Written by Nur Hawa Shafiqa A Zulkefli
Identity
The Star
The Star Online was launched on June 23 1995. The first Malaysia news website, The Star Online has always provided the readers with the updated news, compelling content and insightful opinions. The contents are including current news, business, sports, community, technology, lifestyle, and world news. In 2014, it was recognized as one of the best website in Asia by the World Association of Newspaper and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA). Basically, The Star has its million strong followers on Twitter and Facebook.
BBC
The website of BBC news is responsible to gather news and production. The website is the most frequently accessed news website in United Kingdom (UK). It was recorded that around 70 million users has visited the website in a week. Basically, the website contains international news coverage including entertainment, science, as well as political news. BBC News Online is closely linked to another department website which is BBC Sport. There are similar layouts and contents from both sites. BBC provided its readers with variety form of information such as news, weather, shop, and travel. BBC website was named as best news website. Previously, it has won both Judges; Award and the People’s Voice Award for best news site.
Practicalities
The Star Online and BBC news has quite differed in style of reporting. However, BBC News provides its reader with wider information about the issue faced across 150 countries. The article about the issue is compact with information compared to The Star Online. It is full of knowledge regarding Ransomware, how and why it occurs. Unlike BBC, The Star offered readers with incomplete information about the issue, and the news was too loose.
BBC writing style was unbiased. The issue reported in BBC addressed more on global politics conflict between US and North Korea. Both writings were based on facts but the truth was not assured. However, The Star Online and BBC News are credible sources. The unbiased report in BBC was questioning the US government’s action in blaming North Korea.
Based on BBC reports on the particular issue, BBC applied the concept of openness in the style of writing, explore in-depth about how and why the world has to face the unprecedented cyber attack caused by WannaCry Ransomware.
Unlike BBC, The Star Online was not transparent in providing the readers with information. Information inadequacy in The Star Online may lead the readers to find other sources to keep searching for information on the related issue.
Contrasting to Malaysia, press freedom in other countries like United States is not as strict as Malaysia. Therefore, media practitioner in the countries outside Malaysia practices free speech. The article of the issue discussed has shown dissimilarities between two different media, offers readers with different style of writing. BBC news is more open in their writing as compared to The Star regarding the issue.