BUKU ABSTRAK - Universiti Putra Malaysia

Technological Evolution and Dynamism of Print Media Editorial Activities in
Malaysia
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Siti Zobidah Omar
Manimaran Govindasamy
Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication, University Putra Malaysia,
43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
+603-8946 8797; zobidah@fbmk.upm.edu.my
Keywords: Journalism, media technology, print media, news gathering
Comparing Physical Activity of Malaysian Malay Men Before, During, and After
Ramadan
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Soh Kim Geok
Soh Kim Lam, Ruby Husain, Mohd. Sofian Omar Fauzee, Aminuddin Yuson and Ong Swee Leong
Faculty of Educational Studies, University Putra Malaysia,
43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
+603-8946 8153; kims@putra.upm.edu.my
Keywords: Physical activity, Malay men, sport involvement, pedometer, Ramadan
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Social Sciences
The development of ICT in the print media has influenced the way people carry out their daily activities at
work place. Changes in technology create new markets with new dynamism, transform the structure of industries
and influence the nature of the service and its quality. New available devices of technology such as computers,
internet, and the multifunction of mobiles phone, assist the journalist in their everyday working life to gather
information, and to write and rewrite their news stories. This study aims to examine how continuous technological
changes and innovations - during pre-computer mediated communication and computer-mediated communication
eras, have changed print media editorial practices in Malaysia. Twenty informants from four main stream media
organizations: Utusan Group, NST Group, Nanyang and Tamil Nesan, were selected randomly by using purposive
sampling. The selections of these informants were based on their broad experience in the field of journalism, i.e.
more than two decades. Informants include those who are still working and retired, either from the Klang Valley
area or outside the Klang Valley. Data was collected through an in-depth interview, using qualitative approach
and phenomenology correlates, with interview session took place between 40 to 60 minutes. The findings show
that the adoption of new technologies has brought about changes in the way information is gathered for editorials
by journalists, design and layout of the newspaper, stored information and the dissemination of information. The
media editorial and the journalist depend heavily on the use of the new technology in gathering and reporting news.
The revolution of new technologies in the media editorial industry has also impacted the newsroom landscape.
However, although new technology is heavily being used in media editorial today, the findings also show that the
intended purposes of journalism and the responsibility of the journalists to the society still remain unchanged.
Ramadan is the holy month for the Muslims. Through this month, the devotees not only restrain themselves
for food, drink, and entertainment, but they also spend most their time praying and doing good deeds to gain their
spiritual solace. Hence, many people believed that during this time of the year, most Muslims will live an inactive
and sedentary lifestyle. However, no empirical data exist to substantiate this assumption among Malay Muslims.
Study showed that minimum of 10,000 steps per day is required to achieve an active lifestyle status. The active
lifestyle status is recommended because it links positively with individual’s health benefits. Therefore, the aim
of this research was to investigate whether there is any difference in physical activity level among University
Putra Malaysia (UPM) Malay Muslim men before, during, and after the month of Ramadan, and to analyse
factors restricting their involvements in physical activity. Fifty-three UPM Malay Muslim male staff participated
in the research. The Yamex-Digi walker CW700 pedometer was used to measure the physical activity level of
the staff for four consecutive days. Results showed that there was a significant difference in physical activity
level of the UPM Malay Muslim men before, during, and after the month of Ramadan. The reported F value was
F(2, 51)=3.05 p