As I began digging for information on foreign coverage of Singapore, I wasn’t expecting to find much based on their government’s tight control on media. I was surprised to find that Singapore is actually part of the IAPC, or International Association of Press Clubs.
The IAPC was established in January 2002, and according to their website, some of their objectives include “broadening the services and mutual advantages between IAPC members and developing and facilitating information exchange with political, economic, social and cultural institutions,” with a focus on information exchange through the internet.
Other countries who also are members include France, the United States, Japan, Nepal, Mongolia, Australia, and New Zealand.
Part of their mission statement reads:
“The association supports the efforts of many specialist organisations working for greater free speech, open government, the protection of press workers and the maintenance of high ethical standards…And it encourages all efforts to increase public awareness around the world of the value of free and flourishing media alongside fair and open government.”
Reading this made me even more intrigued by Singapore’s membership, considering how heavily their government is involved with what information is and isn’t shared with the public, and their punishment for citizens who criticize the government.
In addition to the IAPC, there is also a Foreign Correspondents Association (FCA) of Singapore that was established in 1956, originally called the Foreign Correspondents Association of Southeast Asia.
According to their website, “the FCA seeks to be the voice of a new generation of journalists and members who are deeply interested in Singapore and the world around them. To that end, the FCA offers informative and thought-provoking programs.” They also mention their commitment to serving traditional news media.
The FCA in Singapore hosts speaking events with prominent economic and political figures, like Lee Kuan Yew and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
The association aims to “facilitate access to newsmakers, events and places, while offering social gatherings during which members can greet old friends and make new ones. It is the FCA’s ability to attract a broad international membership and offer quality and diverse programs that has recently led to a significant increase in membership.”
They also include that their “current roll of some 150 represents media, diplomats, civil servants as well as the public policy, PR and marketing communities.”
These statements, while all positive and welcoming, seem to suggest that Singapore is more interested in winning people over and gaining positive coverage for the country. The articles featured on the website display foreign correspondents on cruises and touring Microsoft offices that are FCA events within the country. While interesting, they don’t seem to hold much value in terms of journalism and the spread of information.
The FCA rules also mention the prohibition of any and all political activity for members, showing that the government still maintains control.
On their government website, I discovered that Singapore has 13 foreign bureaus, including Reuters, AP, and Bloomberg News. After reading some of these outlets’ foreign coverage of Singapore, it seems that they do report fairly and openly, more so than some Singaporean outlets. Some Bloomberg articles include criticism for Singapore’s push to keep kids out of colleges due to the mismatch in education level and job types available, and the government’s shutting down of a socio-political website.
Most of the foreign coverage seems to be from journalists with ties to bigger news organizations, which is smart and likely because these organizations would be able to help them in the event that Singapore’s government dislikes something they have to say.
Singapore is definitely one of the safest places in the world with its low crime rates, so the only barrier for foreign correspondents is the government’s limitations on criticism.
steeleclad 