According to ntv7 news anchor Charles Mohan, most of those who entered the industry hoped to help in making important changes to the nation, but they have to realise that there were restrictions to their power as journalists.

“There will be hands that not only stop you from pushing the envelope — they won’t even give you the envelope,” he said at a forum entitled “Journalism in Malaysia: Is There a Future?” in Sentul here today.

Mohan was accompanied by ZI Publications Sdn Bhd Director Ezra Zaid, Bloomberg TV Malaysia Lead Anchor and Editor Sophie Kamaruddin, and Astro Awani broadcast journalist and News Anchor Ashwad Ismail.

Ezra said the “most frustrating” part of being a journalist was the conflict between being a responsible journalist and facing the consequences of being one.

“There are things we need to talk about but, at the same time, you need to think about the potential ramifications of bringing down a whole organisation.

“There has to be a balance between being a journalist and thinking about our ‘licences’ that need renewal.”

When asked how journalists can avoid facing legal issues, Sophie said that it was all about “sticking to the facts”.

“We have to be clear about our facts and how we present the information that we have acquired.

“Whether this is the best way to tell the story… which is important because we’re dealing with people’s reputations,” she said.

Ashwad, who agreed with Sophie’s statement, said that journalists should never stray from the facts that they have acquired.

“You can’t write a report based on hearsay. It has to be based on facts and statements from authoritative figures.”

On whether passionate journalists had any avenue to provide a service to society, Mohan said that there was, just not in the volume that they might have originally envisioned.

“The system is such that you need to go back to the need of the business.

“You can make small changes along the way but, at the end of the day, your bosses have to think about how they are going to pay their staff.”