Mass media in Singapore
Themass media in Singaporerefers tomass communicationmethods through broadcasting, publishing, and the Internet available in thecity-state.Singapore's media environment is aduopoly- it is dominated by two major players,MediacorpandSPH Media.[1][2]
Comprising the publishing, print, broadcasting, film, music, digital, and IT media sectors, the media industry collectively employed about 38,000 people and contributed 1.56% to Singapore's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2001 with an annual turnover ofS$10 billion. The industry grew at an average rate of 7.7% annually from 1990 to 2000, and the government seeks to increase its GDP contribution to 3% by 2012.[3][4]
Regulation
[edit]TheMinistry of Communications and Informationis the government's regulatory body that imposes and enforces regulation over locally produced media content. It also decides on the availability of published media from abroad. Political, regulatory and structural control over all media forms restricts and discourages criticism of the government.[5][6][7][8][9]Issues deemed to be inciting racial and religious hatred are prohibited,[10][11]and media advocating non-traditional family units and lifestyles are avoided.[12][13][14]
Most of the local media are directly or indirectly controlled by the government through shareholdings of these media entities by the state's investment armTemasek Holdings,and are often perceived as pro-government.[2][15][16]In 2021,Reporters Without Bordersranked Singapore 158 out of 180 countries in thePress Freedom Index.[17]
In 2011, 56% of 1,092 local respondents to a telephone poll agreed that "there is too much government control of newspapers and television", and 48% felt that "newspapers and television are biased when they report on Singapore politics, political parties and elections".[18]
Radio and television broadcasting
[edit]After it acquired the assets ofSPH MediaWorksin 2004, the state-owned broadcasterMediacorpcurrently owns and operates all six free-to-air terrestrial local television channels licensed to broadcast in Singapore, as well as 12 radio channels. The majority of radio stations in Singapore are mainly operated by Mediacorp with the exception of seven stations, which are operated bySo Drama! Entertainment(a part of theSingapore Armed Forces) andSPH Mediarespectively. The only radio station in Singapore that is entirely outside government control is the BBC Far Eastern Relay station, which broadcasts theBBC World Servicelocally on 88.9 FM.[2]
Private ownership of TV satellite dishes was previously forbidden.[19]
Newspapers
[edit]TheNewspaper and Printing Presses Act of 1974states:
No person shall print or publish or assist in the printing or publishing of any newspaper in Singapore unless the chief editor or the proprietor of the newspaper has previously obtained a permit granted by the Minister authorising the publication thereof, which permit the Minister may in his discretion grant, refuse or revoke, or grant subject to conditions to be endorsed thereon.
— Newspaper and Printing Presses Act of 1974, Cap. 206, Sec. 21. —(1)
Section 10 of the same act gives the Minister the power to appoint the management shareholders of all newspaper companies and to control any transfers of such management shares.[20]The same section specifies that a management share equals 200 ordinary shares for "any resolution relating to the appointment or dismissal of a director or any member of the staff of a newspaper company",[20]and that the number of management shares must equal at least 1% of ordinary shares.[20]This gives the management shareholders, and by proxy the government, a minimum 66% majority in any votes regarding staffing decisions.
The print media are largely controlled bySPH Media,publisher of the flagship English-language daily,The Straits Times.SPH publishes all daily newspapers with the exception ofTODAY,which is owned byMediacorp,now a digital publication. Chua Chin Hon,The Straits TimesUS bureau chief, said that the paper's "editors have all been groomed as pro-government supporters and are careful to ensure that reporting of local events adheres closely to the official line", and that "the government exerts significant pressure on ST editors to ensure that published articles follow the government's line".[21]As with worldwide trends, SPH readership and subscription numbers have stagnated since the early-2000s, as Singaporeans increasingly turned to online media for their news.[22]
As of 2008[update],there are 16 newspapers in active circulation. Daily newspapers are published in English, Chinese,MalayandTamil.
Under a reciprocal agreement between Malaysia and Singapore, Malaysia's theNew Straits Timesnewspaper may not be sold in Singapore, and Singapore'sThe Straits Timesmay not be sold in Malaysia. This is largely due to the history between these two countries.[23]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^Branigin, William (17 December 1990)."SINGAPORE VS. THE FOREIGN PRESS".Washington Post.Archived fromthe originalon 18 August 2020.
- ^abc"Singapore profile - Media".BBC News.British Broadcasting Corporation.17 February 2020. Archived fromthe originalon 15 December 2023.Retrieved19 July2021.
- ^"Media Overview".Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts. Archived fromthe originalon 10 September 2006.Retrieved17 September2006.
- ^"Media 21: Transforming Singapore into a Global Media City"(PDF).Media Development Authority. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 3 September 2006.Retrieved17 September2006.
- ^"Singapore".freedomhouse.org.
- ^"Singapore journalist on self-censorship: we can't be controversial, we have to play the game - Mumbrella Asia".Mumbrella Asia.10 July 2013. Archived fromthe originalon 31 May 2023.
- ^"Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression in Singapore: Myth or Reality?".Archived fromthe originalon 17 August 2022.
- ^Hoyt, Clark (3 April 2010)."Opinion | Censored in Singapore".The New York Times.Archived fromthe originalon 3 May 2023.
- ^"Impotence is a four-letter word in Singapore's media".South China Morning Post.31 October 2016. Archived fromthe originalon 7 July 2022.
- ^"2 foreign Christian preachers barred from speaking in Singapore for anti-Islam, anti-Buddhist comments".Channel NewsAsia.Archived fromthe originalon 31 October 2017.
- ^"What's so funny about racial stereotypes?".The Straits Times.2 July 2017. Archived fromthe originalon 1 December 2023.
- ^Jaswal, Balli Kaur (21 May 2017)."The Censors' Disappearing Vibrator".The New York Times.Archived fromthe originalon 21 May 2023.
- ^Hickey, Shane (12 July 2014)."Singapore libraries to destroy copies of gay penguin book".The Guardian.Archived fromthe originalon 7 June 2023.
- ^"Same-sex kiss cut from Les Miserables".BBC News.13 June 2016. Archived fromthe originalon 21 December 2023.
- ^Gomez, James (2000).Self-Censorship: Singapore's Shame.Think Centre.ISBN981-04-1739-X.
- ^Gibson, William(September–October 1993)."Disneyland with the Death Penalty".Wired.Vol. 1, no. 4.Condé Nast.Archived fromthe originalon 26 April 2023.Retrieved23 September2008.
- ^"2018 World Press Freedom Index | Reporters Without Borders".RSF.Archived fromthe originalon 26 September 2018.Retrieved5 September2018.
- ^"Seminar_The Influence of Political Cynicism_140911".29 December 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 29 December 2011.
- ^"Singapore country profile".London: BBC. 2 April 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 11 June 2023.
- ^abc[1]"Newspaper and Printing Presses Act"
- ^"Asia Sentinel - WikiLeaks' Asian Field Day".Archived fromthe originalon 24 March 2012.Retrieved5 September2011.
- ^"Why did SPH restructure? Umbrage, COVID-19 and SGAG".Singapore Samizdat.27 May 2021. Archived fromthe originalon 2 June 2021.Retrieved29 May2021.
- ^"Good sentiments towards Malaysians on the rise".Singapore-window.org. 8 May 2005.Archivedfrom the original on 3 March 2012.Retrieved24 December2012.
