by Karen Bong, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on October 12, 2013, Saturday

KUCHING: Journalists should always write with accuracy, impartiality and without fear and favour.

Freedom of speech must be accompanied with responsibility and conscience as journalists too have responsibilities to the society at large, said Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, Minister of Local Government and Community Development.

There must be some limits within us on the freedom of expression. It measures to what extend something is acceptable or otherwise. This is referred to as intellectual responsibility, he said at the Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) Sarawak News Reporting Workshop in Mandarin Dinner and Certificate Presentation here on Thursday.

On the need to write accurately, Wong said this was essential as what is written today will be recorded and become part of history.

Noting the great challenges faced by the traditional media with the emergence of the Internet and social media, he said journalists needed to work harder to play their traditional role in disseminating information so as not to be outdone by the online media.

It all boils down on how you can equip yourself to compete with the Internet media.

Wong said the news media is often regarded as the fourth branch, or `fourth estate, of the government, apart from the legislative, executive and judicial branches.

It is generally regarded as such based on the perception that the medias role is to act as the custodian of public interest and as a watchdog on the government.

The fourth estate plays a very crucial role in nation building, and also in perpetuating and disseminating not just information but cultural values of our country.

Read more from the original source:

Freedom of expression has limits, journalists told