Singapore's Nov NODX slip 9% - Straits Times, Dec 17, 2004
Whooo...NODX (Non-Oil exports) declined! Singapore economy in a bad state?
Fear not! our beloved nation-building press is here to rescue.
Within 15 minutes of spotting this headline in the internet edition of the Straits Times, someone (probably an enlightened guy who knows best. we can't handle the truth!) spotted the negative tone of the headline and adjusted it accordingly.
Ta-da!! Still the same information, but now so bright and sunny!!
Singapore's Nov non-oil exports up 16.5% on year - Straits Times, Dec 17, 2004 (15 mins later)SINGAPORE's exports rose a healthy 16.5 per cent last month from a year ago, according to International Enterprise Singapore, the Government's trade agency.
But the country's non-oil exports (Nodx) were down 9.1 per cent in November from the previous month, the Government said on Friday
There must be a new guy in Straits Times who knows nothing abt headlines, ie, everything about
Whooo..i love our nation-building press!
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For those uninformed, there were some articles about the SPH's not-so-world-class journalistic practices recently.
SPH's ex-insider, Pranay Gupte bids farewell to Singapore and our nation-building press's "special circumstances".
A trusted friend of mine, a well-known American in New York -- and fellow life member of the Council on Foreign Relations -- said to me the other day, after hearing about the Straits Times episode, "Well, what did you expect? What kind of a place did you think Singapore was going to be when you took the job?"
Read about why he was fired.
Not only the issue didn't die down, as most negative news about PAP tend to do so in Singapore, the Straits Times is learningly, woefully may I add, that its very hard to
As we see, the drama continues between our ex-insider and the Straits Times.
How to spurn friends, alienate professionals, and not give a damn
by Pranay Gupte.
Excerpt:<
What explains The Straits Times' conduct?
I see from your cheque that you have deducted the settling-in allowance given to me when I came to Singapore at the behest of the editor. This is simply vindictive.
Of course, it's entirely up to you to decide if you and SPH wish to behave honorably and with professional dignity. But please don't make baseless accusations against me. You can take away my pen at SPH, but please don't ever forget that I've had an international voice well before I arrived in Singapore to work with SPH. And that voice was always a friendly and admiring one; I certainly would never have expected capricious and demeaning conduct on the part of you and SPH.
Ahhhh..... don't you love our nation-building press?
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i felt so guilty that our beloved monopoly press pisses this renowned journalist, i actually wrote an email apologising for Singapore ill treatment to her friends.
And unsurprisingly, he replied.
Dear Cherub:That was very gracious, and very sweet, of you to write to me. I'm really very touched by what you said. Thank you.Please be assured that I have considered myself a friend of Singapore for more than two decades -- ever since 1982, when I first started coming here as a journalist. My many writings and TV documentaries over the years certainly demonstrate this. And as always, I came to Singapore -- this time for The Straits Times -- as a friend. What happened at the newspaper was unfortunate, and I'm just so very sorry that I'm going to have to leave a place where people have been so warm and friendly and hospitable over these long years that I've known Singapore.Please also be assured that I leave Singapore as a friend, too. The more enduring impressions will be those of the many friendships I formed, not of the still puzzling actions of Straits Times editors.I wish you well in your scholastic career and beyond. Please let me know if I could help in any way. I don't know if you are planning to be a journalist, but may I say that it can be a wonderfully fulfilling profession (well, most of the time, anyway!). I can always be reached via this e-mail, regardless of where I am in the world.With warmest regards, and every good wish for Christmas and for 2005,Cheers,Pranay
I know this is old news but since today is SPH bashing day...with thanks from mrbrown
Singapore beats Iraq in Media Freedom index
Fellow Singaporeans, this is a GLORIOUS DAY for us! We have beaten countries like Pakistan and Iraq in the RSF's (Reporters Without Borders) third annual worldwide index of press freedom!
To see our glorious win, go to the relevant RSF page and then scroll.
No, scroll some more. Scroll some more... just a bit more... right at the bottom. Yes! There we are! Number 147.
As you can see, we narrowly missed beating countries like Democratic Republic of Congo and Bhutan. Never mind, onward we shall climb! This year, we only managed to slip 3 places from the 2003 index where we placed 144th out of 167 countries. With our return to good old media monopolies, I expect us to do much better next year.
Besides, this index did not take into account the fact that we have Asia's best designed newspaper, so that certainly affected our ranking. And some more, USA, Land of the Free, was placed 22nd. So there.
You cannot trust this reporters' organisation anyway, their initials are RSF, but the full name is Reporters Without Borders, which should be RWB. Must be the damn French and their poor spelling.
News excerpt:
Media Freedom Survey rank Singapore at bottom 20.
SINGAPORE has slipped down the latest world press freedom ranking, according to international association Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF).The Republic is now ranked 147th out of 167 countries, three rungs lower than last year, making it the lowest ranked developed country when it comes to press freedom.
Malaysia is ranked 122nd while Indonesia is 117th.
RSF, which has its national branches based mostly in Europe and with offices around the world, released its third annual worldwide press freedom index on Tuesday. (TODAY)
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In any case, as you will have guess it, do you think the Straits Times will publish such a result?
Probably not "news-worthy" for Singapores, who only need to know about great economic growth and maybe, the bust size of Fiona Xie.
Lee Boon Yang did not agree with RSF's conclusions and he was quoted as saying that "We have a different media model in Singapore," and goes on to add that "This model has evolved out of our special circumstances and has enabled our media to contribute to nation building."
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There is a reason why I haven't been blogging recently.
I think I misplaced my sense of humour.
Seriously.
I don't have any topics to blog anymore! will u guys pls kindly help?
come on, give me some topics to poke fun at.
=(
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