Editorial
“If it is determined there was only one weak link, at junior escort level, then the people should stop carping about why it is usually small fish that get fried.”
- Straits Times, April 24, Page 23, “Were failings systemic?”.
The term ‘wag the dog’ was introduced into popular political discourse by a 1997 American film starring Robert DeNiro. In it, he plays a Washington Hollywood director turned spin doctor charged with rehabilitating the flagging ratings of a President caught in the midst of a sex scandal. To do this, our protagonist manufactures a fake war with Albania.
Our national newspaper, the Straits Times (ST), seems to have taken a page out of DeNiro’s book of tricks.
Before the dust has settled on one of the most shocking security oversights and incompetent post-debacle information bottlenecks in our nation’s history, the ST has chosen to banish their coverage of the Mas Selamat backlash to the inner pages of the Home page. The front page story: a resurgence in hand, foot and mouth disease.
TOC almost wishes the ST’s editors were Hollywood directors turned spin doctors. At least the distraction from the most important issue of the day would be entertaining.
The ST’s selective coverage and equivocal editorial position risks damaging its own credibility in the long run. As we wrote yesterday, many Singaporeans will have to now tolerate a government it perceives as out of touch and overbearing in light of the unsatisfactory responses given in Parliament.
The ST should not make matters worse by forcing us to live with a similarly disconnected press.
ST Editorial: the paper’s flimsy position
The mark of a good newspaper is its ability to find the broader issues of national relevance in simple events. The publication’s inclination and ability to do this is distilled in its editorial, which represents the opinion of the paper. Looking at today’s ST editorial, it is worrying to see the converse occurring: a deliberate obfuscation of important issues hidden behind a surplus of nitpicking questions.
The editorial opens with what seems to be a grim warning that the government might yet suffer from the debacle: ‘Singaporeans will be unforgiving’ if Mas Selamat carries out a ‘ruinous attack’.
In fencing, such an opening is called a feint.
This opener sets the Singaporean threshold of tolerance unrealistically high. It suggests that anything short of a ‘ruinous attack’ will not warrant Singaporeans being unforgiving.
This subtly downplays the level of anger many Singaporeans currently feel at the cumulative weight of the initial bungle, the opaque and confusing flow of information, the summary exoneration of the highest echelons of authority, and the gross conflicts of interest that have pervaded this whole episode. Its suggestion boils down to this: Singaporeans are a tolerant bunch, it will take a terrorist attack to make us outraged.
Instead of highlighting the broader issues of national importance, it then goes on to do the opposite: narrow the issue to the point of banality by asking a series of questions. These include such gems as: ‘How frequently were operational audits made, drills and refreshers for camp staff conducted? What has been the quality of the training?’.
The editorial’s bald assertion that ‘No level in the hierarchy should be immune from censure that deserves it’ is completely undermined for the same reason Wong’s statements in Parliament lack credibility: by narrowing the scope of inquiry down to the operational procedure, they are insulating the political leadership from command responsibility.
This is an uncanny echo of Deputy Prime Minister Wong’s statement to Parliament. Henceforth, the area of liability is to be limited to what went on in Whitley Road Detention Centre (WRDC).
Could it be that Singaporeans have stopped caring about Mas Selamat and the government’s response to the debacle?
Unlikely. Over the last few days, site managers TOC have spoken to have reported an exponential spike in their readership. This corroborates the anecdotal interest in the issue expressed beyond cyberspace in almost every single conversation.
There seems to be a hunger for further discussion that the mainstream press is simply not satisfying.
The mainstream press, to hide the consequences of their political timidity, then utilizes another fencing maxim: the best defense is a good offense.
When all else fails, blame the bloggers/kopitiam patrons
The tactics are simple: dismiss the expressions of anger as the rantings of vocal netizens, the educated elite, or those too uneducated to think for themselves. Paint them as unpatriotic, borderline traitors out to muddy the country’s reputation at any expense.
Chua Mui Hoong, senior writer of the ST, described the outrage as that of ‘anonymous bloggers and grandstanding kopitiam rabble rousers’, members of the ‘cocktail and kopitiam circuit’.
