Should media also cool off?

Clivebenss SG

Three MPs - Potong Pasir MP Chiam See Tong, Non-Constituency MP Sylvia Lim and Nominated MP Viswa Sadasivan - yesterday wanted to see curbs placed on the mainstream media on the day when voters are expected to mull over their election choices.

Under laws passed yesterday, mainstream media outlets would still be allowed to carry election news on cooling-off day, even though political parties would have to stop campaigning.

Opposition members Mr Chiam and Ms Lim claimed that this would present a loophole for the ruling party to continue to get its message out. They accused the mainstream media of being biased towards the People's Action Party (PAP).

In a brief speech in Parliament, Mr Chiam described the introduction of a cooling-off day as a move 'designed to disadvantage the opposition'.

'If the PAP really wants a cooling-off day, it should also ban all newspaper reports on Polling Day,' he said.

Clivebenss SG

WITH reference to yesterday's report ('Should media also cool off?') on comments by Members of Parliament on the need for a cooling-off period for the media on the eve of polling day, similar to that for political parties, my sense is there is no need.

Singapore's news media has always given an accurate picture of current events. It prizes its credibility and objectivity, and so is unlikely to fan the flames of election fever.

A further plus is that Singapore's media companies are not owned by political parties, unlike in other countries.

But what matters most is that Singaporeans are better educated and can judge for themselves where general elections are concerned.

They do not need last-minute information from any party to influence their decision.

Jeffrey Law

Clivebenss SG

Let see if the media are bias.

See as it is deem fixed.

we sacrifice SG

They accused the mainstream media of being biased towards the People's Action Party (PAP).

. . . . . . not an accusation, . . . . .. . . that's a well known fact. Using "accused" . . . .. . . on the alternative parties . . . .. . . . . . . . . . is not a fair word by STs . . . . . . which is under control . . .. . by the . . . . .. . present incumbent.

"Cooling off" day . . . . .. is beneficial to . . .. . . . pap

Clivebenss SG

time to go to the beach to cool off.

Clivebenss SG

I AGREE with Mr Jeffrey Law that readers should have faith in our news media ('Media won't fan fever'; last Thursday). But I disagree that news media need not comply with complete blackouts of reporting any politically sensitive content - comments by political heavyweights, lawsuits against candidates, announcements of policy and rule changes, and press statements and advertisements by government departments - during the cooling-off period. Voters should not be bombarded with such news.

It is wrong to assume that Singaporeans are better educated, so they can exercise good judgment to make the right decision even when news media carries politically sensitive content favourable to one political party on the cooling-off day. If these are the stable conditions, why do we need the cooling-off day at all?

The real test of this new cooling-off day lies in how the ruling party observes the rules it has set. If the 24-hour window rules were really designed to disadvantage the opposition parties, it may boomerang back against the ruling party and voters may swing against it. Any abuse could cause it to cut both ways.

The test also applies to mainstream multimedia to observe the spirit of the cooling-off window, when no local radio and television stations, related websites and newspapers and their online platforms should take advantage of the interpretations of the rules to report political content. Blackout means blackout.

The cooling-off day will truly be observed as a peaceful day where no politically sensitive content appears in any form. The truth is that Singapore will continue to function without any political news for one day, and voters having made up their minds over the cooling-off day can go to the polls without distractions.

Paul Chan