Communication, Culture and Ecology by Kiran Prasad

Author:Kiran Prasad
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer Singapore, Singapore

6.9 Concluding Remarks

From the examination of the strategies adopted by Penang Forum in advocating its agenda of sustainable development and environmental protectionism, it is observed that the collective employs conventional means of public communication such as holding press conferences and town hall meetings as well as writing letters to the media in the face of the Penang state government’s array of resources that range from press conferences, press statements and public exhibitions to the social media.

The issues at hand also precipitate an adroit utilisation of communications technology and the social media by Penang Forum not only to cast a wider net in terms of disseminating messages of the collective, but also in appealing to members of the general public who are technology savvy, which includes the younger generation. In a sense, the consciousness-raising is conducted within a wider audience so as to bring about greater participatory democracy in the state of Penang.

And this brings to the fact that a contentious issue such as the PTMP is likely to go viral on the social media, thereby raising the possibility of it having a higher degree of visibility in the public domain. It was equally noteworthy that the conferment of the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site to George Town not only excited members of the Penang Forum collective, but also raised concerns from the general public about the preservation and protection of that coveted status. This issue also unavoidably highlights other related concerns among members of the general public, in particular the clearing of certain portions of the Penang Hill, a lack of efficient public transportation and the environmental repercussions arising out of the land reclamation scheme in the southern part of the Penang Island.

These related issues of the PTMP and UNESCO World Heritage Site also suggest that the presence of BN-controlled mainstream media in an opposition territory need not necessarily result in an overwhelming support of the causes of the collective vis-à-vis the contestation of the Pakatan Harapan state government. There are, however, a few news items that did provide a platform for other actors, such as opposition politicians and even a politician from one of the member parties of the Pakatan Harapan in the state, to express their concerns and criticisms against the state government. A federal agency such as the Department of National Heritage was also given space to state its critical stand regarding Sia Boey and concern about the status of George Town as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Additionally, these issues also suggest, as alluded to above, that the media in general are disinclined to conduct a measure of investigative journalism when it comes to property developers for fear of its negative impact on the media’s revenue and long-term survival.

Finally, the public sphere that is available in the state allows for the coming together of many civil society groups and concerned citizenry to articulate and share their collective concerns and interests with the general public, especially with the help of the Internet and advanced communications technology.

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