When the Mas Selamat debacle first occurred, Deputy Political Editor Paul Jacob characterized the outrage on the internet as ‘rants that demand ministerial resignations; and sarcastic comments about how paying officials a million dollars more will perhaps better incentivise them to capture the culprit’ and ‘rants in cyberspace [that] take pleasure in knocking Singapore’s firm and no-nonsense reputation’.
The response online was indeed visceral. But to see ordinary bloggers or kopitiam patrons as an isolated source of dissatisfaction would be willfully shutting one’s eyes to reality. If anything, the dissatisfaction is part of a deeper malaise. Last we checked, Mui Hoong, the kopitiam crowd made up the majority of the country.
Unfortunately, the only crowd the ST editorial team seems attuned to is our political leadership. The rest of us are the rabbles that rant.
The Chinese proverb, ‘When drinking water, look to the source’, seems ironically applicable. The press regularly reminds Singaporeans of the government’s successes. Yet, when something goes wrong, the finger is pointed at the people who are characterized as the fountain of irrational anger: the logical connection to the source of the outrage is not made.
The consequences
These tactics of “scapegoating” and understatement can only last that long. It is precisely the propagandizing of the Malaysian press that has led national newspapers in Malaysia to lose credibility with the country, so much so that Malaysian bloggers designated April 1st a nationwide Boycott Malaysian Media Day.
The state of the Malaysian media’s infamy is such that senior journalists have left it for the freer fields of online journalism. Ahirudin Attan, a former President of the National Press Club of Malaysia and editor of the New ST Press, set up a popular personal blog. By far the most prominent Malaysian example of mainstream journalists entering the online fray is Malaysiakini.com, which has a readership comparable with mainstream publications.
How long will it be before good journalists in the ST decide that they’ve had enough of the paper’s timidity and borderline culpability in propagandizing? How long is it before the fig leaf of credibility falls from the ST, and journalists, writers and citizens start taking the news into our own hands?
To whom much is given, much is expected (revisited)
The lessons we hope the government will learn from the Mas Selamat debacle equally apply to the ST. To whom much is given, much is expected. Singapore Press Holdings has been given a near-monopoly of Singapore’s print news market. With alternative news sources still in their infancy, it is imperative upon the ST to accurately reflect sentiment on the ground.
Our message to the government yesterday was simple: you cannot have your cake and eat it too. You cannot claim to be a hands-on government of strong leadership and disclaim command responsibility when it matters.
Our message to the national press today is similar: you cannot keep your monopoly on the minds of Singaporeans and insult their intelligence at the same time.
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What is new?
Look at how Irene Ng become a PAP MP, where she was before being “selected” to be a PAP MP.
Then, look at what the Chua sisters are doing now.
Connect the dots – Bingo!
Chua Lee Hoong said that “reading the internet postings make [her] blood boil.” Don’t antangonise her. God knows what else she could do….
And oh, by the way … I did a search on the internet … guess what?
Chua Lee Hoong used to work in the ISD as an analyst. Get the picture?
No wonder her blood boils …..
Low Thia Kiang did not blunder by remaining silent. He spoke out loud and clear. His answer was in fact, “Mr Prime Minister, whether I would or would not ask for WKS to resign is irrelevant. What’s most important is what you would do about this. You are the PM, I am not. I cannot presume to be able to speak on your behalf, and even if I think I can, I should not. If James Gomez was the Home Affairs Minister, I will answer that question.”
Of course her blood would boil. After so many years of writing things that are against her principles (or at least, her conscience or the values her ancestors stood for), how can her blood not boil? Look at Catherine Lim, ever the sensible writer. Still full of glow and vitality.
“Chua Lee Hoong said that “reading the internet postings make [her] blood boil.” Don’t antangonise her. God knows what else she could do….”
Really, to many who want nothing but the truth,
We said that “not reading the internet postings make our blood boiler”, and that show how much we want to engage in internet.
When the government doesn’t want to speak up the truth, and degrade real problem as non-issue, it only end up in speculation. But what did we know ? Surprisely, speculation do have real contribution as it lead to enquiry, questioning and research. And not to mention the combined intelligence of the crowd compared to the pathetic braintrust of the clowns lead by the clown prince.
Didn’t we learn from the Edison’s scandal ? Who uncover the truth ? It is not the media company, it is the internet ! The more they refute the truth, the more the truth will be uncovered.
