I think pretty soon, you may wanna consider engaging the PAP MPs and Ministers, speak to them, seek out their views, even debate where necessary. I feel that MSM journalists are trained to ask questions, but not challenge the answers.
===========================

i think for a start, TOC could try to interview MSM reporters about their style of writing and what the @##$#$% actually ‘inspires’ them to write the way they write .

but then hor, last nite i nightmared that they won’t allow you the interview due to godzilla and bugsbunny.

now regarding motherhen vs singaporedaddy cases
i believed this 2 should reload/refresh in another rebuttals in another thread
onced more
to be FAIR on both parties
whoever want to read/referee is fair to do so
afterall
its only a bandwith usuage
IF
only
IF
TOC wants an OPEN/unmoderated dialoughs
as mentioned
not many avenues to channel our thoughts/grievances/ideas and contributions to FELLOW singapore

nobody will see because MSM will not cover such news.

Ah… but then dun forget, then it becomes a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation see.

I believe TOC will increase in readership. If you get to debate them, and they spew nonsense, then it is open for all to see. If TOC try to engage them, but they frequently turn down, then it is also open for all to see.

debate the ministers? i think there is a simple reason why they don’t dare to go for townhall debates, or engage university students more frequently. lack of confidence.

look at the bullshit they are already saying to old folks. words that are a mockery to intelligence.

I think pretty soon, you may wanna consider engaging the PAP MPs and Ministers, speak to them, seek out their views, even debate where necessary. I feel that MSM journalists are trained to ask questions, but not challenge the answers. Of course it’s not an easy task, esp when you are seen as anti-gov. But an enlightened MP will know that it is good for SG politics as well. There are some MPs I know who periodically seek out views from the ground and not from their grassroots and their filters, and they are genuinely surprised by what they hear sometimes.

(btw, I also sad I cannot say ‘lunch hour’ anymore…)

now, the issue at hand is critical mass.

as soon as the majority can start to read online and be encouraged to post their honest views,
there will be more to voice up.

many are still RELYING on the MSM.
Though aware of the ‘limitation’ in MSM, many are resigned to
getting info from MSM due to laziness or stuck in comfort-zone.
THERE IS A REAL AND STRONG EFFECT WHEN ONE LIMITS HIMSELF
TO A LIMITED SOURCE OF INFORMATION.

For example, one may never read about ALTERNATIVE articles as found in :
TOC, littlespeck.com, etc.

Would MSM-only intellectuals get to view VIDEOs found in places like TOC if they just resigned to being fed info by MSM? tell me honestly.

Would MSM-only so-called intellectuals get to read articles REJECTED by ST? tell me.

Just for these few reasons alone, the VALUE of ALTERNATIVE Media is proving to be the GIANT KILLERs of the near future. I hope in 2009, TOC or the likes venture into publication of offline news , as in printed hardcopy news distributed FREE to all commuters and so-called INTELLECTUALS. Revenue will be from Ads. As long as there is Critical Mass, businesses WILL pay for ADS. hey , make it cheaper than that imposed by TNP, Today etc. Make them improve by giving them a run for their money.

Obviously, the MDA should give approval to new comers. Else, the existing MSM will continue to dominate the market. Why is it that MSM are controlled by those kinds of companies?

Also, may create more jobs for writers, columists and photographers and reporters plus editors who may not like to work under MSM. Hey, I hope its a free market.

Tear it all down in 2009. For the better. Make MSM improve themselves.

who do you think this so called ‘professional’ crowd will listen too at the end of the day? you speak as if people aren’t tied down to their history and they just walk over a knoll and life just takes off from there. do you really believe that?truth is as far as the ‘professional’ crowd is concerned both leong and tankl are unknowns. heard abt them. dont know them. and know less abt how they really are and what they stand for.

brotherhood I know. I read their love stories in u. when i started working, i read abt what it means to grow up and shoulder responsibilities. when i got married, I read abt real home cooked values and one of them even turned up for my wedding and when my first child was christened, I am sure they were there as well somewhere in the crowd. They’re always there. Never far away. They’re my community. my family. who are you gilbert? who is leong or tankl?

that says more than I can ever say with words. and trust me, when I say there are thousands like me. and where will you or toc be, if u piss us off?

