How terrorists exploit news media
by CHERIAN GEORGE August 18th, 2008 The following is based on a talk given to General Paper teachers at a seminar organised by the Ministry of Education on 13 August 2008. There have been “secret…
Young tech-savvy ‘sponges’ are a key target for revamped ST
by LYNN LEE August 6th, 2008 American consultants Bain & Company recommended last year that The Straits Times pay more attention to tech-savvy sponges who soak up all sorts of news from the paper and…
Malaysia’s political twists and turns: S’pore media told to play it straight
July 7th, 2008 Over the years, Singapore’s mainstream media have earned a reputation for credible reporting of Malaysian politics, compared with Malaysia’s own frequently partisan newspapers and television stations. However, the Singapore media have now…
Rationality vs political expediency in internet policy
by ARUN MAHIZHNAN June 24th, 2008 Address at the Seminar on Internet Regulatory Reform, 21 June 2008. Since the time allocated to me is just eight minutes, let me make just eight quick points: First,…
Why we need a bottom-up internet content consultative committee
by CHERIAN GEORGE June 22nd, 2008 The bloggers’ proposals for Internet freedom include a call for an Internet Content Consultative Committee (IC3) through which society can take a stand on provocative internet content, thus reducing…
Advertisers’ influence on media is nothing new, and won’t go away
by PETER H.L. LIM June 21st, 2008 Both the main media groups – Mediacorp and SPH – have sections that produce print and broadcast content sponsored by advertisers. Sometimes, that is clearly marked so that…
Gopalan Nair case moves media activism to a new level
June 9th, 2008 Media activism in Singapore has entered new territory with Gopalan Nair’s extraordinary challenge to the state, which has resulted predictably in his arrest. While Singaporeans are not unfamiliar with government restrictions on…
Viscion’s vision: marketing moves from the dark side to KPI
by JAMIE LEE May 28th, 2008 Media group Viscion employs journalists who will sell advertising space to boost its bottom line, but critics worry that journalistic integrity will be compromised. The sacred wall between journalism…
NUS student wins 2008 FCA Dennis Bloodworth journalism prize
May 26th, 2008 Lee Xin En, a student at the National University of Singapore’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, has won the Dennis Bloodworth Memorial Journalism Prize, awarded by the Foreign Correspondents Association of…
From light to lighter: Government signals direction of Net regulation
by CHERIAN GEORGE May 8th, 2008 With the government’s internet regulatory regime strained by new technologies, many among Singapore’s netizens expected that it would eventually tighten the rules. After all, how long could the authorities…