Viren Swami while asserting that the media must always report objectively failed to distinguish between news agencies which publish objective news reports and those such as [#1] Seachange Malaysia [/#] and other reformasi sites which write opinion articles ([#2] Media must always report objectively [/#], April 7).

The author of an opinion article is writing to sway his readers to a specific point of view. He cites objective facts and gives his own interpretation of those facts plus his own opinion and views which may be emotional and subjective. It is fair to say that they are prejudiced to his point of view.

Most newspapers also have columnists writing opinion pieces, such as VK Chin in The Star and A Kadir Jasin (Other Thots) in New Straits Times . Readers may agree or disagree with the views expressed in them knowing full well that they are those of the author personally.

News reports must of course be as objective as possible although it is very difficult for human beings to be completely objective and some bias may show through. But this does not exonerate our mainstream media which intentionally distorts, reports half-truths and unverified news, omit material facts and even falsifies news to influence the minds of their readers.

Slanting the news by omission is a favourite ploy. Only those points favourable to the agenda of the newspaper are reported while ignoring those which go against their agenda. A speech by a foreign political leader may be reported with all the praise and acclaim for our economic policies, but with all the criticism ripped out. If you compare foreign and local news reports, you will see how common this is.

Omission of specific news which do not fit their agenda lead to unbalanced reporting and this is widely practised against opposition leaders who raise uncomfortable issues as well as economic and political events. It is noteworthy that the Tenaganita director Irene Fernandez's 'false news' trial has been totally blacked out by the mainstream media despite it being of public interest. Reading malaysiakini daily will give readers an idea of how much news they cannot read in the mainstream media.

Another odious practice is to prominently report unproven accusations against unfavoured individuals and parties while not allowing them a right of reply or burying their response in small print in the middle pages. The man who has been a terrible victim of this is of course our ex-deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim. Columnists in the same newspaper often seize on the scurrilous allegations as if they are the gospel truth and give further undeserved credence to them.

Not reporting the context of the news, the background, historical data or material facts that put the news in the proper perspective is another method of lying by omission in an effort to deny the reader sufficient data from which he may draw a negative inference. And if all else fails, there is always the outright lie of which Utusan Malaysia is famous for.

Having digressed enough on the ignoble practices of the mainstream media, I would like to point out that one cannot judge news reports and opinion pieces by the same standards of objectively as an opinion piece is by definition non-objective or it cease to be such. Thus the letter writer's berating of the webmasters of Seachange Malaysia is misplaced.

Nevertheless, one can demand that opinion pieces and commentaries stick to verified facts when they cite supporting data to back up their views. But in any case, opinion based on falsehoods and conjectures loses its impact and ability to influence its readers.

Should reformasi sites which present a one-sided view of issues be discredited because they do not provide praise as well as censure? This is a moot point as these sites clearly declare their dedication to a specific cause. This does not nullify the information they provide and readers are free to seek other sources which are dedicated to a contrary agenda.

The same cannot be said of news agencies which must strive to be balanced in their coverage because news agencies exist to bring fair, accurate and balanced reporting to their readers who do not appreciate being lied or misrepresented to. In this respect all the mainstream media in Malaysia fail miserably.

And yes, there is definitely a place for subjective opinionated articles in a medium of mass communication. The letter writer mentions the importance of accurate and objective reporting to aid public debate. Opinion pieces are, after all, part of the public debate.