It’s strange that at a time when the international media is very much focused on the ongoing financial crisis, the local press seem to be taking it easy. A survey of the Straits Times’ headlines over the last week or so showed that news about China’s milk powder scare, the Singapore F1 Grand Prix and other seemingly less important news took precedence over news on the global economy meltdown and how it is affecting Singaporeans. It seems a tad too orchestrated to me – were there directives given from the Government not to put too much emphasis on the economy, or am I just being too suspicious?
Look at the headlines on the front pages of the ST Home section over the last few days – “Hit the gym = at the polyclinic”, “Are you being greenwashed?”, “No Yahoo Auctions, No Problem!”, “3-D Snapshots from the Womb”… are these really newsworthy stuff? Even if they are, are they so newsworthy that they ought to belong on the front page? Shouldn’t the mainstream media play a bigger role in highlighting news that are more relevant to the common man in the street – such as economic concerns, doing more analysis on how Singaporeans have been impacted and giving suggestions on what Singaporeans can do to ride out the crisis, etc?
Besides the lack of prime coverage on the economic situation, it seems that the mainstream media nowadays are carrying more and more content in line with recent Government policies (marriage – ST Life’s weekly interview with spouses of famous people in Singapore; baby-making – a TV drama about having babies… sponsored by a government agency; washing brain about how good Singapore is – a mini-series about Singaporeans working overseas missing Singapore, articles related to racial harmony, articles conditioning Singaporeans into accepting foreign workers in their neighbourhoods, etc). I’m not saying these are not important issues, but I feel that there is a lack of emphasis on more important and relevant issues.
It seems to me that there is not much difference between Singapore’s mainstream media and China’s state-owned media – the former is indirectly controlled by the Government, while the latter is directly controlled. Both cover content on what their respective Governments want them to talk about. China’s media is known for elements of propaganda, while Singapore’s is known for being pro-government.
I believe the media plays an important role in Singaporeans’ education. Given that there aren’t many choices of newspapers and news channels to turn to, is it really wise to operate the media in such a way that people would rather turn to the Internet for ‘real’ news and instead take the local media as more of entertainment?
Moving forward, I wonder if the Singapore media is really opening up to become more liberal, in line with the recent relaxation of rules on speaking up (Hooray, people don’t need to apply for permits to speak in Hong Lim Park anymore! – sarcasm intended), or are we actually moving back towards a more strongly government-controlled media, except that they (the media) are just being discreet (i.e. churning out propaganda in the form of light-hearted lifestyle articles?)
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Reporting impending gloomy economic situations will stop people from spending money. The government want the money from its own people fuel the economy. They need the taxes, the service charges to fill in their pockets to fund whatever they are doing, eg overseas investments, infrastructure or cover their losses.
I understand when the economy is not doing well, all the more the public should be encourage to spend. But still, they need not resort to masking bad news or not adequately covering what people should know.
People should be educated to spend for the good of the economy not by manipulating the media but through fair and transparent reporting.
You are, of course, right.
But the aim of our press here is “nation-building”. Imagine telling the population about the 21% tariff increase BEFORE the F1 race. Then, no one will have happy faces to showcase to our international audience, right? We cannot seriously believe that the increase was decided on F1 Race Day.
The key is to control release of information, need to know basis kind of thing. It is all about timing. The government must have the upper hand. They will write about the gloomy economy AFTER it had happened on the other side. The likely trick to use here is give out handouts to the people in these bad times. To make them looked good again. Good or bad times, they will take advantage of it on the political end.
You have seen it happened before, you will see it again.
[...] Press rank 141 and falling – This lush garden within: What role do the media play in Singapore? [...]