This research is not intended to examine on the advantages of using social media at work but to explore the constraint and challenges imposed by social media to PR practitioners at work. The study argues that beside positive effects, social media could also bring great challenge to PR practices that are often taken for granted. At present, there is a dearth of research conducted to examine the usage of social media among PR practitioners in developing nations, the challenges and possible disruptions they imposed on PR practices. In view of this gap, this study aims to address the following objectives: (i) to examine the social media usage among PR practitioners at work; (ii) to identify PR practitioners' perception on the effectiveness of social media as a tool to engage with stakeholders and (iii) to explore plausible risks imposed by social media on PR roles and practices. This study was part of PR profile research project conducted in 2018. More than 300 PR practitioners working in various organizations in Malaysia took part in the survey. The findings among others affirmed that despite a moderate use of social media, PR practitioners continue to perceive social media as effective tools to engage with stakeholders. Ironically, social media were also seen as imposing threats to organizations' reputation. This study is significant as it contributes to existing literature on the implications of social media use in PR roles and practice in Malaysia.

This paper attempts to assess the role of Tamil and Chinese newspapers in exerting influence on Indian and Chinese voters, before and after Malaysia's 2013 General Election (GE13). This study employs both content analysis and survey to examine media agenda and public agenda specifically the Chinese and Indian ethnic groups. In total, 4,951 news items were obtained from two major language newspapers comprising Sin Chew, Nanyang Siang Pau, Tamil Nesan and Malaysia Nanban, during the election campaign period. These news items have been coded according to seventeen categories. A total of 754 Chinese and 183 Indians had participated in the public opinion survey conducted before the general election, and a total of 618 Chinese and 122 Indians responded after the general election. This study found that both Tamil and Chinese newspapers did not influence the agenda of the Chinese and Indian respondents nationwide. Politics appeared as the top issue reported in both ethnic newspapers while crime appeared as the most important issue of concern to both Chinese and Indian respondents.

A novel coronavirus; COVID-19 is posing a great threat to mankind worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the deadly pathogen as a pandemic in view of its alarming spread. Literature affirms that universities have a higher potential to be centres of a pandemic outbreak. The infectious disease could easily transmit from one person to many others within a university vicinity, thus creating a cluster if not properly contained. The Malaysian government has imposed the movement control order (MCO) to flatten the curve of infection. All economic sectors were closed during the MCO period. This study was conducted to explore the knowledge, attitude and health practices towards COVID-19 among internal stakeholders of a public university in Malaysia. An online survey was carried out on the first week of MCO. A total of 340 respondentsD comprised of students and staffs took part in the survey. The regression analysis found knowledge and attitude were significant predictors for adopting appropriate health practices among the internal stakeholders during the new coronavirus outbreak. This present study extends the existing literature on health crisis focusing on internal stakeholders of an institute of higher learning particularly during an early phase of MCO in Malaysia.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which originated from China, went global within weeks. At the time of writing, almost 300 million people around the world have been infected by this potent and fast-spreading disease, which in many cases has paralysed economies and normal daily activities. University students are among the people that have been badly affected by the pandemic, as the movement control order (MCO) has resulted in university closure. Hence, many students are unable to proceed with their regular studies and have to be extra vigilant in dealing with the pandemic. During the MCO period, they rely heavily on media for guidance and information. This study was conducted to examine media exposure, attitude, anxiety, and practices towards COVID-19 amongst the students of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Perak, Malaysia. A quantitative research design was used to achieve the research objective. A total of 505 respondents answered an online survey and the findings revealed that respondents were highly dependent on various media for updated information about the pandemic, with the majority of them anxious about their safety. These findings are useful for higher education institutions in developing a better learning environment for students and understand the impact of the pandemic on students.

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