6/20/2016

Straits Times took a shot at social media

Jumping on TRE’s error that the TRE had already apologized, the ST’s editorial on 15 June took a jab at social media in general and TRE in particular for being unreliable. Below is what it said.

‘Reliability is not the mainstay of social media of course, as it is essentially an online variant of coffee shop talk, amplified by the echo chambers of cyberspace. Hearsay, half truths, opinion masquerading as information, and ideological propaganda are feral features of this domain. Yet, if those behind sociopolitical websites made little effort to uphold even basic tenets – for example, opinions are free but facts are sacred – a collective slide to the bottom will be inevitable. Ultimately, it is the reading public that can help determine the directions of social media in Singapore.’

This is the Straits Times talking, the epitome of correctness and accurate reporting of news free from factual errors and propaganda, only the truth and nothing but the truth. This quality of the Straits Times and main media is unchallengeable given the resources and the number of professionals and editors editing and editing their articles before printing.  The puzzling part is that The main media here is ranked something like 154th in the same category as 3rd world and dictator regimes and dysfunctional society. Given its sparkling credential for reporting only accurate news free from propaganda, it should rightly deserve a place among the top few most credible main media in the world. Coincidentally Donald Trump has just bumped the Washington Post for being dishonest and put it under his blacklist.  This may be an exception, a leading newspaper being accused of dishonesty. It speaks only of one main media newspaper. The rest of the main media are just honest reporting news agencies. Their credibility is unquestionable. And Washington Post has replied that ‘The Post will continue to cover Donald Trump as it has all along – honourably, honestly, accurately, energetically, and unflinchingly.’ Between the two, one of them one must be lying throught its teeth and dishonest.

Readers who want to get the truth, honest news, no propaganda, must go to the main media. I am puzzled why there are readers who gave up their subscriptions of main media and went to the net and social media claiming that only in the net and social media that the real news and truths can be found, in the midst of half truths and untruths. Readers of social media know that there are many untruths and half truths in the social media and are wary and skeptical and very discerning. They are always on their guards against misleading news and half truths.

Can’t say that of the main media readers. They read the main media expecting to read the truths, not half truths or misleading news and thus would whole heartedly believe what they read, believing them to be the truths. If they are cheated, like reading the Washington Post, they only have themselves to be blamed for not raising their guards against dishonest news and propaganda. They expect the main media to tell the truth and thus are vulnerable should a main media prints dishonest and misleading news, even propaganda.

Would it be necessary to warn readers of main media to be on their guard against half truths, misleading news and propaganda in the main media? One thing for sure, if they are reading the ST, they can be sure of honest and uncoloured reporting, free from propaganda, only the truth and nothing but the truth.

What do you think?

8 comments:

  1. Its amazing news dat by inserting

    A cash car inside a car can kill.

    Dead man tell no tales.sg news

    On taxi driver dies in feak accident.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The fact is that the ST is the Garmen mouth piece ..& they will never report anything bad about their masters at all..will ST report an emperor who wear without clothes..u bet that that reporter be booted out or behind the bar...

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  3. That the ST is pro PAP is understandable because PAP is the ruling party.

    If the opposition is strong, united and elected as govt, I am sure the ST will do likewise to be pro them too.

    These are facts of life, or rather facts in politics. Nothing to lament about, if the main media is pro whatever ruling party.

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  4. Please lah, the TRE IS unreliable, among other things. It also has a high "noise" level, and I consider it the foremost "national embarrassment" and quite possibly objective evidence that Singapore's education system has failed.

    The TRE is a place where losers go for their PITY PARTIES.

    Misery, as we well know, loves company. The TRE is a place where these whiners get to celebrate with gaiety and wild abandon!.

    That isn't to say the STs is to be let off the hook. The Straight Times is a nationalised propaganda shit goose ("privatized" to fool the unwary)---delivering daily a steady stream of dark-green goose poop, to be swallowed up wholesale by the gullible voters.

    When the TRE and ST start trading insults, it's like watching two village idiots fight each other in the market square.

    Instant comedy. Enjoy it!

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  5. Will tre be ranked above st in news and editorial content? How much does it cost to run tre n how much does it cost to feed the fat cats in st?let me guess...eliminate one highly paid fireside curler n you probably fund tre for 10 years. If I'm a fireside curler in st, I be worried..very very worried..better up the rubbishy content quick....))))

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  6. Reading anything is the same as eating a fruit. No one eat the whole fruit. There are always certain parts to be discarded.

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  7. In Sin,
    propagandist
    is a legal and
    lucrative profession.

    patriot

    ReplyDelete
  8. Instead "Straits Times", it should be named "Slaves Times" or "Suckers Times".

    There is nothing inside besides propaganda + ads + copy-and-paste articles from Western MSM.

    And it call itself one of the best newspaper if not in Asia then at least in Southeast Asia. LoL

    ReplyDelete