers and throw them inside the rubbish bins.

4. Disperse IMMEDIATELY

NOTE:

DO NOT LITTER. If the rubbish bins are full, stack your newspapers on top of the pile. If you can’t do that, find other rubbish bins at 1st Floor or other floors. The ultimate goal is to dumb the newspapers collectively as the sign of protest!!


——

Imagine this: FRUs guarding the rubbish bins, uniformed and plain clothes policemen arresting people for dumbing newspapers into the rubbish bins!
***

Chin Huat: Instead of any Tamil newspapers, may be you want to spare Makka Ossai, which I know has been very critical of Mr Samy Vellu?