I had no illusions about the independence of the local media
when I first started my job in StraitsTimes, under SPH.
I knew that my work would be edited, and possibly censored for
political safety, and I was mostly fine with that – no media
channel anywhere in the world is entirely free from some form of
editorial trimming, after all. But there is such a thing as a free
press but certainly not one in Singapore.
What I didn’t bargain for was individual self-censorship,
unspoken policies and rules, and the stoutness with which people
swallowed their journalistic dignity and integrity (because it does
exist, even strongly, in some places) to toe the company line.
Incredible as it seems, reporters in Singapore do have the same
fierce pride in their work as reporters anywhere else; only
pitifully and sadly they cannot demonstrate their beliefs. After
all its a job.The omnipotence of the CPF.
Its on the
cards that there will be a general election in 2010. It’s hard for
me to swallow the indignation I feel whenever I see the local media
doggedly ignoring its news sense. We have seen it all before. We
will see it again. And again. We see it every
day.
Articles and TV programmes
are edited to balance out pro-opposition views; awesome camera
opportunities – like the opposition rallies – are studiously left
out of media coverage; banal and unfair quotes and tactics are
highlighted and headlined simply because they are tools of the
ruling party and the lap-dog media will comply. But the truth
will out. The voting public are not as blind as they seem. For
those that WILL get the chance to vote, that
is.
There are many things journalists see that the eyes of the
public are not privy to, and that we would like to report on but
can’t. Please remember that when you read an article or watch a
broadcast that seems particularly, emetically subjective.
And help spread the word that a lot of us in the media are sorry
that we can’t do the job we want to. It may not
mean a lot to you, but it sucks for us that for every day, people’s
opinions of us plummet – despite the fact that we work our asses
off in 14-hour days with no breaks on weekends or public holidays
to bring you OUR (or it THEIR) version of the news. We are just doing a job..for
THEM.
And for those who think it’s as easy as quitting your jobs and
following your conscience – grow up. This is a job. It puts food on
our tables. We can all get up and leave, but it’s ridiculously easy
to replace us with more party-line-spouting drones. And it’s also
likely that we’re doing something about it, in our own little ways,
even if it’s as small as writing about and expressing our
dissatisfaction with the system from the inside. But we cant tell
you about it.
After all, walls have ears inside here too. And some of those
ears are positioned to hear everything, sometimes for some who want
to just get on with company at the expense of dobbing their own
friends. But that is another sad story.
Clearly the
pressure coming from the head is overwhelming, and it is no
surprise whatsoever that that pressure should translate down the
chain, so that the executives chastise the editors, the editors
chastise the journalists, and so on, if anyone steps out of line,
and that perpetuates self-censorship because ‘you might as well
mutilate your own article before they get to it, and in any case
there’s no point in drawing attention to
yourself’.
Will it make some people squirm after reading this.
Doubt it. There is no soul.
EDITOR’s NOTE: This article was contributed by a reader
with the moniker helplessinsingapore, copied verbatim.
http://www.temasekreview.com/2009/11/08/sph-an-insiders-confession/
..........and our favourite Uncle Poh Ah Pak aka angel3070 is
actually Bill Gates.
The US Manhattan bridge ( and our Coleman bridge also) is
for sale for at only S$100!!!! Call me now. Hurry! My handphone
number is 999. Dont miss!
