22nd Feb 2020 – Siva's Thoughts

Does it matter who owns the media?

Welcome back to the fourth post on Siva’s thoughts! Today’s discussion will be about media! Specifically, on the importance of who owns the media! It has already been a well-established fact that media is an essential part in people’s life and this is evident as newspapers, Channels, television programs, radio stations and even media content found on the internet shapes our knowledge and perception of the world. So, in more ways than one, it is crucial to whom the ownership of the media goes to.

As such, let me briefly explain what a Government owned and Private owned media is (do not fret Miss Jesslyn, I will not change this into a descriptive essay! A Government owned media – as the name suggests – is when the government is in control of the media for mass communication, both financially and editorially. Whereas, a private owned media refers to any media outlet whose financing is provided by individuals or private groups. I personally think it is best to have access to both types of media, however since that is not a very derivative answer, I will need to choose a country to base my argument upon. So, let us take Singapore as an example. In Singapore’s case, I think it is best for the Government to control the media and I will explain why in this blogpost!

Cons of Private owned media:

Private Owned Media have hired investigative journalists who would go through unethical means just to hunt for the next big ‘scoop’! These professionals literally turn into stalkers and invade personal spaces of an individual whom they would like to have a dig on! Such unconventional methods include; hacking, stalking, having your pictures taken without your permission and etc. (Yeah, those embarrassing texts you have sent is probably in the hands of a private media company, so in the event that you become a celebrity, there is a possibility that the rest of the world would get to see them! Sooo, goodbye privacy and Hello embarrassment!). One such good example was Hugh Grant’s ‘phone hacking incident’. In April 2011, actor Hugh Grunt had an unexpected run into Paul McMullen- one of the ex-NoW(News of the world) hacks who had blown the whistle on Phone-hacking. On a later occasion, during a scheduled meet up between Grant and McMullen, the latter came to light with all the atrocities journalists do in-order to dig up some dirt on famous individuals. McMullen further also had an unusual defence of the practice: that phone-hacking was a price you had to pay for living in a free society (Grant, 2011).

But can we really point our fingers at the private owned media and fault them from all these wrong doings? OF COURSE NOT! Private media thrives on the views & ratings of their content, since their income is dependent on Views and Ratings it is almost inevitable that they will jump on the most controversial headline which will be certain to get the attention of the consumers! On that note, let us take a step back and analyse who has the power to decide what content gets the most views and ratings? IT IS THE GENERAL PUBLIC; literally you and me, amigo!) We live in a world where people would rather learn about which celebrity got a butt implant than to learn about the adversities of people living in the different parts of their own society! Now, although it is understandable that gossips and rumours about celebrities whom we idolise are far more intriguing due to the brain being stimulated by curiosity, it is still partially our fault for falling prey to the temptations to view such articles as it only empowers the creators of the content. #Getagrippeople.

Pros of private owned media:

Like two sides to a coin, it is not all negatives with private owned media. There are certain benefits as well. The most crucial one of them all is the freedom of speech! There is no better gift to citizens than freedom to express their thoughts about their nation. Private media grants just that! You can literally trash talk Donald Trump and drag his name through the mud (I mean you might probably get a lawsuit from him personally, but hey, all that matters is that you can still express your thoughts freely!). A perfect example for this is Trevor Noah. Trevor Noah highlights the on-going issues of the world and creates awareness through his brilliant sense of comedy! On many occasions, Trevor has not only openly discussed about Trump, he has also questioned the president’s acts and sanity. These are the perks of having a private owned media.

Here is a video of Trevor Noah’s Trump compilation.

Cons of a government owned media:

In countries were the media is owned by the government, it is a suicide attempt to bring forth criticism of the ruling party. In Singapore, there have been cases in the past where citizens got into trouble with the law for voicing out their thoughts and one such example is Amos Yee. In March 2015, after the passing of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, Amos Yee uploaded a video in which he made several remarks about the late minister and his legacy. Shortly after the release of the video, he had numerous run in with the law. This goes to show if the government was to own the media, it is nearly impossible to state your opinions that questions the government without getting into trouble.

Here is a video of Amos Yee on the death of LKY

Moreover, when the government controls the media, there are chances where the failings of the ruling party/nation will not be brought to light. In my opinion, one such example is racism. Racism has always been the disgrace of any particular country, yet I think it still exists in every corner of the world. Incidents of racism are usually documented by the private owned media (probably because of the controversy such topic creates) , whereas if the media is owned by the government these said incidents are rarely broadcasted as these failings will only cast the government in a negative light. In Singapore, the media -which is controlled by the government- always projects racial harmony. It show cases everyone being friendly with each other and highlights the Singapore is a well racially integrated country. Do I think that is the case? NOPE! Racism is going to exists whenever there are people. Each race has their various believes and differing lifestyles, so it is impossible for everyone to love thy neighbour. The only way I see that happening is when people are disciplined enough to understand each other’s differences and accept them… But how many of us in the society are going to that extent?

Pros of a government owned media: Better for Singapore

I know I am going to sound contradictory, but I think despite the negatives I have stated about a government owned media, it is in the best interest of Singapore that it has a government owned media! A government owned media is a cheaper alternative, thus, most if not all households in Singapore will have access to local media’s channels. Hence the reach in terms of audience is much higher. Since a government owned media acts as a mouthpiece for the government, it is easier for the government to convey all the official plans (changes in current law, schemes and policies) to the nation.

Moreover, the government controls the content being screened. Since it is easy to impact children’s perception as they are readily influenced, it is pivotal to regulate the types of contents being screened on the media as there might be adolescents amongst the viewers. This is precisely why local channels censor graphical contents even if the coverage is about a homicide.

LASTLY, in times of an epidemic or a crisis it is always best to let the government control the situation. A private owned media usually telecasts an incident without paying much thought to how the citizens will react to such news. During a crisis period the chances of people breaking out into a frenzy is almost certain. Everyone is on edge during these times and a message conveyed at a wrong time might just cause panic. Thus, it is best to let the government handle such times as they have a planned strategy.

For the above mentioned positive reasons, I think it is best that Singapore’s media is owned by the media despite the other drawbacks (which we will have to work on). Besides, in the age of New Media everything is very accessible. So does it really matter who owns the media in this century? MUAHAHAHAH! Ponder on this! Till the next time daisies! CIAO!