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Experts in the industry share their insights about how the media has and can shape the public’s perception on mental health issues The Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (Content Forum) and Astro Radio ERA Sarawak recently organised a panel session titled "Let's Talk Content: Breaking News, Breaking Minds - the Trauma of Media and Mental Health" to address the profound impact of media on mental health reporting. Held in Kuching, Sarawak, the event brought together industry experts to shed light on the influence of media biases, stereotypes, and responsible reporting in shaping public perception of mental health issues. Moderated by Sarawakian radio personality and entrepreneur Chopie Cakap, the panel discussion centred around the country's media landscape and its coverage of mental health issues, including suicide, distress, anxiety, and trauma. Experts in the field, including psychiatrist Dr. Ravivarma Rao from Hospital Miri; Alia Ali, founder of

In conjunction with International Day for Countering Hate Speech, the Content Forum highlights the impact of hate speech and ways to contain it (L-R) The panel session moderated by emcee and presenter Sheahnee Iman Lee, with speakers Wathshlah Naidu, Executive Director of the Centre for Independent Journalism; Sazzy Falak, parenting influencer, content creator, and actress; Ceddy Ang, food content creator and entrepreneur; Gandhi Palanisamy, lawyer and legal content creator and Hafizin Tajudin, Head of Public Policy, Malaysia, Tiktok.  In a hyperconnected world where social media rules the roost, the rise of hate speech has become a pressing global issue. Despite the fact that xenophobia and bigotry are not new problems, the rapid advancement and reach of modern technology have resulted in an alarming rise in hate speech. With these concerns in mind, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in July 2021 adopted a resolution to promote interreligious and intercultural dialogue. It

The International University of Malaya-Wales (IUMW) and the Content Forum have entered a momentous Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to better the development of future industry leaders and foster the establishment of exemplary practices within the content industry. Prof. Dr. Kamila Ghazali, Vice Chancellor of IUMW (left) and Kenny Ong, Chairman of the Content Forum (right) at the MoU signing ceremony to mark the strategic partnership towards fostering an informed generation of content creators in the nation. This collaborative alliance solidifies their shared commitment to elevating the content industry and enables them to engage in joint research projects, academic discussions, conferences, and community engagement initiatives. As a self-regulatory organisation and industry forum, the Content Forum will provide guidance to IUMW on content governance regulations, standards, and best practices in Malaysia. Furthermore, they will develop specialized awareness and training programs t

The Content Forum advocates for greater representation of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in media and online content In Malaysia, one in 68 newborns are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) annually, averaging about 9,000 babies per year, according to the National Autism Society of Malaysia (Nasom). With these statistics in mind, it is crucial that awareness about ASD is adequately raised in public. This includes having better representation of autism in the media. While there has been an increase in content featuring autistic people, many such portrayals are still one-dimensional and rely on stereotypes. However, among today's digital natives, there has been an uptick in discussions about autism's acceptance and inclusion on various social media platforms. TikTok with its 1.7 billion users, has been a flashpoint for discourse on people who see, hear, and interpret the world differently. On this one platform alone, the hashtag ‘autism’ has over 38,000 posts with ov

Women from media and policymaking share their insights on preventing racism and misogyny in our digital spaces. L-R: Raaina Asri, PR & Communications Specialist of the Content Forum; Tehmina Kaoosji, Gender Equality Activist and Journalist; Tashny Sukumaran, Senior Analyst, Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS); Kudsia Kahar, Co-Founder and Managing Director, METAMORFOSA and former President of Commercial Radio Malaysia and Mediha Mahmood, Executive Director of the Content Forum While issues of racism and sexism have globally become a part of mainstream discourse, with improvements on both fronts, Malaysia still has a way to go in addressing ethnic and gender-based discrimination. To this end, the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (Content Forum) recently hosted a panel session titled “Let’s Talk Content: Battling Racists and Sexists, The Wows and Woes”, in conjunction with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimina

Broadcasters should strive to safeguard the emotional and psychological safety of their on-screen stars Broadcasters are encouraged to practice self-regulation in their production processes to avoid “public shaming” incidents, says the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (Content Forum). In the age of virality, a single moment of humiliation can reach thousands in just a few clicks. For those on the receiving end, having their flaws magnified — and sometimes permanently recorded — for a large public audience can cause severe psychological and emotional distress. To this end, the Content Forum believes that self-regulation is the best way for broadcasters and their production teams to protect the emotional welfare of individuals appearing in their programmes. “Be it pre-recorded or live programmes, broadcasters and production teams should consider how they can best self-regulate to mitigate instances of public shaming. Everyone involved in the making of a programme o

