This document provides a detailed explanation of what SingaNews is all about. We would like to thank Mathew Yap for his permission in putting this up.
SINGANEWS.COM is a new News Portal providing balanced and in-depth news reporting and analysis of issues to inform and educate our audience on matters of national and international interests. Its roots date back to the 1990s when the World Wide Web began to take shape and a group of mainstream journalists tried to set up a news portal but the idea did not take off because of lack of funds.
Today, we are pleased to share with you this project which is in its final stages of completion. SingaNews seeks to encourage and stimulate serious thinking on issues shaping the future of Singapore as a globalised city that is cosmopolitan, multi-ethnic and multi-religious.
- The Context
One constant and enduring challenge facing Singapore is how to strengthen our national soul or “heart-ware” – in terms of values, attitudes, social cohesion, political stability and our collective will as One United Singapore. In 1997, then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong promulgated the Singapore 21 Vision statement which remains relevant as a good compass to guide us through the 21st century. Its five key pillars are:
I. Every Singaporean Matters
II. Opportunities For All
III. Strong Families: Our Foundation and Our Future
IV. The Singapore Heartbeat
V. Active Citizens: Making a Difference to Society
- Vision
To act with integrity as a credible source of independent and objective news and commentary for the Singapore public, reflecting mainstream values, interests and concerns.
- Mission
To provide a credible, professionally run, independent news portal of integrity and high quality that complements the traditional mainstream media.
To provide accurate, truthful, fair and up-to-date news reports, views and insights on serious topical issues.
To provide information essential in helping individuals to make enlightened decisions on life and living, for themselves and their families.
To provide a platform for discussion where opinions and views are shared and exchanged in a civil manner, “regardless of race, language or religion to build a democratic society”.
To strive to be objective and fair in reporting and commentary, with a view to serving our common good.
- Values
Mainstream values that our society shares and which regards the generational family structure as the bedrock of the nation. We seek to promote truth, peace, compassion, harmony and justice which we all share, whatever our ideological persuasions. We want to promote civil, democratic and informed debate to facilitate citizen participation in the nation’s affairs
– Legal Entity
SingaNews.com portal is wholly owned by social enterprise Singa Communications Limited, a company limited by guarantee.
The news portal will be managed and run by a Team of Media and Technology professionals and they will work towards self-sustenance by deriving income from advertisements, media training and consultancy. Founding charter subscribers and well wishers have provided seed funding.
The company chief executive will act as Publisher and Editor-in-Chief and together with his team shall be responsible for sourcing, editing and posting news and other relevant content. A board of editorial advisers and consultants and a panel of expert writers/contributors will assist in further research and production of content which require deeper analysis and scholastic discussion.
– Emblem
The SingaNews.com logo combines a stylized lion and satellite dish which represents Singapore as a sovereign nation intelligently exploiting cutting-edge technologies for good, with the character and strength of a lion.
– Editorial Policy
SingaNews.com aspires to be a model of a successful national news portal and will strive to report truthfully with integrity and provide a platform for commentaries in a balanced, fair and just manner. We will in our news coverage appeal to youths, adults and older generation of readers of all races, religion and intellectual persuasion.
We will strive to become an excellent “people sector news portal” to strengthen national cohesion, stimulate healthy & fruitful debate and support nation building.
We are inter-generational in seeking to ally with other web communities with the objective of helping both our youths and elders in their pursuit of personal success and fulfillment. In particular, we will raise the potential of the young by providing them a platform that is sensitive and responsive to their generation, a positive healthy avenue in cyber-space where they can express their hopes, dreams and fears. We seek alliance with other web communities to join us in helping both our youths and elders in their pursuit of personal success and fulfillment. Together, we can make Singapore an even better home for us all.
Footnote:
Case for a good citizen journalism model, Singapore-style
1. SingaNews values diversity. As we engage one another and wrestle with our problems, we will encounter different views. We should deal honestly with our differences rather than become an apathetic society with no views. Citizens should debate public issues with reason, passion and conviction, rather than be passive bystanders. Disagreement does not have to be disrespectful. We can help promote a diversity of views and robust, civil debate, even in the face of differing viewpoints.
2. The Government has indicated that “it will pull back from being all things to all citizens”. This is so not only in minor municipal issues, but also in far-reaching questions such as those of public morality and decency.
3. We hope to help promote civic participation and fruitful debate in relation to national policies and issues. We believe that debate needs to be rigorous, issue-focused, well-reasoned, based on facts, logic and sound values, and not just on assertions and emotions. Our objective then is to facilitate the process by which the best and right conclusions can be ascertained, in service of our common welfare as a nation.
4. SingaNews aspires to become an important alternative and independent forum for accurate, well-balanced information and constructive, informed debate in order to promote the maturation of civil society. To cater to a greater plurality of views and more robust, free debate, SingaNews aims to be a trustworthy and informative news portal where independent and serious differing views can be expressed and weighed. We want to help cultivate real consensus through achieving a balanced understanding of issues and to avoid confusion and cacophony which defeats our purpose of this meaningful social activism.
5. We aim to report news accurately and fairly, in order to inform and educate the public, on issues such as the rising tide of global competition and its implications for ourselves, or the need for healthy habits during a pandemic, or to remind ourselves on what coheres us as a nation and the inherent invisible ethnic, religious and other forces which may divide and damage us as a nation. We want to help the public to decide and judge issues for themselves, and provide a valuable channel for them to voice their views. This will help to increase an understanding of the complexities of the many issues we face as a nation.
6. Our media must keep pace as Singapore becomes more globalised and more open, especially given the relentless change and emerging trends brought about by the latest new media communications technology and news content generated by citizens themselves.
7. Singaporeans are now debating with each other, advocating their respective positions. When citizens debate issues among themselves, they begin to understand and take ownership of the policy dilemmas that Singapore faces. So evidently, Singaporeans are increasingly interested in social issues and want to express their opinions as well as to read alternative views of national concerns. Giving voice to a diversity of views is integral to informed public debate and is both necessary and desirable.
8. SingaNews seeks to play its part in facilitating informed and civil debate in which Singaporeans and permanent residents can take part in the nation’s affairs in a manner which promotes social cohesion and unity in our diversities, serving our common good.
9. SingaNews looks forward to creating and sustaining an operating environment which will allow us to tap both mature and young talent, to enhance our capacity to provide serious journalistic content.
10. We have already attracted top veteran journalists like PN Balji, former-editor of TODAY; Suresh Nair, arguably Singapore top sports journalist; Ng Weng Hoong, our nation’s only energy trade publisher with a 15-year track record; other former mainstream journalists like Teo Hwee Nak, Jeffrey Tsang and Wong Sher Maine. We also have a team of current cyber-space technical specialists like Paul Khoo, Hillary Chan and Dianna Ng to support this venture. We will also be preparing to launch Chinese and Malay pages for Singa News site.
- Signed:
- Mathew YapManaging Director/Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
On behalf of Singa Communications Ltd Board:
Basskaran Nair
Lee Chong Kai
Victor Ho
Mathew Yap
Date: 090909
If that is the case, I think Singanews is redundant. We have PAP and SPH doing a perfectly good job in this regard. Singanews is more of the same.
why does these “official” statements and whatnot remind me of the singapore blogging organization efforts?
just launch and then see how it goes la! keep talk talk talk for what?
5. We aim to report news accurately and fairly, in order to inform and educate the public
>> Start from GIC and Temasek. It will make an impact.
I was still hopeful reading till the second last paragraph. The last para (point 10)was the killer. Another wolf in sheep clothing.
“To provide accurate, truthful, fair and up-to-date news reports, views and insights on serious topical issues.”
People can write a mission statement.
The fact remains, you have to prove that you walk the talk.
The netizen should scrutinize this website.
I wonder what are the backgrounds of the CEO and all involved and who exactly is funding it.
There is an easy litmus test. When it is open, pose the most serious questions to them and see how they respond or if questions posed are not published or comments deleted.
Any unpublished or deleted comments should be posted to other blogs to inform the people. Just like how unpublished letters to MSM should be published in other blogs.
I think 1 day can prove how real is this site.
They shall be tested. hahaha
“PN Balji”
Looks like an attempt in mainstreaming the new media.
Nothing beats TOC for sure!
Another highfalutin site with Aspiration ?
“SingaNews”
Can they come out a better name ?
Just look at the name, we know it will suck big time.
SingaNews => http://www.singanews.com
Singapore => Sing A Pore ?
it becomes . Yes just sing a news everyday just like ShittyTimes.
