Abstract

The media, mainly the press, play an important role in forming public opinion and shaping societal attitudes. The Malaysian Indian community is a minority as they comprise only 8% of the population and Tamils, the majority of whom are Hindus, comprise 90% of the Malaysian Indian population. A fairly new movement HINDRAF (Hindu Rights Action Force) has a coalition of 30 Hindu Non-Governmental organizations committed to the preservation of Hindu community rights and heritage in the country. The movement has caused much controversy and the government has recently deemed it illegal. This paper examines how Malaysian Indians are represented in an English daily- New Straits Times from October 2007 to December 2007, the period before and after the HINDRAF rally. A content analysis of the New Straits Times was conducted to establish and document the basic features and characteristics of the type of news reported. The protest/rally by HINDRAF affected the way Indians were represented in the news. The findings will be discussed.