Archive for the 'media' Category

Nothing but the truth?

choongyong.koh September 3rd, 2008

It has been drummed into the people that online media is always not worth listening to, because of all the bad things being said there.  Today’s Straits Times editorial piece “Online citizen engagement must happen – soon” had the following paragraph:

“A serious handicap is that cybersphere as exists in Singapore today for the purpose of sounding off is a jungle.  It is chock-a-block with half-truths, rumour, innuedo, distortions of facts and mispresentations, spiced with loads of off-beam opinion-making and defamation.”

The underlying message, of course, is to say that main stream media is all high and mighty and will spare no effort to ensure that the “truths” and facts they present to the readers will never be wrong.  

However, it is interesting to note that, in a recent parliament sitting, when MP Baey Yam Keng cited a Straits Times report and asked a question on the management of the fund set up for formerly conjoined Nepalese girls, the Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan replied: “So here is an example of not all reports are factual. So you have to double-check your facts.” (Straits Times, 27 Aug 2008, “Govt has no role in fund for Nepal twins”)

Another instance of main stream media making a mistake is spotted today on ChannelNewsAsia’s website. CNA mistake 

Click on the above image to see the highlighted portion.  MP Lim Hwee Hua is a part of the Aljunied GRC, and not a part of the Ang Mo Kio GRC.

Maybe these are just isolated cases where mistakes are made, but it does show that the main stream media is definitely not to be relied upon totally for truths.  

Taking the flip-side of the coin, there are many websites and blogs in the online world, using phrases like those written in the ST editorial today does not do justice to the efforts taken by some who seriously and painstakingly ensure that the information on their site are accurate.

 

Saving Gaia ad again

choongyong.koh June 10th, 2008


So someone did complain to Mediacorp about this ad. (Wanbao article over the weekend) However, the response from Mediacorp (see insert at the bottom right corner) seems tell us that it is ok to have gory images on all other TV channels except for the kids’ channel.

Is that the same position that MDA holds? What about TCS 8 and TCS 5?

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Saving Gaia ad, but what’s the message?

choongyong.koh June 6th, 2008

Screen capture of sad boy

MediaCorp launched its green initiative this year with the Saving Gaia site and the corresponding TV advertisement.

I applaud the effort to raise awareness, but questions the message behind the TV advertisement (see it on http://www.savinggaia.sg/). The ad started with an image of a toy boy figurine. Moments later, blood trickered down his face, followed by sawing of his head. The boy figurine faded away and give way to the image of a bright-eyed boy filled with sadness in his eyes. I searched my brain for a message behind all these, but after much thought I still cannot figure out what is being conveyed.

The problem is such kinds of images are actually quite troubling to small kids. In previous instances where ads that similarly are disturbing to the young, there was swift action either by the authorities to curb it, or some disturbed parent will write to the papers. This time, aparently the ad has already been running for a few days, including during primetime slots of 8pm and 9pm, without any sign that it is stopping.

I fear that with a “green message” out almost everyday from every angle, now that Global Warming seems to be a fashionable statement to be made by most, the message carried (or lack of message, as in this case) will continue to cloud and confuse people, so much so that the continual efforts to educate and create awarenesss is hindered.

Hopefully. when people intend to raise awareness, they think through what they plan to do, and get the facts/messages/signals right first.

Another MRT Death…. notice the media treatment

choongyong.koh August 8th, 2007

ZaoBao today (8 Aug 2007) run a small article about the size of two credit cards about a man who fell into the MRT track and was killed by the MRT train. (see my clipping for an archive of the article).

It is another MRT death, one too many again. Last year, there was a high profile MRT death which even attracted the attention of an MP who jumped into the scene to ‘rescue’ the family in distress.
(Cannot find the official Zaobao archive, but managed to find the copied article at http://www.wretch.cc/blog/queerdust&article_id=2926015, clipped it in my clipping.

The media had a field day, with the Chinese evening dailies running multiple day features, from the background of the family, to the help poured in by everyone, to even how the spouse was going to spend the donations from people.(TV News: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG8hVx-bc40 )(http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/236288/1/.html)

In contrast, this time round, the death is almost unheard of, unless you are a reader of ZaoBao. The evening TV news last night did not cover the news (ok, I watched only the TCS8 and the ChannelU news) and the Straits Times today did not cover the news too (searched twice through it).

The first incident obviously was a seriously played up scenario by the media.

The latest accident is probably less newsworthy. The scary thing is that does this mean that MRT deaths now are common occurrences that don’t deserve even a mention?

What caused the accident? Is SMRT doing enough to ensure accidents are minimised?

Is this another suicide case? (See the last sentence in the ZaoBao article today) If it is, what drove the man to suicide this time?