That speak for the government too.
It goes to show one thing, for progess and a better quality of life, things have to change.
We can’t have people living in the twilight zone telling us how to eat, sh*t, breathe, and to buy cheaper food.
These elites are from another dimension and they cant seem to relate.
Common sense has eroded to a point where s*hit is gold.
T.O.C. — You must start to expand your services to include what Straits Times provides now:
Classifieds, adverts, etc. You have much more credibility than these jokers!
Joker,
I fully agreed with you on TOC, expand your services and i dun mind paying for it too. Maybe ST will advertise on your website too. Haha… coz the chua sisters will be out of job so is Paul Jacob. Cant wait to see them jobless.
FG
TOC, please have an open invite to the PAP to engage the people on this forum as I am sure it would be a common platform for Singaporeans to discuss and contribute ideas.
We should start a list of ST and Today writers who write so much crap that their names must be on the Chart ” Top Bullshit Writers for 2008″ .
I say i start with a few names,
Paul Jacob (ST)
Chua Mui Hoong (ST)
Chua Lee Hoong (ST)
please feel free to add in your choice of bullshit journalist
Fever Guy,
putting name may have limited usage because people tend to forget easier about comment and it is hard to search comment.
Why not do something drastic ?
In order to discourage substandard work from bootlicker that promote only pro-PAP view in mainstream media, why not force them to be accountable by putting their PAPish face, and their PAP-propaganda shitty article/remark on Online Citizen that easy to access ?
Could Online Citizen setup another tab where it will contain all the faces of PAP inept members that have sprouted rubbish (Not all PAP people are like that, only those arrogant Papstard who are disconnected with the citizen), along with link to their offensive remark and also link where bloggers refute their remark ?
In doing so, Online Citizen can be consider as a research site where people can easily extract quote, resources for use in their own blog.
The friends of the editor/report will isolate them if they think that the reporter and editor lack morality and only work for money without conscience.
Let’s the society decide and judge by what they write in mainstream media. If the clown write something with cuckoo/moronic remark/reasons and without logic similar to some of the remarks of cuckoo ministers, then they will be embarassed and mocked by their own friend, stranger and relative. If they write in the true spirit of journalism then they will naturally be praised and envied by the people.
This way will force ShittyTime to impose high independent standard of reporting and journalism. The mainstream media supposed to be Singapore’s newspaper, not PAP’s newsletter and propaganda shit.
In the past, the coffers had used expensive mainstream media to discredit opposition party and patriot that threaten their regime by posting the latter’s face along with Shitty’s big arrogant nefarious headline. Now using internet, we should let the coffers taste back their very own bitter medicine.
Beside, this will also keep the ministers on the toe not to sprout rubbish that infuriate and insult Singaporean.
That also help to remind people not to be senile where it comes to election.
The Day I started surfing the Net about two years back, there were many who posted saying that they will not read the Straits Times because it carries government(PAP) Propanganda. However, Netizens are hurt by what they read in the Straits Times time and again.
Do yourselves a favour, all you need to do to stop hurting yourselves(damaging of course) is to avoid reading the Straits Times. If You cannot do it, blame yourselves, do not blame the ST Writers. Did the Chua Sisters and others in ST force You? Answer to yourselves honestly.
patriot.
patriot,
unfortunately, staying clear of newspaper will not help and it will continue to exist since they are using taxmoney to fund it. Rather I think the best way to counter it is to make use of it to educate the people to read critically. As much it is a valuable propaganda and mouthpiece tool, it can also be the establishment’s nemesis too just a fire can be a faithful servant but a terrible master.
One can extract remark from newspaper and refute it. Yes, it is a mouthpiece of the establishment but without quoting from the mouthpiece and trying to critically analyze, there is nothing to tell your friend and people around what’s wrong with mainstream media. There still lot of people who still read Shitty Time and is ignorance.
It may not be a bad thing if one read the shittytime and become infuriate, because the anger will translate to vote of no confident to the establishment too.
