Mundaneity: My beef with Straits Times
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Mundaneity: My beef with Straits Times.
By SigiL
http://myrialogues.blogspot.com/2008/03/my-beef-with-st.htm
Singaporean news (from the ST) reads differently from international news feeds. That may be a good thing - Singaporean journalists have perhaps developed a certain Singaporean rhythm to their writing.
Also, the content is local, and reading descriptions about local events, people, in local contexts renders the Singaporean in foreign lands homesick and keeps him/her engaged.
I find a distinctive feature of Singaporean news (through the ST) though, is its preponderance with mundaneities. That is not to say their news coverage is completely trivial.
Their foreign news content is acceptable, though often careful not to offend allies - hence, little unfavourable reporting of Chinese politics (though they have a field day with Malaysian politics).
Also, the financial section is often technically detailed and quite extensive, which may appeal to those so inclined.
The Forum page is perhaps a microcosm of their focus on mundaneities. The page is inundated with letters, often complaints, covering bread-and-butter issues.
There are (almost always) no political commentaries, reflections on bigger issues, rather terse exhortations that the "Government should act on zzz because zzz" or even personal rants like "why was my club membership suspended"?
I view the forum page as a reflection of the national consciousness, of what's going on in the collective Singapore mind.
While issues like "why was the nurse rude at the polyclinic" may be personally important, I hardly consider them important for the national consciousness.
Does this mean that Singaporeans only care about trivialities? A quick trawl through the web for "rejected ST letters" will yield hundreds of results.
Many of the letters are probably just as trivial as those accepted, but many are well-written reflections or commentaries on important issues.
Case-in-point: this political commentary written by well-known local ecrivaine Catherine Lim on Democratising the Lee Kuan Yew system of Governance.
A flamboyantly written but incisive reflection on the important issue of our socio-political system, rejected by the ST in favour of exhortations to "exploit technology to solve causeway jams".
No kidding.
Perhaps the ST is giving the market what the market wants.
However, if we are to raise the level of discourse in the country, as well as the political maturity of the people, the national soapbox has to stop inundating the national consciousness with mundaneity.
Comment:
george said,
I am 99% sure that the journalists at the Straits Times are just as frustrated. People like Cherian George had left for that very reason.
The people to gun for is the Editorial Board and the politicians/ex-politicians who have a mighty big say in how things are run.
And as you know the ST had already previously declared their undying support for the party in power - of course, this after it had run out of excuses for its veritable jingoist position.
To the ST and Media Corp making advertising money overrides all other consideration...doesn't the writer know that that's the way our national media stunts singaporeans' mind?
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Mundaneity: My beef with Straits Times
This person is so naive.
Doesn't he knows that ST is state propaganda?
ST is not designed for political content.
It is designed for propaganda.
Really brings a smile to my face, this person should fucking wake up.
the fact that he CARES about the content in ST shows his naviety.
However, if we are to raise the level of discoursein the country, as well as the political maturity of the people, the national soapbox has to stop inundating the national consciousness with mundaneity
He is so naive. He think that the PAP regime wants to raise the political level of Singaporeans.
If the political knowledge and awareness of Singaporeans is raised to the Taiwanese level, you think PAP can still stay in power?
You think they want that?
Naive.
So Naive.
He doesn't have a clue whatsoever about singapore politics.
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The writer forgots to add that The Straits Times is PAP Propanganda re-named
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Hey, the ST reporters need to make a living too, you know.
