SPECIAL TOPIC IN JOURNALISM (COVERAGE OF CRIME IN THE MASS MEDIA)

Name

: LT. AHMED AUDI B. AZIZAN

Occupation : NAVY AND SPECIAL OFFICER FOR ORANG BESAR JAJAHAN

DAERAH MANJUNG
Address

: KD SRI MANJUNG, PANGKALAN TLDM, 32100 LUMUT PERAK

Contact Number: 05-6804411/013-3427950

The interview session had been conducted with Lt. Ahmed Audi on 29 October 2012 in
order to get his view and perspective about the crime coverage in mass media. Here
are the following interviews with him:
1. What he/she knows regarding one current crime issue?
Based on my observation as a reader I can see most of the media give the
spotlight about the crime news. Recently most of the media are reported about
the ATM robbery and also about keldai dadah. I am not surprised about the
ATM robbery because that are the truth crime but when it comes to keldai
dadah issue Im a bit disappointed. This is because most of this cases happen
because the love to the boyfriend. We also know some of the cases happen
because the victims are misguided in their effort to find the job. When the cases
like this are reported by media it keep the public aware and it also can educate
public to be more secure.
Besides the big cases like this Im also aware about the electric cable robbery.
Even this case is not too big like the other but for me this is a serious problem. It
will cause the inconvenience to the society. Based on my knowledge most of this
case are happen because of the drug addict. Most of them are jobless and they
find the easy way to get money.
2. What he/she thinks on the way the crime has been or being reported?
In my opinion, the crime issues are well reported even sometimes the issues look
too much. Of course when it comes to the crime issue like murder, robbery, and
big robbery the media will give more attention on it. When the media keep
reporting about this issue of course I am as the public will aware and for me I am
not too paranoid to become the victim because I know our police department are
doing their job.

3. Whether he/she thinks the media should change the way crime is being
reported and if yes or no, why?
As a reader I think the media should change the way of reporting the crime news.
Yes they are reporting the crime news but without follow up what happen after
that. Is either the case are solved are not and the public did not know about that.
Im understand sometimes the small cases are not have the high news value but
that is media job to reporting about it and public have their right to know about it.
We can see for the high profile case such as Altantuya murdering the media are
follow up the case until the case are solved. When it comes to the ordinary case
like grazing case the media only report the case are happen and no follow up
what happen. The small cases like this actually the main factor to the big cases
are happened.
When the media give the attention and do the follow up after what happen it will
create people awareness and of course police department also aware and they
will doing their job as well.
4. Whether he/she thinks criminal news should be increase and if yes or no,
why?
In my opinion, the percentage of criminal issues reported in media is well
enough. We can see after sometimes serious happened or series crime cases
like murdered or raped the media will give more attention on it. Actually it is one
of way the public will aware and they will take care more about themselves.
5. Whether he/she thinks criminal news need to be censored and if yes or no,
why?
If you ask me about this question of course Im not too agree the criminal news
should be censored. This is because public have their right to know what are
actually happen. Of course in reporting the news the media should care both side
but have the other way to tell the truth stories. We can take the simple example;
let say one of our important person in the country are committed the crime like
bribe or murder, the media should reporting the truth stories like who it is? What
are actually happen?. All of this can be reporting after that people are really
sentenced by the court and judges. The media should not be bias in this kind of
issue and influenced by the power of that people.

6. Suggestion on how criminal news can be improved.

I have couple of suggestions on how criminal news can be improved. Firstly, the
media should cover all the cases happen in our surrounding. Thanks to the
tabloid like Sinar Harian and Harian Metro because becoming the mouth to the
public. In my observation, mainstream newspaper like Utusan Malaysia and
Berita Harian are more cover about the crime issues happen in big cities and this
is why I suggest the media should cover the crime happen in rural areas as well.
The second suggestion is I really hope the media to the cover up until the crime
issues are settle. This is important because the public have their right to get the
news. If the media are not reporting until the end of the cases maybe it will make
some of the public paranoid.