S'pore needs trusted media that reflects S'poreans' values & interests: PM Wong

Singapore needs trusted media outlets to help Singaporeans navigate a more complex world, and discern fact from falsehood, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

This is as the business model for journalism comes under strain everywhere in the world.

"Newsrooms across the world are shrinking, and many outlets have become captive to commercial interests," PM Wong said.

"We cannot allow that to happen in Singapore. We do not want our national newspaper to be owned by billionaires with narrow or partisan agendas."

Retaining trust

PM Wong was speaking  at a Jul. 11 dinner commemorating The Straits Times' (ST's) 180th anniversary.

As the nation's newspaper of record,  ST is a "trusted voice for Singapore", said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

But its key strength is in its coverage of Singapore and the Southeast Asian region.

In a fragmented digital environment, with social media and content creators, Singaporeans need a "trusted and unbiased source of information", he said.

"In today's digital environment it is easy to fall into echo chambers, or be fed only what algorithms think we want to see.

Singapore needs trusted media that continue to present balanced perspectives, surface different points of view, and hold meaningful conversations... The Straits Times must remain such a unifying force."

This is why the government is stepping in to support public service media in Singapore, he added.

But on ST's part, it must "make full use of the government support [it is] receiving to produce a high quality news paper for all Singaporeans", PM Wong said.

Adapting to change

As the media landscape becomes inundated with an ever-growing number of news sources, like social media and content creators, ST must continue to provide Singaporeans with perspectives that reflect Singaporean's values and interests.

It must also adapt to new consumption habits, he added.

The prime minister offered himself as example: while he grew up reading ST newspapers, he now has a "much more varied information diet".

This includes local and international news sources, commentaries, podcasts, and YouTube videos.

ST must hence adapt and rethink how to reach and engage its audiences.

As to what specific changes it should make, ST itself must make the call and evolve "in a way that stays true to [its] mission, while meeting the changing needs of your readers".

"The government is not in a position to prescribe the solution, nor will I attempt to do so," PM Wong said.

Top image from Lawrence Wong/Facebook