Essoy Tesl I Review

Tvoe A Queslions

Al:'Television enlerloinmenl progrommes ond odverlilemenls alwoys promole volues which ore
undes;rqble,' Do you ogree?
Kev Terms:

'lelevision entedainrnenl progrommes' reolily TV, sitcoms, dromos, movies

'odveriisemenls'
'olwoys' - Slu.lenis shoulcl disogree wilh the obsoluleness of lhe slolemenf.

'promole volues' supporl or encourogement of cerfoin beiiefs or principles lhot guide o

person's behovior. The iocus is lhus not on the impoct, bul on whol the progrommes ond
odverlisemenls do lo encouroge lhose betiefs or principles.
'undesiroble'- Forwhom ond in whol woys.

Whot needs lo be done in every porooroph:

l-

How lelevision enledoinrnent progror'nrnes ond odvedisemenls promole volues which ore
esiro blc or desiro b1.,-

Lrn d

Why oncl how lhe volue meniionecl

is

undesirobte or desirobte

Common Errors:

Mony sludents lried lo prove lhe exislence of on impoct, which is nol necessory given thol the
queslion oheody presupposes thot ideo.

Argumenl Some ielevision enterloinmenl Argument Some ielevision enlerioinmenl

progromrnes ond odverlisemenls promole lhe
belief thal one needs lo conlorm lo certoin
ideots in ordcr lo hc hp.Ilil"l

progrommes ond odverlisemenls moy couse

people

lo hove o

dislorted perceplion ol

Proof: ll is nol uncommon lo see immoculolely Proot: lhe Mollic Bullel iheory inciicoles lhol
groomed. beouliful ond slim women or mole people occepl whoi lhey see ond heor olmosi
b^cl-. flppli'lq v ilh n L,. -, 01 l- evr ron inslontly ond if somelhing which is unpleosant
progrommes. These peopie ore portroyed lo is lo be promolecl, people will occepl the fqcl
be icleol beoulies which olher people shouid ond irust lhe 'lrulh in ii. Toke for excimple,
look up lo- in oddiiion. viewers ore olso qender stereolypes
bomborded wiih slimming odverlisemenis from enlerloinmeni
progrommes ond

componies such os Morie Fronce Bodyltne ond odvedisernenls- Femoles ore oflen portroyed
Royol Perfecl thot tell lhem thot ihey neecj to lo be weok, beoutiful ond llowless wilh no
chonge their physicol oppeoronce. Agoin, lhe defects. lhis is becouse it is somelhing which
some ideo of how people should conform lo we ore being exposed to every doy. Such
certoin body shopes is beinq promoled.
porlroyols will groduolly couse lemoles lo
desire io look good ond be like lhose models.
Exploin: ljnforlunolely, people who ore
conslonlly exposed lo such messoges moy explqin: ljnforlunolely, people who ore
intemolise these propogoled siereolypes oncl conslonlly exposed lo 5uch messoges moy
believe thot lhey shoLrld iudge themsetves by inlernoljse ihese propogoied siereolypes ond
lhe beouly industry's siondorcls. They live iheir believe ihot they should judge lhemselves by
lives governed by ihis pr;nciple ond toke the beouiy induslry's slondords. They live their
mecrsures io ollcrin lhe "ideol". llowever, mony lives governed by this princip,e ond toke
of lhem sulier consequences. wilh some of meosures lo olloin lhe "ideol". Howevet mony
lhese people who connol ochieve lhe "ideol" of lhem suffer consequences, wilh some of
suifering from depr-6s5ton ond o loss of sef lhese people who connol ochieve ihe "icleol"
esleem, ond develop;ng unheollhy eoling suffering from clepress;on, loss of self esleem
hobits.
ond developin!l unheolthy eoling hobit5.

Argumenl: Sorne iel-^vilion enierioinmentlArgument

Some
proqrommes crn.l oclveriisements promole lhe |rogrommes ond odverlisernents moy couse
beliet thol violence is on occeplobte meons ol people lo become violenl.
conflicl resolulion.

Proot: Very oft.rn. we s,-e on TV how the

prologonisk of ccrloin showt hove resorted io
violence k) qel rjd of lhe vjlloins. Jusi loke lhe
corioon, Rooal Runner, for exomple- The Rood
Runner is crl\"/oy5 porlrcryed io be oble io
6\^,1-. rp ,,- | / Wt. L oyv.a b/ JL, .g
ihc loiier io ioll oif clifts or collide into them_
Whoi is noteworthy i! ihoi lhese woys olmost
olwoys involve violence, ond lhc oilocks by
ll^- Rold PL,_ ar o'a rorely lreolao o( hainou.
or.levionl in kind.

Prool ccording lo ihc Acodemy of Fcrnrily

Physicions IAAFP, 2OO4l, 667" ol televtsron
progrommes crre soid lo coniCrin violenl
scenes. n on experimeni conducl-ad by
psychologisl Alberl Bonduro, lhree ouf oi four
groups oi children sow o Bobo doll being
verbolly ond physicoJly obusecj, ond il was ihe
very some three groups of children who loler
showed oggression lo the doll.