They should stop using singa word because it is really sound like a bad name.
SingANews reminds me of Wong Can’t Sing …
I am curious, if there would be an enlightened person to point out the tenets of the the mission statement, only to have another even wiser person bringing the writers and readers of the statement back to earth.
I am curious, to know if the mission statement is nothing less than an aspiration, and that the intent of the mission, would have been nothing less than a highfaluting one.
Curious.
uhhh… i have a question: is this singanews thing, by any chance, linked to the government?
“Civic” participation, not “civil” participation. How emasculated.
12) plopp on September 14th, 2009 8.34 pm
“Civic” participation, not “civil” participation. How emasculated.
Agree. And how tame. Roar.
Reading the mission statement, it’s either another pro-government mouthpiece, or another circumventing attempt by the Christian mafia to infiltrate public space.
But whatever it is, I hope people will just boycott the place! I want to see how far $90K can stretch them with a readership of 10.
Let it die!!!
Matthew YAP
I am a crisis communication consultant, graduated from NUS with BA in English Literature, Politics & Philosophy (1982). For 25 years, I worked: as a journalist in Singapore’s The Straits Times, as an advertising executive in Standard Chartered Bank, as a media spokesman for the Singapore Government and as a communications director for BP (UK) plc. I have also taught in Murdoch University, Newcastle University (Australia) and NTU’s Wee Kim School of Communication & Information.
http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/cnm/research%20students/2007_grad_matthew.htm
I hope my memory’s not failing me, but wasn’t 90k around the amount that was siphoned from AWARE….
It is crisis indeed for Straits Times, with new (internet) media like TOC balancing or rather exposing all the half truths. So Matthew Yap is indeed the right talent for the gahmen. I suspect this is another desperate attempt besides pee65, another extension of Straits Times, another propaganda dept.
I am now even more curious, is founding SingaNews superfluous due to the fact that it is contradicting the recent newsworthy event. That event that was to have quoted Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts RADM Lui Tuck Yew. “He cited recent surveys by AC Nielsen and the Institute of Policy Studies which found that a majority of Singaporeans used the mainstream media as their primary news source and found it credible.” http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_427742.html
I am curious for that would imply that the mainstream media is unable to suitably cover all the aspects and SingaNews might be able to pick up the slack. The MSM has many worthy journalists. But to name a few such as the twin towers of objective political commentaries of the Chua sisters, the effervescent and effusive Kishore Mahbubani and their charismatic chairman, Dr Tony Tan. With all these heavyweights at the helm, how is one able to effectively displace the objective, informed and reliable reporting of news.
I am critical about SingaNews not because of recent reports on its dubious nature (on hindsight, it might be the sources were dubious in nature itself), but because of the emphasis that RADM Lui has given and quoted “he praised the Mainstream Media (MSM) for being competent, comprehensive, objective, professional and accurate. According to him, MSM reflects the reality on the ground more accurately than any other sources.”
As evidenced in the Footnotes point 5, is SingaNews founded on the predicate that most of the time, online content is derived from sources that might be inaccurate, biased and that it serves to? If it is, then SingaNews in now in a quandary, as it is also a portal featuring online content. Oh my, what a tangled web.
I am curious, if Reporters Sans Frontiers gave us a 144 (http://www.rsf.org/en-classement794-2008.html) it could be due to 1 reason. MSM is duty bound to report only the truth, thus press freedom is severely restricted. Imagine being confined to a box, where can you go? Where would be the freedom when you could only report on the truth and not sensationalize rumors or half truths or even dramatize something false? Unlike other countries, they are not bound to report on only the truth, and as such they might be ranked higher in terms of press freedom. I might be wrong in this case but I am curious if it isnt what it is due to the above-mentioned reason.
Just in case, I am curious if the reason SingaNews was founded on altruistic principles would people consider my curious inquiry to be just that, a quest for answers?
Or,
“Fox News Channel is committed to being fair and balanced in the coverage of the stories everybody is reporting–and to reporting stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Stories you will see only on Fox.”
;)
We’re going to have Fox News in this country, when we thought that only the mania could exist in the US of A. What fun!
“Can they come out a better name ?” : Daniel
I don’t think they can even if they wanted to. The name has a clear suggestion to its intent – which is to promote and propagate news – news they deem as relevant for public consumption. This would mean a certain level of control to manage comments to meet a central focal point that is relevant to nationalistic purposes.
In short – an extension of MSM.
Hi curious citizen,
Nice pov. Bravo!
A bunch of ex-ST workers disguised as ‘mainstream values’ crusaders. They chose to launched in a church and declared that its not ‘christian’ based group. The Thio is behind this circus again?
Let the muslims launched their site in the mosque and declared it as non muslim site.
Let the buddhists and others do likewise.
but they don’t have a notorious figure in the Thio as ‘family (with gay member) breaker’ promoting ‘family value’.
Now I am sure many christian will flock to the site as expected. Are we seeing a beginning of religious invaded/charged atmosphere on the net?
Guys, we ‘ve got to give Singanews a chance and see their articles.
Let’s hope that they are committed to family values as is espoused in all the major religions.
Western Obama-based secularism has failed miserably. The Eurpoeans and the Japanese are in decline because their secularised, get-rich-quick life-style is not sustainable because their population growth rate are in decline. So is Singapore, our birth-rate is only about 1.3 per family.
That is the reason why encourage migrants to Singapore. That is why the PAP government must be voted out, their secularised, get-rich-quick life-style wouls soon make Singaporeans an endangered species.
how can one sing a news?
sing song ?
if not what does it mean?
I liked what i read about Singanews.My question is;I am a person who believe in
conservative values and traditions living in a foreign land.Is it legal in Singapore
for me as a foreigner to donate money to this organization .Please reply.Thank
you.PRESTON LOOn
Singapore heartbeat or Christian heartbeat?
big difference!
Is it just me but I’m uncomfortable with TOC publishing Singanews’s PR releases without any analysis or commentary. The last 2 articles about Singanews makes it seem like TOC is “helping” Singanews spread its media spin.
TOC shouldn’t be bashing everything but it should be careful publishing another entity’s PR blindly..
my 2 cents
“how can one sing a news?”
Ask Wong Can’t Sing. He will teach you how to sing just like he sing about news on Mas Selamat. Why do you think “singing the same tune” comes from ?
Leedership’s orchestra and musicial that sing the same tune over and over again.
Who knows.. maybe Singanews will PURPOSELY try to be very lousy? Then associate itself as an internet news site, like TOC, etc so as to discredit the rest?
lobo @30
People are not so stupid lah! If Singanews cannot sing the news, it does not mean TOC oso cannot. Just like everything else, there are good ones and there are lousy ones and people can differentiate, besides internet news sites are already established as the preferred source by many esp youngsters. It need not take Singanews to show people its bad or good.
Gimme SingHA News anytime. Me love Bangkok long time!
For those who like a conspiracy theory, Think about it:
1. Thio Li Ann was one of the pappy approved NMPs. Where is her loyalty likely to lie? Note that she is one of the main protaganists in the current religious thrust. Together with her feminist-mentor mother, who was once the Dean of the Faculty of Law, they’ll know how far they can go within the limits of the law.
2. Pinky doesnt have much to show for his current term in office. The ground is fast souring and time is running out till the next elections. Ditto WKS esp after Mas Selamat’s escape.
When the people cannot see a need for the leaders, any leader, who wants to keep his job, will have to CREATE that need.
Another strategy could be to let the identified problem fester till becomes serious enough for the public to BEG for intervention when the problem could have been easily nipped in the early stages.
Dont you find it strange that the media has been giving Thio-liban such inordinate amount of coverage? Are they giving her enough rope to hang herself?
When LKY was in charge, such buds wouldnt never even have had a chance to see daylight.
3. Who are the only ones who have the resources and power to solve such social problems? Who are the ones who are likely to benefit from such high publicity resolutions?
This opportunity allows for pinky & WKS to intervene and be seen to solve the public issue.
With the help of a compliant media, they can then trumpet their win to precede the imminent elections. With a co-ordinated media campaign, it is quite easy to sway the gullible middle ground voters.
As Shakespeare once wrote: “All the worlds a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”
Dont take things at face value.
Aww come on, guys. they have the money, they’re ready to spend, let them do whatever they want to do. there’s already so much criticism of them, without them even having written a single article yet.
they’re open to public scrutiny. They now know how what the expectations are of them, so they know what they’re up against.