Self-regulation is Crucial to Reduce the Creation and Proliferation of Harmful Content. The Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (Content Forum) received 734 cases lodged to its Complaints Bureau last year. A significant portion of the cases received were related to internet or social media content (518 cases). This constitutes 71% of the total cases received by the Complaints Bureau as of December 31, 2022. Notably, there is a spike in new media cases compared to the 412 new media cases the Complaints Bureau received in 2021. Breakdown of Social Media Cases per Platform: WhatsApp - 204 cases Facebook - 130 cases Instagram - 68 cases TikTok - 13 cases Twitter - 6 cases The complaints range from cyberbullying, misuse of private information, love scams and posts that offend religion; with a number of reports relating to a variety of issues that went viral during the year. The increasing number of complaints can indicate that the new media platforms are rife with mischi

Here’s What These Film Industry Players Had to Say About Content in Malaysia From the silver screen to the digital screen, the Malaysian film industry has undergone a paradigm shift in the past few years, making it crucial to have ongoing dialogues about navigating differences and strengthening the industry. L-R: Claudian Navin Stanislaus, President Of The Malaysian Advertisers Association, Sharifah Amani, actor and director, Mediha Mahmood, Executive Director of the Content Forum, Nadia “Neddo” Khan, writer and filmmaker, Redza Minhat, screenwriter, actor and investment analyst, Raaina Asri, PR & Communications Specialist of the Content Forum and Bront Palarae, actor, producer, and director The Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (Content Forum) recently hosted “Let’s Talk Content: Everything All At Once,” a dialogue that discussed the need to rekindle an appreciation for the arts, systemic challenges in the industry, and everything in between. The spea

The Content Forum’s Executive Director, Mediha Mahmood, reminds politicians of the statutory requirement for political campaigns, and to avoid promoting feelings of ill-will or hostility. In light of the upcoming election, the Communications Multimedia and Content Forum’s (Content Forum) Executive Director Mediha Mahmood advised Malaysian politicians to be mindful in their campaigning to ensure that their propaganda are both ethical and responsible. She stated that making false remarks as part of one's campaign strategy is illegal, and violating the law is also inevitable if a propaganda campaign includes attacks, harassment, defamation or incitement of hate. These offences can be read in line with the Communications and Multimedia Content Code (the Content Code) as well as the Election Offences Act 1954 (the Act), which can be used against politicians guilty of breaching the statutory requirements. Section 4A of the Act states that it is an offence for any person who before, durin

Harassing others online while hiding behind the screen is a grave offence committed by cyberbullies who should face the repercussions of their actions An exhibition debate organised by the Content Forum and UKM An exhibition debate organised by the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (Content Forum) and University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) was recently held at the Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM) in conjunction with World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), observed on September 10 every year. The dialogue was co-hosted by the Psychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM), UKM, and the Content Forum, in collaboration with Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), the UKM English Debate Team, Zero Suicide Sarawak, and several lived experience NGOs in Malaysia. Fareez Zahir at the podium, acting as Prime Minister for the Government’s side The event was timely, as cyberbullying is an epidemic that continues to rage on in our society. Acco

IIUM Signs MOU with Content Forum to collaborate on content governance and best practices in Malaysia IIUM Signs MOU with Content Forum - Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dato' Dzulkifli Abdul Razak, IIUM Rector and Kenny Ong, Chairman of the Content Forum The International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) and the Content Forum has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to empower the minds of future industry leaders and facilitate the creation and sustenance of good practices in the content industry. On top of solidifying the already-thriving relationship between both parties, this strategic alliance aims to facilitate collaborations on research projects, academic discussions, conferences, and joint public education and community engagement projects. The Content Forum, which is an independent self-regulatory industry organization that oversees and promotes self-regulation of content over the electronic networked medium, will advise IIUM on content governance regulation

The popularity of “cedok-cedok” sales, which are particularly common and popular among merchants on the video-sharing platform TikTok, may give way to an upsurge in online fraud cases. In keeping with the viral fad, vendors randomly scoop goods from an assortment of random items, for example candies, trinkets and cosmetics products, and sell them to customers at various prices. This is feared to result in fraudulent activities where customers do not get what they paid for or what was advertised. In many cases, customers find themselves stuck with items that are of little or no value and thus not worth the money they had spent. Another issue with this practice is the uncertainty of the value of the goods, ambiguous descriptions and lack of clarity on product quality, which is against Islamic law. Here are a few reasons why this trend is frowned upon by several Malaysian authorities: Customers risk getting scammed when they partake in “cedok-cedok” sales The Ministry of Domestic Trade

In a joint collaboration between the Content Forum and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), a webinar was held to create awareness among industry players on the new guidelines in ensuring access to content for the PWDs (L-R) Kenny Ong, Chairman of the Content Forum, Zulkarnain Mohd Yasin, Chief Regulatory Officer of MCMC & Mediha Mahmood, Executive Director of the Content Forum When it comes to Persons with Disabilities (PWD), accessibility is a key issue. And while many efforts have been made to improve accessibility for PWDs in various forms, very little has been done concerning media accessibility for this group. In fact, many may not have even realised about the existing barriers and challenges faced by PWDs in this aspect. To shed much needed light on the matter, a webinar titled ‘Access to Content for Persons With Disabilities (PWD)’ was held through a joint collaboration between the Content Forum and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia C