News Portal Review: Is the medical news portal Code Blue independent?

Whose interests does Code Blue look after?

With the explosion of news portals in Malaysia, one has to be aware of their editorial biases. One interesting news portal concerned with the Malaysian medical sector is Code Blue. Code Blue is a small news portal with a readership between 130-240k per month, according to Similarweb. Code Blue claims 13.3 million views since 2019.  Code Blue has 8.5k followers on Facebook, and 12.9k followers on Twitter (X). Code Blue has been in operation for almost 5 years.

Code Blue has a small staff of four, with Boo Su-Lyn as editor in chief. Code Blue is exclusively published in English, which would restrict its readership through the Ministry of Health and general public in Malaysia.

Alifah Zainuddin (senior health writer), Sharayu Pillai (health writer), Boo Su-Lyn (editor-in-chief), and Chua Chern Toong (sub-editor). Photo taken in December 2022 by Azrul Mohd Khalib.

Code Blue is one of the few news portals which explains its mission in detail. Its mantra is ‘to promote healthcare as a human right’. Consequently, Code Blue claims to report on the important issues and policies related to healthcare in Malaysia, and around the world.

Code Blue also prides itself in wanting to tell stories about peoples’ battle with disease, struggles in caring for the sick, and their demands for better polices to improve health, and prevent unnecessary deaths.

Code Blue claims to serve the people, not being aligned with government, or business interests (one would also presume Big Pharma). Another important pledge Code Blue makes is that it will report all sides of an issue, a basic tenet of good investigative journalism. Code Blue is a programme of a think tank called the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy,  which claims to be independent, although its website doesn’t disclose any sources of funding.

Code Blue’s editor in chief Su-Lyn garnered a reputation as an investigative journalist over the publishing of declassified findings of an investigation of a fire at the Hospital Sultanah Aminah (HAS), where 6 patients died in the fire back in 2016. Su-Lyn was called for a police interview. She was a former journalist at the Malay Mail.

How financially independent is Code Blue?

This is an interesting question. With monthly operating costs somewhere around RM 50,000, it doesn’t appear the portal carries advertising, even though there is a contact point to book advertising on the site. Obviously, someone is funding Code Blue, and it has to be assumed the Galan Centre is the direct funder. There is no mention on either the Code Blue or Galen websites about who funds, provides grants, or donates to the bodies.

What does Code Blue report on?

Code Blue makes multiple postings on a daily basis, except weekends. There may be a reader opinion on a weekly basis.

Much of the reporting tends to be about medical administration, and personnel issues in the medical sector. Code Blue takes up editorial issues like tobacco and vaping, and surprisingly, climate change. In the world section, Code Blue tends to pick up general international medical stories under the ‘Code Blue’ byline. These articles tend to quote news sources like The Guardian, CNN, and the World Health Organization (WHO) posts on Twitter (X). The pandemic showed that news portals like CNN, were skewed towards a strong pro-Big Pharma editorial line, which remains until today failing to take account of and cite arising new research on the subject. Thus, news is strongly opinionated on issues like Covid and climate change.

From this perspective, and the non-medical writers like Andrew Sturdy from the University of Bristol Business School Code Blue choses to publish, indicates a very pro-establishment media editorial line.

What is most telling is what Code Blue doesn’t investigate

 A number of people informed the writer that they tried to contact Code Blue to cover their malpractice and professional misconduct cases through the courts and Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) Disciplinary Tribunals. However, Code Blue on each occasion showed no interest in these cases which should be of high public interest.

The landmark recent court decision that re-affirms a doctor’s right to prescribe treatments to their patients was totally ignored by Code Blue. The decision also ruled on the issue of ‘off label use’ of pharmaceuticals, which should be well within Code Blue’s sphere of interest. Patient centred medicine should be at the vanguard of Code Blue’s ethos, if the portal’s espoused mission is to be believed.

Dishonest reporting

Just recently, an article was posted by Code Blue, bearing the ‘Code Blue” byline. The article titled “No data backing claim Malaysians dying at unprecedented Rates”, was a totally untrue claim, as the article furnished both MOH and Our world in data statistics. This is dishonest reporting of an issue Code Blue itself should be deeply concerned about, as there has been no adequate explanation made about what is causing excess deaths in Malaysia. This issue was a lost opportunity for Code Blue to undertake some thorough investigative journalism.

Code Blue appears to be the only medical news portal in the world that denies the worldwide excess death phenomenon.

How editorially independent is Code Blue?

Code Blue appears to have a pro-legacy media narrative. Code Blue appears to be more of an establishment supporter, with exception on some issues, rather than taking a really critical perspective of health in Malaysia. Its very hard to find many issues argued from different perspectives, particularly in the area of patient safety and security. Most issues seem to be pursued along the same editorial lines as The Guardian and CNN.

If one examines the “What we are reading” articles posted on Code Blue taken from Reuters, The Atlantic, and The Guardian, there appears to be fearmongering over the Covid-19 issue, which is doing a dis-service for all, especially from a portal claiming to cover the medical sphere.

It is dumbfounding a medical news portal hasn’t shown any interest in getting to the truth and causes of excess deaths, both internationally and in Malaysia. Its also perplexing Code Blue shows no interest in doctor-patient issues.

Consequently, Code Blue is a good place to see what the MOH is concerned about. It would be good to see more written on issues like Dengue, which is upon Malaysians at this time of year, and on how Malaysians can look after their health and build their personal immune systems. Code Blue is also a good place to go to learn about LGBTQ+ issues in health, through the sister publication OVA.

Code Blue still has a long way to go if it wants to live up to its own self-expectations.

Code Blue was contacted with a list of questions, but didn’t reply as at the time of posting this review.

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