The purpose of this study is to analyse how the Straits Times reported
Singapore's communication news between May 1992 and October 1995,
with a focus on Singapore's communication regionalisation. This study is
a modest attempt to depart from some of the approaches taken by recent
communication related studies of the Singapore experience. They tend to
focus on the domestic side of state-press relationship and the issue of
Singaporean press freedom, without sustained consideration of external
forces, such as globalisation.
This analysis provides a synthesis of secondary sources and a qualitative
content analysis of communication news in the Straits Times. The results
suggest there has been a convergence between the stories in the Straits
Times and official views about two themes - business regionalisation and
'Asian' media standards. Results suggest the government has an
extensive influence over Singapore's communication, especially with
regard to media content. Also, the analysis shows Singapore's
identification with Asia, despite bilateral and regional tensions in business
and culture, and suggests an uneasy relationship between Singapore and
the West, in particular, with the US. That is, while Singapore's business
relations with the US are good, its cultural relations are not, especially
when Singapore's practice of media standards does not accept the
American interpretation, but one based on its national interests.
This study provides a glimpse of global communication forces which
are influencing Singapore's communication development, as interpreted
in the stories from the Straits Times. Although there remains
uncertainties about Singapore's communication future, this study may
provide an insight as to whether Singapore has taken the right direction
in becoming a leading country in advocating an 'Asian voice'.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/219508 |
| Date | January 1996 |
| Creators | Tan, Lay Siong, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. Communication, Media & Tourism |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright Lay Siong Tan |
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