On The Side Of Right

How much effect have your studies had on press freedom in Singapore?

I’m not driven primarily by any sort of end-goal in mind, but by the sense of responsibility that there are certain rights and wrongs in this issue, and that one must place oneself on the side of right.

I don’t see it as a completely futile exercise, even though there have been few encouraging signs. These are difficult issues, so it is a very long term process. If I can contribute in some way to a better public understanding of these issues, and to a more reasoned and rational debate, perhaps better decisions will be made and better policies developed.

Singaporeans tend to be apathetic about press freedom. Why do you think this is so?

Singapore is very unlike the other countries ranked around it in the press freedom tables. In most countries with a press that lacks freedom, the people really feel it. They feel it because censorship is used to conceal governmental crimes, cover up major human rights abuses, and mask massive poverty. None of which is true in Singapore — the government just wants to make its job easier.

So in most countries where there is a lack of press freedom, the public demand greater freedom because they see it as contributing directly to a better quality of life. Here in Singapore, many rightly feel that any greater media freedom is not going to have that much of an impact on their quality of life, in the material sense. Instead, it will have an impact on their life in a less tangible way, such as having active debate on issues that matter, developing the mind, in and so on. But I think the majority are not too interested in such intangibles.

But I would say that this sense of indifference towards press freedom is changing. More Singaporeans are observing that the government is making mistakes and formulating policies that are misguided or don’t fully take into account the public interest. Over the last five years or so, you do see more Singaporeans joining the dots and making the connection, that maybe the government’s mistakes are partly due to the lack of a robust, fearless press that stands up for the people.

Do you think the government’s current model of press control is sustainable?

Over the last 25 years or more, you’ve certainly seen the government avoid more overt and sensational types of censorship and government control. It no longer detains journalist without trial, or closes down newspapers and so on. Since the 80s, we have had a very different press model largely based on self-censorship – it is based on a very close relationship between the government and the national media.

There is no real demand from the news organisation themselves to remake that relationship with government. So that is a source of great stability in the system. The losers in this, though, are the broader public, most of whom would like to have more choice; in particular a media that does a better a job of speaking up for the public in those instances where there is a divergence between the government’s will and the people’s will.

Do you think there’s a disconnection between the journalism taught in WKWSCI and the journalism they go on to practise outside?

The journalism taught here is very practically-oriented. Our instructors try to ensure that what is taught is relevant to our major future employers. These include Singapore Press Holdings, Reuters, Mediacorp, AFP and so on — a range of both Singaporean, as well as regional and international organisations.

So long as we keep employers’ requirements in mind, that will ensure that our programme continues to prepare journalism students in a way that ensures their relevance.

What are some of the challenges facing journalism at the moment?

Journalism everywhere is facing financial sustainability problems. We are confronted by this paradox, that the social need for quality journalism is greater than its ever been – simply because life is more complex, societies are more crowded, and there is more potential for confusion and conflict – but at the same time you have an erosion of journalism’s ability to support itself financially.

Quality journalism is something any reasonable person would say we desperately need, yet most people are unwilling to pay for. This is the major challenge facing the profession in Singapore, across Asia and around the world.

Unfortunately, the way it’s been resolved by most in the news industry is to compromise on the public service mission and focus more on entertainment or on journalism that is valued by business and advertisers, and try to be financially sustainable that way. But this means less of a focus on the kind of journalism that is needed for the public interest.