OFFSTONE JAN EDITION 2026

68 TABAYYUN VERSUS TRIAL BY MEDIA: AN ISLAMIC ETHICAL LENS ON THE ZARA QAIRINA CASE By: Dr. Rosninawati Hussin ninahussin@usim.edu.my The author is a senior lecturer at USIM. She is attached to the Communication Program at the Faculty of Leadership and Management (FKP). She teaches many courses in mass communication, including advertising and broadcasting. Her research interests are in mass communication and media studies. ABSTRACT This paper examines trial by media as a form of communicative harm that undermines justice and social harmony in the digital age. The Zara Qairina case highlights tabayyun as an Islamic ethical principle and a peacebuilding mechanism that promotes verification, accountability, and the protection of human dignity in global communication contexts. Introduction The rise of digital media has fundamentally transformed how information is produced, circulated, and consumed. While this transformation has expanded access to information, it has also intensified a troubling phenomenon commonly described as trial by media where it is a process whereby public judgment is formed through speculation, emotional narratives, and unverified claims before formal legal proceedings have begun. The tragic case of Zara Qairina in Malaysia illustrates how digital platforms can become sites of premature judgment, raising critical ethical concerns within contemporary communication practices. From a peace-building perspective, communication practices play a critical role in either mitigating or amplifying social conflict. In digitally networked societies, unverified information