The prevalence of tabloidism in Malaysia - a decaying mentality or a novelty?

The supposedly academic title above splashed out in my mind immediately when I read the Malaysiakini Malay version today:

Tabloid Melayu kian popular, harian merosot
by Salhan K Ahmad
Dis 11, 09
1:15pm

Dua harian berpengaruh bahasa Melayu mencatatkan penurunan jumlah edarannya tetapi tabloid terbitan syarikat media yang sama merekodkan kenaikan, sehingga 12 peratus setahun lalu.

Jumlah edaran Utusan Malaysia menurun sehingga 8 peratus kepada 181,346 nashkah, sementara Berita Harian pula merosot 5 peratus kepada 183,187 naskhah.

Kosmo! mengalami kenaikan tertinggi sebanyak 12 peratus kepada 129,663 naskhah, manakala Harian Metro naik 4 peratus kepada 338,552 naskhah).

Continue reading here.

The term tabloid, when referred to journalism and publication means the size of the newspaper or publication - tabloid size.

But the term tablodism is rarely used, albeit not new, only not popularized, especially by academics.

Yahoo! education reference gave the definition of tabloid as:
NOUN: A newspaper of small format giving the news in condensed form, usually with illustrated, often sensational material.

ADJECTIVE:
1. In summary form; condensed.
2. Lurid or sensational.

Thefreedictionary gave a similar meaning with added emphasis on photos used in the publication:
1. a newspaper with pages about 30 cm (12 inches) by 40 cm (16 inches), usually characterized by an emphasis on photographs and a concise and often sensational style Compare broadsheet
2. (modifier) designed to appeal to a mass audience or readership; sensationalist the tabloid press tabloid television

Hence, tabloidism is also short of tabloid journalism, which also means the type of journalism that focuses or emphasizes tabloid style reporting. It can also mean the 'mentality' of the readers whose preference are of this category.

So what have become of our Malay readers with this revelation that there are more tabloid readers than broadsheet. Is it because readers are getting lazy to read more serious stuff or trying to save money by buying tabloids which is cheaper? Or is it because of the latter - readers 'mentality' going down the tabloidism lane.

In Malay, I believe the correct translation of tabloidism is picisan - akhbar picisan.

So can we arbitrarily relate that if there is a significant increase of akhbar picisan readers in Malaysia, then tabloidism (in the sense of readers' decaying mentality) is prevalent?

Yes and no. No if I just keep dreaming on...! Yes if I can start doing my work to proof it with fresh primary data.

But how to do work? no fulus...!

Always got excuse one...banyak kerja weh...!

Thanks to Mohd Fudzail (Dotkomania) for the link.