Page 129 - Conflict, Terrorism, and the Media In Asia

118 Benjamin Cole
media reported the violence boldly and independently, but the two local newspapers
which were most likely to have been read by those sections of the Hindu com-
munity, who formed the politically mobilised mob, had a heavy pro-Hindutva
bias. This would have limited the ability of the media as a whole to act as a
restraining influence on those perpetrating the violence. Similarly, in the
Philippines the most objective reporting of the various conflicts is generally
found in the broadsheet Manila newspapers, but it is the local newspapers and
tabloids, whose reporting of these conflicts generally has the most flaws, which
are probably most widely read by the communities in the conflict areas.
This makes it imperative for groups and communities themselves to proactively
seek access to the media, but different groups have displayed different levels of
professionalism in their media relations. Some groups such as the Abu Sayyaf
Group (ASG) are proactive in seeking media attention, whilst others such as the
JI and Kumpulan Militan Malaysia (KMM) are more reactive in letting the media
report their activities. Some have simply been more professional than others in
cultivating media contacts, tailoring their violence to ensure maximum media
coverage, using media spokesmen, and issuing media statements.
All of these groups and communities rely on the mainstream media as the
primary medium for communicating their messages. Television remains the most
powerful medium, and in the Philippines, the ASG, the CPP-NPA and the MILF
have all allowed TV to film in their camps, whereas JI in Indonesia has perpe-
trated spectacular attacks that make a dramatic impact on TV. One medium which
tends to be overlooked is radio. In poor rural communities across Asia, radio may
well be much more significant than it is in the West. Radio Veritas played a key
role as a facilitator in the ousting of President Marcos in the Philippines, and all
of the groups currently engaged in conflict with the Filipino government, with the
exception of JI, make extensive use of radio stations to publicise their media
statements.
Given the lack of media freedom in the region, the internet offers an alternative
source of news and views, especially for people and communities which have lost
faith in the mainstream media. Internet reporting is a source of dissident view-
points and news throughout the region. In Indonesia the internet has already
played an important role as a facilitator in mobilising people power to topple one
government. The majority of the groups and communities referred to in this book
use the internet, but it seems to be primarily as a supplement to their use of main-
stream media. There may be structural reasons for this since many of them are
operating within communities where internet access is limited. But there is also
evidence from states such as Malaysia that the internet is not wholly trusted as a
source of news and information (The Straits Times interactive 2004). It is al Qaeda
and its local affiliates that seem to rely on the internet the most because of the
need to communicate transnationally.
The Xinjiang separatist movement also illustrates the potential of alternative
‘old’ media such as privately produced newsletters, as well as video and audio-
tapes, and other literature, which are smuggled into China from neighbouring
states. These have been used to spread the separatist message and, on occasion, to