edited by Alastair Carthew and Simon Winkelmann
Singapore’s media in 2011 revolved around a growing debate about the role of social media on the island.In September, a classified cable from the US embassy in Singapore in 2009, released by Wikileaks in August, 2011 reported that the younger generation of Singaporean journalists were increasingly frustrated with curbs on domestic reporting imposed by the government. The report said there was self-censorship and that more journalists were moving overseas to be able to report more freely.
In addition, the watershed Singapore election in 2011 which saw social media play a role in the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) losing a sizeable share of the vote, led to headlines like “Social media in Singapore Politics: It’s Serious Business Folks!” from a popular website The Online Citizen in commenting on social media’s influence. Commented Catherine Lim the country’s most renowned female novelist: “The rise of a younger, more articulate electorate, the power of the Internet and the social media, allowed free discussion on usually censored topics.”
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong acknowledged in his post election presidents address in October that the government had to “take a more open approach to government and to governance.” He said the government had to share more information with the public and that it should “disclose more rather than less.” The PM acknowledged that “the Internet is pulling us in different directions.”
Also in October, Workers’ Party MP Pritam Singh called for a Freedom of Information Act in a speech to Parliament observing that such legislation “is very much the norm in countries which host a diverse and plural polity.”
However, in an addendum to the presidential address at the opening of Parliament, the Online Publication Journalism noted that the government was considering new and stiffer regulation of the Internet. The Law Ministry was quoted as saying “amongst others, the proliferation of new media has brought about new challenges to the rule of law. MinLaw will review legislation to deal with harmful and unlawful online conduct.” The Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts (MICA) also commented that some content creators on the Internet “resort to lies and misinformation.”
The MICA addendum also said there was a need for a “code of responsible conduct.” It would be voluntary and could be a “positive development for websites that value honesty, transparency and accountability,” MICA said.
In another speech in Parliament, Amy Khor, chairman of REACH, the Singapore government’s feedback unit, said a survey by REACH show eight in 10 (83%) people survey felt the government should be more active and adept at engaging Singaporeans online. A similar percentage (82%) also wanted reliable websites where open debate was expressed. Ms Khor encouraged the government to engage netizens on sites that allow for “reasoned and constructive debate and gain traction.” Conversely, only six in 10 (62%) agreed that the anonymous and chaotic nature of the Internet led to negatives and “ridiculous untruths which can distort reality.”
Singaporeans have a diverse range of social media sites to choose from. They include Facebook, YouTube, Twitter,StumbleUpon, reddit, Digg and NowPublic. Facebook use rose from 40-48% from 2010 to 2011. Twitter use was at 16% in 2011.
Singapore had 3.6 million of its 4.7 million citizens on the Internet in March, 2011 and 2.4 Facebook subscribers. It was 136th on the Reporters Without Borders press freedom index, 2010.