Media is critical in today 's society because the mass media performs a number of es- essential functions in our lives. First, they serve an information or surveillance function. Second, they serve an agenda-setting and interpretation function. Third, they help us create and maintain connections with various groups in society. Fourth, they help us socialise and educate us. Fifth, they persuade us to buy certain items or accept certain ideas, and sixth, they entertain us. The number of hours we spend consuming the media is mind-boggling. This amount is ever increasing. For better or worse, we are inextricably linked to the media. We are now living a media culture and its influence is becoming very pervasive (Mohd Hamdan Adnan 2003)
There is one law in Malaysia that protects media freedom, Article 10 of the Constitution. It also notes that there are limits to this freedom, and these limits are, generally, defined by the Government. Media freedom is defined the freedom of communicating and expressing through media including various electronic media and published materials. Freedom of the press is essential to democracy, but like other freedoms, it may also complicate the governing process. However, the vast majority of journalists, editors,
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On the other hand, the factors that affect the balance between freedom of the press and social order include the media’s own sense of what is right ,government policies and society as these three factors change and evolve, so does the balance between freedom of press and order. Nevertheless, the law on the freedom and control of online, print media and non-print media in Malaysia appears balanced. Media in Malaysia often serve as a linkage mechanism between the people and their