Consider the ShittyTime the printed version of Talkingcock.com and I do find the talkingcock.com more credibile than Shittytime though, with a good laugh …
Patriot,
The basis is one must not pay to read shit times and in my case i dont. Reading their article is really damaging to my brain and i try not to read them. Anyway TOC blog and many other blogs do have reference to their article and i will try to skip them too. Sometimes when the crap gets really stinky you got to refute them or sinkies will be taken for a ride. You got to read their stuff to know how much they have degrade their profession.
:>
FG
Fellow Singaporeans,
To be able to refute anybody over any matter, we have to be well-read and well-informed first. Reading ST or any other papers does not mean that you support or believe what is reported.
The important thing is whether you have exercised your own analysis on the reports yourself, with friends, etc.
Only with substained interest and a real purpose that one will be able to draw an analysed conclusion. There is no right or wrong. It is an opinion formed through your knowledge of the matter, the quality of the information received or used.
Keep up with the times and read widely. You will realise that a lot of things are very much different from what can be seen on the surface.
Apart from the Straits Times, Singaporeans have 6 free(with annual licence fee) Local TV Stations, One Malaysian TV Channel and numerous radio broadcasts to tune in. Today and Mypaper are free sheets or shits(basically carry same news as ST but in summaries) and also the Internet are available for anyone interested in News.
Newspapers publishers are not printing news to educate and inform the masses, this purpose is secondary to making profits. So, if we get similar news from the other medias, then I must say ST is no more that essential as it is made out to be here. Maybe not buying it may cause them to be more ‘neutral’ in their reportings. As it is, it is but a mouthpiece of the Authority.
I am new to the Internet; just about two years and I have discontinued my subscriptions to all local newspapers(English/Chinese) and even hardly buy them on Saturday which I used to few months ago. Allowing any establishment to profit from us and not benefitting us with right/good values is simply not supportable. We have to make them be awared that they should not disadvantage us, the customers that make their business viable. And we must be resolute and united to effectively prove our point. Let us be sincere in our protests and not just ‘lip service’. Hope I am being reasonable.
Yours truly: patriot.
Patriot,
I agreed that hurting ST in their pocket may change them somewhat but to be what we want ST to become is going to be tough coz gahmen has money to burn.
As for me, I read it free in library and clubs and i stop buying any magazines that is owned by ST. To stop supporting means any magazines owned and published by ST should also be banned from buying. I buy Time magazine and find it more informative than ST many times over. Also there are alot of internet website to get information too. Do we still need ST? No and YES. We still need to read ST to see how bad they have become but never spend a dime on it, that’s my rule. No, it has lost so much reputation that readership is declining fast.
FG
See the following:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ng_Phek_Hoong%2C_Irene
When you have an ex-ST editor who have moved on as PAP MP that behaves in this way, should you expect any better on those aspiring to go the same way?
I rest my case
Fever Guy;
thanks for your response; I used to think like You before but then I realised that whatever ST reports are also reported by TV stations, radio broadcsats and freesheets. Hence we do not need ST.
Secondly, I believe we are having freesheets because ST and even Vernacular presses are suffering from falling readerships. And I suspect that the freesheets are for the ‘education of readers’ to appreciate the leadership for their glorious and unmatched performances. Such performances include how after losing Mas Selamat, they are still able ‘to move on’ as glorious as ever.
My respects for them have gone into the trashbag very long ago actually.
patriot.
Partiot,
Thank you. Ha Ha Very funny! The freesheets sounded like North Korean progagada, they now think we are dumb. How low the pappies have degraded themselves. Now i am worried for our reserves going to be wasted on some useless credit crunch banks like citi and UBS. I am getting worried at these monkeys handling of our reserves.
Yet, our glorious leader now behave suddenly like a financial guru giving his holy speech. He haven even account the billions lost in these banks as GIC chairman to his shareholders.
FG
Take it easy.
The truth will come out in the end.
Everybody has to make a living.
Some as “Fever Guy” mentioned take to bullshit journalism or “angkat” & “angkat”
Some others – leaving their names to be known try to score points with their bosses.
Just be true to oneself is good enough, never mind about the S$, Power, Connection, Favours, etc
AND always be thankful that we have the TOC which will one day replace the mainstreamline newspapers feeling threatened now – you can note their slightly friendlier tone to netizens creeping in these days.
CONSCIENCE is the secret watcher, and He is at work 24/7.
Relax………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….