Malaysiakini and The Star differ symbolically and structurally. Where Malaysiakini represents a crusader who actively seeks to bring changes for the betterment of a democracy, The Star is an absolute business icon, to which stability and healthy revenue must be placed above everything else. These traits are strangely reflected in the physiognomy of the heads in both companies: that of Malaysiankini’s co-founder Steven Gan is a mark of hardship and bitter struggle he has willingly subjected himself to (imagine someone who works for humanitarianism just so that he can have a good sleep at night), and that of The Star’s Editor-in-Chief, Wong Chun Wai, is a cordial refinement tinged with business wit.
One interesting revelation from my trip to The Star newsroom last week is that this media conglomerate, contrary to popular belief, does not deign to feign a passion it does not have (whether out of a sense of self-pride or prudence to avoid embarrassment, I don’t know; my bet is the former). I can remember clearly what one of the senior staff told us that day: if you want good pay or if you want to save the world, do not come here. Very interesting indeed. If it is neither of these that a journalist aspirant seeks in this field, then I guess, his/her motivation should be something very close to fulfilling a passion for repackaging all the readily available media release from the government. And that is almost exactly what the journalists do in The Star.
Both companies have attained different prestige in the media field. The Star establishes its own prestige through its high readership (a result owes largely to the absence of rivals in the print environment), willingness to pander to readers’ taste (tabloidisation), and later consolidates it with its ostentatious office.
In contrast, Malaysiakini’s prestige is acquired through its role as the pioneer of legislative-structure-loophole exploiter in Malaysia, which provides alternative reportage to the mainstream news stories, and those that will never appear in mainstream news media. Its shoplot office is in one of the most accessible area in Bangsar. Unconfined by their limited budget and outdated equipments, the online newspaper produces journalistic works that are recognised internationally. And being one of the very few online media that thrives solely on online subscriptions, it certainly has reasons to take pride of and to boast about its achievement so regularly.
HCA's Fairy Tales 
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