Public Opinion on the Mainstream Media

Bryan Ti said that my article on "An Accountable Parliament" contained a hidden suggestion that the mainstream media is biased against the "opposition" candidates. He asked me to provide evidence to substantiate my point.

I am voicing an opinion tht is shared by many people. The public see what is going on and form their opinion. If you want the public to form a different opinion, you have to give them the reason to change that opinion. After all, this is what public opinion is all about.

I want to share a story. Twenty five years ago, I invited a retired Englishman, and a good friend, to stay in my house for three months. After a week, he told me, "Kin Lian, what kind of rubbish is the ST producing". I was taken aback. He said that the ST presented only the favorable aspect of government policies. It is not possible for any policy to have only one side; there is always another side. In the UK, the papers will write both sides and let the public make their judgement.

Many Singaporeans may not be aware about the hidden bias in the reporting of the mainstream media. I hope that Bryan Ti is right that the mainstream media is now more balanced in their reporting. However, this has to be an opinion that is made by the general public on their own volition.

Tan Kin Lian