*Sun Jing Wen, Sang Kun, Tan Poh Ling

Abstract:

The rise of cybercrime, encompassing fraud, harassment, and the dissemination of false information has become a significant national concern in Malaysia. While cybersecurity has been extensively studied, limited attention has been given to the media’s role in reporting cybercrime and shaping public perceptions. This study addresses this gap by examining how the Malaysian mainstream online newspapers like The Star, China Press, and Harian Metro frame cybercrime. Guided by the framing theory and employing content analysis as the methodology, the research analysed 254 articles published between 2022 and 2023. It investigated the types of news, sources of information, attribution of responsibility, and utilisation of framing techniques in cybercrime reporting. Findings reveal a predominance of thematic framing, with most articles focusing on prevention and intervention.

Keywords: Cybercrime, media frames, framing theory, content analysis, online news coverage