Parallel media response to racial policies in Malaysia and new South Africa

Some striking parallels have emerged between post-colonial Malaysia and South Africa in terms of their social policies and political discourse and the media's response to these policies and discourses. The Bumiputera policy as developed in Malaysia in the1970'sseems to have been exported to 1990'5 South Africa where it is called affirmative action. This paper traces the roots of these two contemporary race-based policies back to a joint experience of British imperialism and examines the implications such race-based socioeconomic policies seem to hold for the media and media workers. Journalists and media trainers are challenged to consider ways in which the media can respond to such policies.