It’s just been brought to my attention that the ST responded in part to this earlier entry in Friday’s Insight, an article by Lynn Lee titled "Old and new media don’t have to be strange bedfellows" (23/5/2008). The story is that 2 ST …

However, they don’t work in Singapore. For the most part, journalist appear at events, take the facts they are given and then they publish it. This fine for TV and radio where news goes out fast. But what about print. My feel is that print media needs to offer more since they’re news will never be as fast as the broadcast guys.

But look at the opinions that come out in our papers. How diverse and knowledgeable are they. I have yet to meet an “expert” who contradicts a government official. I remember MM Lee, who writes on occasion for Forbes writing something that was, in my opinion – Pro-Israeli Anti-Semitic bias that stopped short of saying that Muslims in Lebanon needed to know their place. I wrote a letter to disagree. I covered my news points. I was respectful but the letter conveniently rejected for “Editorial Judgment.” – Needless to say, I’ve noticed I’m not the only person who does not get ink when I disagree with official policy but gets it when I write things in favour of the government.

Where can I and many others express ourselves? Blogs provide that avenue. No, I don’t claim to be a news hound. But I do offer an opinion, which I try to argue out and can be blamed if people come to my blog when it offers something different from the same thing the MSM is offering?

Many of you brought up very good points on the imperfections of the local mainstream media. The vested interest of the government that controls this state-owned publication indeed limits the objectivity and reliability of the content published in the papers. With their propaganda in mind,discerning readers should be able to detect any bias in any article and sieve through the content to pick out what is relevant for them.

However,I do not agree that the “blogging community would give them a run for their money” as mentioned by Jacob above. Despite the supposedly more objective views posted on blogs, the lack of proper language used, credibility and mature points of view, evident from the numerous emotionally-charged postings above, would give rise to misunderstandings and a less-than-ideal viewership.

For one, bloggers tend to adopt a single tone,no matter what language,english or singlish,the “article” is written in.This pales in comparison to the many different sections and hence persona adopted by the writers of various articles.

Two,without professional journalists who brave their lives to gather news in disaster-struck areas and war zones, we would not have been able to know more about the state of these critical situations. Would netizens like you and I be able to produce such information by simply sitting in front of our computers,logged on to our blogs,without referring to these well-reputed establishments?

Being entertaining and informative are clearly two separate issues.While the blogosphere has been successful with the former, offering us the “voices” that are not broadcasted in mainstream media, it obviously has a long long way to go to catch up with the mainstream media on the latter.

I clearly remembered MSM went righteous over a condominium MC for alleging “not employing Indian security guard.” And the Chairman was more or less so demoralised that he had no desire at all to continue for another term.

In contrast, MSK Escape made SIngapore a laughing stock in global world; and yet there was no rihteous condnemnation bY MSM for “heads must rolled and someone must be accountible”.

The keyword is “accountibility” or as Truman said: “The buck stopped here!”.

Again Andrew Kuan Saga……and there was no forgiveness.

Again Gomezgate at Election Dept Counter (I would say it is dumb and stupid of Gomez to behave such)…there was no “forgiveness” and Low Thai Khiang was taken to task.

Again that ill-advised Micropolis S$750-million loss….no “The buck stopped here!”…lesson learnt…all forgiveness.

Again that S$380-million tax loss to Singtel….”an honest mistake. No the buck stopped here”…all forgiveness.

Going to that poor sap of a MC Chairman, he made an honest mistake in the best interest of the Condo resident, and yet there was no “forgiveness, only righteousness” from MSM..and I would suggest that he was literally houndned from the “offcie”. He is a retired civil servant, all sincere, a religious man, deligent in discharging his thankless task (unpaid too) as MC Chairman….and all he got was ridcules and righteous condemnations from MSM.

I stayed at that condo.

Who committed the bigger mistake?

A MC Chairman who was alleged to inform managing agent not to consider Indian security guard (and mind in, that condnominium manager “resigned” as well)…and his case was reported in all MSM for a few days.

And DPM Wong Kan Seng?
With all MSM clamoring for “forgiveness” and Bloggers got scorns poured onto them for daring to comment: “hey, the Emperor is butt-naked! Why the f**k are you all praising him for the fineries he is NOT wearing?”

Where is Social Justice in Singapore?
She is a Whore at Geylang?

I see Internet as a sweet young thing, fun to be with, an exhilirating experience with all its risks…fickle, whole range of emotions, lies, half-truths, facts, and you can’t live without her, and you can’t live with her…

MSM?
A frigging whore, with a Sugar Daddy…pray it is not sufferring a fate akin to that prisoner of that incestuous Austrian monster locked away for 24 years in a cramped and sunless basement..with her three “off-springs never see the sun before”.

Wait a sec…before somebody thinks it, i’ll just say i’m not paul jacob from ST. :-)

As for the mainstream media, the blogging community’s giving them a run for their money and making them sweat so much that they’re prone to write such negative things to try and portray us as if we were the media arm of al-qaeda or something…hahaha!

Bloggers should respond to these pathetic diatribes with dignity and an even tone – that’d quite show them.

Re bloggers with revealed names, it’s fine if they do but not a must – see Molly Meek, Xeno Boy – a voice without a name is still a voice. We may choose to remain anonymous, the laws can still catch us as they can.

Actually, I don’t blame ST. Foreign publications have frequently found themselves on the receiving end of costly legal action by some of our leaders. How much more threatening it is, for a paper that’s based on home soil? If the journalist reports objectively and gets onto the nerves of certain leaders, will ST risk life and limb to defend them unswervingly as in the case of Ching Cheong, or will the offending journalist simply be asked to go? Even if ST were to make an exception once or twice, she cannot afford to do this all the time when her journalists don’t toe the line of the Govt. It just doesn’t work in the long run. That’s why ST is what she is. Either that, or she’s steers away from politics, as far as home issues are concerned, or she cease to exist altogether.

Coming back to internet bloggers. While there are credible views and opinions, there’s room for improvement.

For starters, if we can express our views without uttering vulgarities, that will go a long way towards establishing and maintaining the credibility of web journalism. Let’s not demean ourselves by speaking like hooligans, even though the object of our discussion attracts wrath, or to quote ST “makes our blood boil”.

Secondly, even if we do not agree with a certain viewpoint or policy, let’s state our views objectively and disagree amicably, instead of having the equivalent of trading punches, as what happens in parliamentary sessions elsewhere. Let’s not be biased, though that’s an easy route, and give credit when due, even if it’s to the Govt or ST.

In all fairness, the Govt has done a good job in many areas, particularly in raising the standards of living over the decades from the 70s, but in the most intimate aspect, that is, the heart of the people she leads and represents, she has fallen short as she listens more to what her head tells her than what her citizens are saying. The Govt will do well to take heed and do what is right for the citizens, who have an equal if not greater stake in the future of Singapore and her future generations.

Many families break down not because the head of the household is not bringing in enough, but because of the lack of communication and understanding amongst family members, and the gradual drifting apart over the years, as each gets intoxicated on his or her own pursuits. Move on? Sure, we must, but do the right thing before it’s too late.

Satisfaction lies with the fact that an ‘O’ level Kopitiam Ah Pek like me (who needs to look up dictionary so often) can make the ST’s political editor’s blood boil! I feel my “outrageous, snide, rabble-rousers” rants finally pay off! I feel validated. I feel good!………………………..

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