Hello! Welcome back to the 3rd post and in today’s lesson, each team has given a presentation on media ownership and has covered both sides of arguments for and against the government and private media in owning the media. So, in this blog post, I’ll be sharing more on my stand on who should be the one owning the media industry in Singapore.
Government owned media
Find the logos familiar? Yup, these are the printed and digital media owned by Singapore Press Holdings. As presented in class, In Singapore, our media industry is dominated by two groups namely MediaCorp and Singapore Press Holdings which are controlled and owned by the government. Recent statistics from World Press Freedom Index show that Singapore is ranked 160 out of 180 countries which as a result, reflects on the tight regulations we have on media in Singapore. On top of that, as we live in a conservative society, the government is extra cautious in publishing news on “taboo” topics such as LGBT.
Apart from the tight restrictions we have on the media in Singapore, the government does well in news coverage pertaining to the pandemic. This is because media published are mostly objective and the public relies on the government for direction and control measures during the pandemic. An example would be prime minister Lee Hsien Loong addressing the Covid-19 situation to the nation through various sessions of the live broadcast on Channel News Asia.
Private owned media
Now, what about the private owned media? Some examples of media owned by private companies are The Online Citizen and Mothership which provides us with alternate forms of media outlets. In contrast to government owned media, private companies have slightly more freedom in publishing content that is against the government’s established viewpoint. Despite having freedom in their published content, information published may not be entirely factual as private companies’ intentions are to generate views and revenue.
Personal stand
Despite outweighing the pros and cons of having a large percentage of media being controlled by the government, my stand would still be towards government owned media. Laws implemented by the government such as POFMA (Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act) would safeguard against the communication of falsehood at the same time provide us with a sense of security and reliability as the news that the government published would be mostly regulated and fact-checked before it is released to the public.
Thank you for reading and remember to mask up when you’re outside!
Reporters Without Borders. (n.d.) Singapore. https://rsf.org/en/singapore
Sun, D. (2021, May 24). Woman who refused to wear mask at MBS turns up outside court maskless, but wears one to enter. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/woman-who-refused-to-wear-mask-at-mbs-turns-up-at-court-wears-mask-to-enter
Teo, J. (2021, June 05). PM Lee Drinks From New Magic Cup. Here are some magic cup lookalikes & where to buy them. Today Online. https://www.todayonline.com/8days/seeanddo/thingstodo/pm-lee-drinks-new-magic-cup-here-are-some-magic-cup-lookalikes-where-buy
Potato's blog 
Hi Si Hui! It’s been a while from your last blog. It is true that Singapore had implemented tight restriction on local media, but good that is, they take prompt action in news coverage when something happens. Private ownerships only focus on the views and revenue. I have the same opinion with you, media should be owned by the government as it will probably publish messages that are more reliable as it had been through series of examinations. By the way, I like the way you listed out the example to bring out situations happening nowadays. Nice reading on your blog. Hope to hear from you soon!
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Hey, I have to agree that even though we are from a developing country, we are very much still a conservative society where topics which are sensitive are mostly avoided for discussion. It is very apt that you brought in the example on the news coverage on Covid 19 which was much needed to avoid the spread of fake news. It is true that private companies might abuse the freedom of speech and be focused on generating profit. As you said, it must be taken into consideration that the government has a proofreading body which provides us with a sense of security and assurance that we will be fed with credible news.
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Hello Potatoooo~~ It was really engaging reading your reflection with the images that you’ve chosen. I also believe that government owned media should still be taking the lead in Singapore. Just like the example that you’ve given, the pandemic has been handled considerably well with the help of the government, such as having PM Lee to talk to the nation via the media and broadcast important messages to people of Singapore. It helps to properly control the situation and decrease the spread of the virus. There are some people who are not socially responsible and choose not wear their mask and give tons of reasons why they cannot wear it. This is where the government steps in and take action on these people to protect others.
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Hihi Potatoe!! I just want to say, I really like your featured image! Where did you find it at? Let me know!! Back to the important details, I agree that Singapore’s ranking of 160th place is due to our strict rules. However, having the government setting out those strict rules did help our nation greatly during this pandemic, especially when addressing the importance to mask up, to ensure everyone’s health and safety. On the other hand, it is true that sometimes private media’s news may be tainted, and we got to approach them with caution. I like how you concluded as well that it is important that the government ensures the news that gets publicised are factual and reliable. Thank you for this wonderful read! Looking forward to your next blog!! 😀
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