Asian values in Singaporean journalism: nurtured or manufactured?

• Main Author: Murali, Theiswar
• Other Authors: Els van Dongen
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2024
• Subjects: Arts and Humanities
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/174331
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

How authentic is the concept of Asian values in journalism? Does it even exist in the first place? Can Singaporean journalism be described as displaying Asian values in journalism? This thesis responds to these questions by looking at journalism within the context of the Asian values debate. It critically examines the Singaporean media landscape and its relationship with government control, by focusing on the concept of Asian values in journalism. It demonstrates how the Singaporean press has been subjected to laws that enhance state control, ultimately shaping a culture of self-censorship within newsrooms through a historical analysis of media laws from colonial times to the 2000s. Furthermore, it challenges the authenticity of Asian values in Singaporean journalism and it contends that government interference has actively shaped the development of the media landscape. It ultimately aims to contribute to our understanding of media-government dynamics in Singapore and raises important questions about press freedom and cultural identity in the context of state control.