Siva Kumar, the new publisher of the Phnom Penh Post (PPP), addressed the press on Friday, May 18. He explained that his purchase of the 26 year-old newspaper company was not only a sound commercial decision but also a rescue mission to save it from possible bankruptcy.
“The takeover of the paper is to continue the legacy of The Phnom Penh Post, which stands for fair and balanced reporting and commentary, and upholding true journalistic value.”
In these days of “false news,” a highly esteemed media organization such as The Phnom Penh Post, which publishes in English and in Khmer, must hold its journalists responsible and accountable for their actions.
His statement went on: “The technical takeover was on May 4, and I had left it in good faith to Bill [Bill Clough, the previous owner] to make the announcements to the staff as I was not available for a joint statement. Quite surprisingly, the announcement led to what I considered to be a rocky start, leaving me with Post staff that was left in a state of confusion due to misreporting and allegations made by the media which had cast a negative overlay on this takeover.”
Mr Siva, who started his career as a cadet reporter in Malaysia in 1976 and is now a managing director of Malaysia-based AsiaPR SDN BHD, said that his priority at PPP is to keep it in print, thus saving it from serious financial harm.
“I wish to stress at this juncture that, had I not purchased the Phnom Penh Post, the newspapers would probably have had to be shut down due to the financial situation and pending conflicts with its previous CEO; … the fate of the 160-odd employees would have been hanging in limbo,” he said.
“This would be a sad ending for a newspaper that had struggled to reach the 26 year mark. It was in dire need of an injection of fresh capital, expertise, ideas and innovations, and zeal … to rise above the challenges that confront us.”
