Has the Newspaper & Printing Presses Act outlived its usefulness?

By SEAN LIM

“The press was to serve the governed, not the governor”. This was the statement delivered by Justice Hugo Black in 1971 –where the Nixon administration sued The New York Times over the infamous leak of the Pentagon papers – to emphasise a newspaper’s right to publish in the U.S.

This quote may not make sense in the context of Singapore’s press, due to regulation over printed media by the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act (NPPA), by issuing them the license to publish. The Act ensures newspapers play a “responsible role” and are “accountable for content they publish”, without “manipulation by foreigners”.

Newspapers play a “responsible role” by supporting the government in their nation-building efforts. OB markers – limits placed on political discussions – comes into play. For example, race and religion are typically not discussed in the newspapers, especially if it can incite hate-mongering among Singaporeans. Singapore learnt a painful lesson from its past, such as the Maria Hertogh riots, which was partially triggered by sensational coverage from The Straits Times.

Unlike many western democratic countries where newspapers play the role of an adversary of the administration, local newspapers refrain from doing so, as it undermines the leadership of political office holders. Instead, newspapers help the government explain and convey policies to Singaporeans.

Former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew once said, at a 1971 International Press Institute conference, that the press will always be subordinate to the government since it is not elected by Singaporeans and hence no mandate to dictate political direction of the country.

Cheong Yip Seng, former editor-in-chief of Singapore Press Holdings' English and Malay Newspapers Division, shared in his book (fyi- OB Markers: My Straits Times story) how the now-defunct New Nation was castigated by the government for printing a seemingly-innocuous photograph of a large happy Singapore family in its newspaper. It was seen as crossing OB markers because it happened during the “Stop at Two” population policy, and it was against government’s efforts in promoting the policy.

Under the NPPA, local newspapers are also prohibited from receiving funds from foreign sources nor having foreigners on its board of directors. This prevents newspapers from being financially pressurised to publish content that suits the agenda of foreign actors, which may sometimes have a divisive effect on social cohesion, especially if the topics cross sensitive OB markers.

Holding newspapers answerable for the material they print helps in ensuring they abide by OB markers. Accountability comes in various forms, be it having bylines for news reports, fact-checking information before publishing it, as well as acknowledging factual errors when they are made.

This demand for accountability by NPPA pushes newspapers to ensure the accuracy of information published for the sake of their reputation. The high regard placed on accuracy prevents them from spreading falsehoods or distorted news to pursue their own agenda that crosses OB markers. In fact, an old saying, “If your mother says she loves you, check it out”, highlights the importance of accuracy in journalism.

After all has been said and done, the decline of print media suggest the NPPA has outlived its relevance. In recent years, there is a steady drop in the circulation of local newspapers. A report by the Audit Bureau of Media Consumption Singapore showed a 13 per cent fall in circulation of The Straits Times between 2014 and 2016. This comes as no surprise with the rise of alternative online news media, such as The Online Citizen and Mothership, which poses greater competition to local newspapers. They can no longer enjoy the same monopoly over the news cycle and are less authoritative as gatekeepers of information, as Singaporeans no longer solely rely on newspapers for information. Speed is something newspapers are at a disadvantage as they take time to be printed and circulated. They are unable to relay news as quickly as online media. Moreover, these online media usually deliver news for free, and therefore Singaporeans may be less inclined to pay to read a printed newspaper (see how people are grumbling over ST's premium articles?). Because of such a decline, one might question if the NPPA remains relevant.

Despite figures illustrating the decline of print media, the NPPA remains relevant because most local newspapers also offer a digital version of its printed newspaper, which is also under the jurisdiction of the NPPA. The digital format remains well-received by Singaporeans, even though they face stiffer competition now from the rise of alternative news sites. A Nielsen 2016 Media Index Report polled 4,660 respondents and revealed an increase from 9.52 per cent in 2015 to 10.4 per cent in the following year for those who read the online version of The Straits Times. Even though print circulation has fallen, its digital counterpart remains healthy and still need the NPPA to regulate its content.

Considering the geopolitics in the region today, the NPPA has an even greater role to play than ever in ensuring newspapers remain responsible in its news coverage and free from influence by foreign actors. We have witnessed the rise of religious intolerance in neighbouring countries, and how politics can get polarized along racial lines. These are the circumstances we have to face, since it happens behind our backyard.

NPPA regulates newspapers to ensure they do not spark unnecessary racial and religious discord, by ensuring news reporting is within the OB markers and no foreign influence in the newspaper to push for a certain agenda (e.g. undermining a religion or emphasising racial superiority), which may be detrimental to our social fabric. Race and religion were prickly issues in the past, and remain so today, especially with what is happening in the region and its influence on Singaporeans.

Building onto the previous point, the talk of the town on fake news also reinforces the relevance of the NPPA. Fake news is an issue the government is deeply concerned about, as we saw Parliament mooting a Select Committee on deliberate online falsehoods in January.

These falsehoods are easily perpetuated due to the proliferation of digital devices and social media, which makes conveying of information convenient. In fact, social bots and fake news websites were used to create false impressions on issues and spread fake news, stirring trouble in the community.

These purveyors of fake news might have an agenda to pursue, or to increase profits through increasing traffic on their pages. A hypothetical example could be a distasteful comment on minority races posted by a fake account on Facebook.

Singapore is susceptible to these falsehoods due to the open nature of our country, and if this problem of disinformation is left unaddressed, it may affect our tenuous social fabric. It is very important for newspapers, through NPPA’s regulation, to remain as a reputable source of news Singaporeans can rely on to stay well-informed through accurate and truthful information.

Singapore is often criticised, especially by proponents of liberal press, for having an overly-regulated press with many restrictions placed on news reporting, such as the OB markers.

According to statistics from Reporters Without Borders, Singapore is ranked 151 out of 180 countries in terms of press freedom, lacking behind third-world countries like Pakistan and Ethiopia.

However, as Singapore has its own unique set of circumstances, there is nothing wrong in having a more regulated press, at least where NPPA is concerned. The OB markers are there to ensure discussions do not go beyond the limit and create trouble in the community, and the NPPA remains relevant to ensure the printed media abides by them, by being a responsible press, accountable for the content they publish and disallow foreign intervention in newspapers.

(Photo by The Straits Times)