NAM News Network looks dull and uninspiring

A new news agency is in the block. It calls itself NNN, short for Non-aligned News Network. Yup, you guessed it. It is indeed a media vehicle of the Non-Aligned Movement.

The movement mooted the plan for its own internet-based news service last November and finally has now launched its network.

The brainchild of the NNN is none other than the Malaysian government, which is the present chairman of the 116-member coalition of developing countries. The aim for NNN is to tackle issues not covered properly by the global media giants like BBC, CNN and Fox News. It also wants to address the western bias shown by the international media.

Its biggest spokesperson is Malaysian Information minister Zainuddin Maidin, who told al-Jazeera:

“Unless we do this, we shall continue to bemoan the fact that the so-called international media has not and will never give the fair coverage that is due to
us.”

All okay with me but I am just worried that NNN itself becomes too eastern bias? What if it only contains articles and materials seen from the NAM angle? Wouldn’t that also be a media bias? And ultimately who will control the flow of news into NNN?

If NNN is going to rely on state new agencies and NAM state-owned dailies to provide it with news, then I believe the starting point itself is wrong.

Looking at the NNN website today, what I see is an Indian government press statement, a PR photo of Dr Mahathir at some function and some irrelevant news pieces. There is nothing in the site to tell me more about what is happening in the world, or in NAM for that matter.

What I want to see are more articles, opinions and news from around the world, but with the NAM angle. They should also incorporate the world events as they happen. NNN can’t afford to just leave out what’s happening in the outside world simply because it is a NAM News Network, only interested in NAM matters.

And more importantly, I think NNN should have a re-look at their site. It looks like a typical government website. It resembles the Malaysian news agency Bernama’s site and is simply too dull.

No one is going to think about coming back to this site after visiting it once. It needs a change of font and overall colour scheme. It must have more graphics and incorporate more multimedia links.

I am sure NAM nations can find some money to get a decent professional to create a proper and vibrant website for them. After that, they can concentrate of writing good, and I mean really good, and interesting articles about all, for all.