Let them start publishing, and then we’ll see where they are heading. If they write sensible stuff, good for all of us. If they write mainstream stuff, or pro-Christian, we can comment and criticise. We can always write in to Matthew Yap.
better still, if you dont like what they write, just dont read. Just because u dont like what they write, they have to stop? thats a bit unfair to them, isnt it? its their money, after all.
I think it would be good for us to learn what freedom of expression is, learn to debate issues, and accept differing opinions.
And the Demon-Empress Homofobia sent out her eunuchs and hungry ghosts to the cornerstones of the Earth with false messages and teachings bringing down the wrath of the Great One, who cast swine flu into the gatherings of the nation.
“Is it just me but I’m uncomfortable with TOC publishing Singanews’s PR releases without any analysis or commentary. The last 2 articles about Singanews makes it seem like TOC is “helping” Singanews spread its media spin.
TOC shouldn’t be bashing everything but it should be careful publishing another entity’s PR blindly..”
Don’t you think its only fair that their views get represented. After all there’s already a lot of criticism out there.
An observer,
I note your comments. With regards to the article featuring Mathew Yap’s views, I am attempting to balance out the blogosphere’s criticisms of Yap with his own views.
With regards to the “PR release”, it is in fact an internal document sent to my by Mathew. He suggested I publish it, because I think it will be good for readers to see for themselves what SingaNews claim to be about. What the readers make of it is up to thm really.
QUOTE from Mathew Yap’s Document
“5. We aim to report news accurately and fairly, in order to inform and educate the public, on issues such as the rising tide of global competition and its implications for ourselves, or the need for healthy habits during a pandemic, or to remind ourselves on what coheres us as a nation and the inherent invisible ethnic, religious and other forces which may divide and damage us as a nation. We want to help the public to decide and judge issues for themselves, and provide a valuable channel for them to voice their views. This will help to increase an understanding of the complexities of the many issues we face as a nation.
6. Our media must keep pace as Singapore becomes more globalised and more open, especially given the relentless change and emerging trends brought about by the latest new media communications technology and news content generated by citizens themselves.” (UNQUOTE)
Seems like SingaNews just want to take our attention away from more important HUMAN RIGHTS and ACCOUNTABILITY problems the LESSER MORTALS in Singapore faces…….like the LACK OF DUE PROCESS, INJUSTICES, LOSSES OF BILLIONS AND BILLION of our RESERVES etc etc etc since SingaNews would ONLY focus (QUOTE)
“on issues such as the rising tide of global competition and its implications for ourselves, or the need for healthy habits during a pandemic, or to remind ourselves on what coheres us as a nation and the inherent invisible ethnic, religious and other forces which may divide and damage us as a nation” (UNQUOTE)
Which of course is CONTARY to its DECLARED position that (QUOTE)
“Its five key pillars are:
I. Every Singaporean Matters”
“Every Singaporean Matters”?
What about those who are INCARCERATED at the Institute of Mental Health like the old man who set PAP MP Seng Han Tong alight?
What about Boon Suan Ban who is detained for life at IMH at the President’s pleasure.
As #1 has remarked, the MSM, Petir and YPAP are supposedly doing a better job
Whatever happened to SingaNews? I had high hopes for another site to generate debate with an alternative point of view but after all the hype, has SingaNews sunk without trace into the abyss of just another example of wishful thinking? I hope not.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwFFTxMjxoM
How’s this for objectivity, Mathew Yap?
A computer program (called computer program) – a order of symbols describing the calculations in accordance with non-fluctuating rules, called a programming lingua franca ]. The program is chiefly executed next to a computer (for example, displays the cobweb page), every so often undeviatingly – if it is expressed in a jargon understandable for the machinery or indirectly – if it is interpreted by another program (the interpreter). The program can be a sequence of instructions that represent the modifications of the vehicle but it can also outline the result in another progress (eg, lambda calculus).
Adobe
The formal expression of the estimate method in the form of human vocabulary understandable to the begetter organization is called when the program expressed in machine-readable (that is, past the numbers, and more veracious ones and zeros) is called organization principles or binary grow (executable).
Computer programs can be classified according to their applications. As a result distingu‚ before alcohol applications, operating systems, video games, compilers, and others. Programs embedded stomach the device is referred to as firmware.
Nice post. I learn something more challenging on different blogs everyday. Thanks for sharing.