I need to take my kids out now, instead of wasting my life here

Frankly i felt that TOC seldom censored people. In fact, I wish that they do as some of the comments are wayward rude and accusing.

As a socio-political site, I must say that TOC rarely censors people as it tries to allow all kinds of views.

Moving forward, my only wish for TOC is to attract the neutral group which make up a huge proportion of the population (maybe 70%). They wish to contribute or read articles but sad to say the posts here all are mostly anti establishment. This is not wrong as we all have liberty to post what we feel like. Nevertheless, quoting from friends who are mainly neutral, they feel that such a site does not help them further in political education. This group is mostly in their 40s and professional.

Articles from TKL or Leong certainly bring out the flavour of the site. Their articles not only provide ideas to improve the livelihood of people but also ensure that it is not only an anti-establishment site only like many other political blogging sites.

By going to the streets, TOC is also active which is good as we all want to walk our talk sometimes. Politics is mostly involving people especially for the poor and downtrodden.

There are many things that TOC can get involved in – FWs, cyber bullying, unemployment, etc. One only needs to be brave enough and be passionate about it.

I will be starting an anti cyber bullying site soon and hope that this will take off in due time to help those who are being bullied online. As many as 3000 school going kids a year are being subjected to online bullying. So far, we do not have even one site dedicated to cyber bullying education nor ant group providing public education in schools on such a serious topic.

In Australia, there are at least five solid sites dedicated to education against cyber bullying. Their colsolidated efforts have help bring down the cases of children being bullied online.

More of this will be furnished to TOC soon. People who are keen can help me to start up this site together. I hope that TOC can help with this endeavour.

I am also keen to start a site for the jobless to come in and share/support one another with enough resources to help them get by before the economy picks up. This idea was mushroomed by a jobless reader from TOC that I met recently. He was mentioning that there are zero online site for the jobless to share and help one another besides going to the counsellor or CDC here. Many may have problem seeing a counsellor so going to a site does help a person who wants to remain anonymous.

Currently, our social citizenship remains pathetic at best. Many prefer to keep to themselves though the needs are pretty apparent. This will not help Singapore moving forward. We need at least 5% of our population to be civil minded so that the rest can benefit.

As the new year beckons, there will be more social needs that remain unfulfilled. It is up to civil minded conscious individual to step in and be counted. It may also entails that one needs to dirty his hands in order that others may benefit from that effort.

My sincere wish is for all TOC members/readers to remain deeply entrenched and focused on social causes so that others may benefit from our sincere efforts.

A check with the comments file shows that only one of your comments have been disallowed. This is because it has nothing to do with the article. As have been requested and announced before, comments which have nothing to do with the article will not be allowed.

Regards,
Andrew Loh

Successful formula. That remains to be seen. All I know is when people get censored and slashed here without a valid explanation, then it fair to say. They will hold back, hide info or even choose to keep it to themselves. look around and you see many have already begun to hold back and filter what they write. why?

I came here 2 days ago. Now I am going for good. why should I let a site hold me hostage.

pls censor this. Good riddance

Well done TOC, for identifying this need and making it possible for Singaporeans to participate in the nation building of our beloved land, Singapore.

Why should SPH employ someone with a criminal record and spend so much money putting him in a position of authority

Laws are supposed to be respected WHEN it is a justified one, do we have one? anyone going against the LAW here is indeed punishable but then again, who is the LAW here? may I ask? who implemented and passed the LAW here? I guess you guess is as good as mine.

What am I supposed to tell my sons and daughters? That to get ahead in life, we should all break the law?

Laws are supposed to be respected.

If not, there will be no change in the political landscape in little red dot.

In Malaysia, besides the internet which played a big role in the opposition gains in the March 2008 election, they also have a sizeable opposition and unity among them. Hence no such thing as walkovers over there.

Here?? Sad to say up to now, no matter how strong, how convincing, how informed and well read the views on the internet, no effect at the polls, and hence no effect on the checks and balances of the system. You know why lah.