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Warren
Eswaran
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Why
we push so hard for media reform
Warren Eswaran
11
Jul 07
Some might think that the Singapore Democrats is
"anti-Singapore" or that by being a writer for this
space that I am a "national traitor".
After
all, the SDP is the fiercest critic of the Government and is very
aggressive in its push for democracy in this country.
Even
after being threatened with numerous lawsuits and permanent
closure, the Democrats have been raising the bar time after time.
Now, why are the Democrats pushing so hard to disseminate its
views?
It is because the Government owns every media
corporation in the country. The country's television stations,
radio stations and newspapers are run by two Government
companies: the Singapore Press Holdings and Mediacorp.
The
former publishes 14 newspapers in four languages. Content is
often shared among most of the newspapers which means that while
they may have different voices, they all sing the same song.
Serving whose interests?
Given such a
scenario news and information are tailored to fit the interests
of the ruling elite.
In this regard, the call for media
reform to reflect diverse political views and ensure
accountability from the Government is not only necessary but also
long overdue.
The ruling party does not engage in public
consultation before introducing or altering national policies.
And because almost all seats in parliament are occupied by it,
there is little room for alternative voices to engage in
constructive parliamentary debates.
Freedom House even
once reported that the people of Singapore cannot change their
Government through the existing political system.
Media
laws have bullied local journalists into presenting political
news which reflect the one-party ideology in this country. By
focusing only on one political view, there is no channel to
balance and counter opposing viewpoints.
Even the little
liberalization that takes place is done through Government
initiatives for the purpose of influencing journalistic practices
or to manipulate public opinion.
Without a doubt, PAP's
tight media control has stifled the growth of the IT industry and
this has discouraged potential foreign media from establishing
their operations here, resulting in the loss of potential
jobs.
Whenever criticized by international press about the
status of the media in Singapore, the Government advances the
rhetoric that there are various foreign publications available in
the country.
It should be noted that these publications
are subject to regulations which restrict their circulation.
Non-government-owned companies need to appoint a local
representative to accept writs of lawsuits that the PAP
initiates. In addition, a 120,000 US dollar security deposit is
required from the publications.
Media literacy
By
the use of unjust, self-serving laws to stifle the free flow of
information, it is not surprising that the standard of media
literacy among the public is very low.
Most citizens are
conditioned to believe whatever the news outlet says. Often
falling into the assumption that the news printed and broadcast
is always objective. The standard of civic-mindedness in the
country is poor and most citizens are unable to think critically
where it matters most.
Media literacy is an important
component of a democratic society. The ability to recognize how
the communication medium shapes the mind when interpreting its
messages is crucial.
It is thus necessary for
Singaporeans to take a strong and proactive stand in this matter
and organize ourselves through hands on approaches like
film-making, blogging and podcast- and video-cast production.
This is because communication with each other and with
the outside world is essential.
Communicating with
those on the outside
In the past the PAP's repressive
practices took place largely without censure by the international
community. Now, under the watchful glare of international groups,
the ruling party in Singapore is more cautious about persecuting
dissenters.
An example of this is the protest march
organized by the Singapore Democrats during the World Bank-IMF
meeting in Singapore in September 2006.
The police
arrived in huge numbers and formed a human-barricade to prevent
the protesters from continuing the march. Under Singapore law, a
public gathering of five or more people is illegal. Even though
the police had arrested and charged Singapore Democrats in the
past for organizing such outdoor political activities, this time
round with numerous foreign journalists covering the event, they
were reluctant to make any arrests.
If they had proceeded
to arrest the protesters in front of the international press, the
true despotic nature of the Government would have been exposed to
the world. This is how even police procedure in the country is
twisted for political purposes.
To this end, it is
important to let the international community know the state of
the media here. According to the World Press Freedom Index 2006
rankings conducted by Reporters Without Borders, Singapore is
ranked 146th out of 167 countries. Even the likes of Sudan and
Somalia fared better at 139th and 144th respectively.
In
this regard the role of the Singapore Democrats has never been
more important. Our objective is to ensure that the media becomes
a free and pluralistic entity, serving the interests of
Singaporeans.
As a first step we need to keep our
communication lines to our fellow citizens as well as to the
democratic world open. This website is meant to do just that.
It
is in the interest of the Singaporean public that we push so hard
to oppose the PAP's monopoly of the media.
Warren
Eswaran is a graduate of film & media studies from the
University of Barcelona. He was an actor in the Mediacorp TV
series, 'Without Warning'. He is also a member of the SDP's Young
Democrats.
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