Exploin: Such vloenl behoviour is cerloinly

Exploin: Such violenl behoviour is cerloinly
uiocceploble, ond ihe focl ihol nrosi unoccepioble,
ond ihe foci lhoi most
counides

ocross ihe worid condemn the use of

counlries ocross lhe world condemn lhe use of
violence by theii people by proseculing lhem
vioTence by their people by proseculing them
in colrrl is leslonleni lo how broodly occepled
in courl is iesloment lo how brooclly occepled
this id-^o is.
ihis ideo is.

l^,6. 'ur anlado.nm rl l Argumenl: \om- IAlc.i\io. a'r6r'loirrnanl

progromnles ond odv ri.6m6n' nrun l- |p'6q16nrno\ ono rdv, rl,(. n.-n. rnoy 'ru
Lin.lesirobl v.rhJes )U. o. n ol io l\m.
ll,
o^oo a lo bp mol*
'
'h
Argument

Some

Proof: Adverlisements ore used lo enlice

viewers lo buy lhe producl or engqge the
service involved, These odverlisemenls ore
very oppeoling, be it in the messoges ond

coplions oiloc4ed lo lhe produc,. or lhe

flotterinq imoqes of it, For inslonce, touis
Vuillon bronded bogs ore oflen shown in
ongles thol moke ihese goods seem more
luxurious ihon on overqge bog. Slogons of
producls oflen involve equoling lhe ownership
of lhe odverfised producl wilh o desiroble lroil
Mercedes Benzes use o togline boosling lhol
Mercedes owners ore o closs obove olher
people, while Moybelline's models opply
tipstick while declorinq, "Becouse you're worih
it."
Exploin: Adverlisemenls iend io suggest thol
moteriolpossprsionr orF \ymbol, oi slolus.
success ond occomplishmenl ond willleod lo
greoier sociol occeplonce or populorily, when
in foc1, people might forgei oboul olher
irrporlonf iq.lor' n o. ^i{.vrng noppino,,.
Cleorly. moleri(rlism is o negolive volLre thoi
these odveriisemen15 promoie 1o roke in
proflls.

Proof: People ore very eosily influenced by lhe

medio os IV progrommes ond odvedisemenls
bombord them wilh messoges. These
messoges moke lhem wonl to buy lhings lo
feelgood oboul lhemselves ond people storl
1o wont to buy things ihot they do not need.

Exploin: Adverlisemenls iend lo suggest lhot

mol-riol posses,ion( ore symboh of 5lo,u\,
success ond occomplishment ond willleod 10
greofer sociol occeplonce or populorily. when

in focl, peopie mighi iorgei obout oiher

impo lonr 'o' lo \ rn o' h -ving hoppinp '.
Cleorly, moieriolism is o negolive volue lhol
lhese odvedisemenls promole to roke in
profits-

A2: 'The impoct of lhe new mediq on young people is olwoys undesiroble.' Comment.

Approoch: Unlike ihe previous q\iestion, sludenls should tocus on proving the exislence of
impocts of lhe new medio. They need lo be mindful of ihe oreo of focus, which is lhe new
medio, ond olso toke inlo occounf lhe vulnerobilily of young people in onswering lhe queslionThe besi onswers would provide orgumenls lhot ore more unique 10 lhe new medio ond young
people, ond noljust ideos lhol ore opplicoble to oll meclio ond humon beings in generolCommon efors: Some tolked oboui the benei]ls of lhe new medio withoui paoving the ocluol
impocl it hos on young people. Oihers did nol provide exomples lhol pedoin lo lhe new mecjio
ond jnsteod, highlighted oll ihe other medio like TV, new5pope6 ond rodio 10 prove lheir ideos.

A3: 'Children should never be ollowed to wolch lelevision.' Commenl.

Approoch: Sludenh need lo focus on proving lhe impoch of IV on children. They olso need lo
be mindfulof lhe need lo ioke inlo occounl lhe vulnerobilily of children in onswering lhe
queslion- The besl onswers would provide orguments ihol ore more unique lo TV ond children,
crnd not jusl icleos lhol ore oppllcoble to oll rnedio ond humon beings in generol.
common erro6: some clid nol provide exomples thol perloin to IV ond insfeod, highlighted oll
the olher meciio like newspopers, rodio ond lhe new medio lo prove lheirideos-

Type B Questions
81: The new media serves the interests of only

the citizens, not the

authority.
lntroduction
clarify Keywords
electronic or digital media. usually based on interactivity. Arguments and
examples should be based on such forms of media: the internet, podcasts, forums, youtube
videos, Facebook, Twitter etc- The features ofsuch kindsofmedia should also be acknowledged:
intera ctivity, lack of regulation, convenience and user-friendliness, accessibility, Vouth etc.
"servestheinterest"-simplyreferstomeetingtheneedsortheideologyofaparticulargroup"Citizens" members of a nation or state ) in this question, they are contrasted with "the

"New media"

authority", who in this case. refer to the government and its officials- The inherent contrast
posits that the interests of citizens and autho.ities are conflicting. The question is asking which
side the new media favours.
Thesis
{i) Acknowledge

truth in statement: While the characteristics ofthe new media

(as mentioned above)

make it amenable to meeting the needs and interests of citizens who can employ these tools to {1) make
their opinions and concerns heard, (2) look for a variety of perspectives or content to keep themselves

informed;
{ii) Reiect absoluteness oI statement: The new media can also be utilized by the government and its
officials to (1) widen their political reach as well as to (2) connect and engage with their constituents.

lntroduction in prose: The advent of new media and the proliferation of the internet has led to a
burgeoning of new technologies and applications such as wireless technologies, podcasts and a variety
of social networking tools such as Facebook- These technologies, with their user-friendliness, ease of
accessibility and relative lack of government regulation have been eagerly embraced by the public as an
efficient channelto express their opinions and a convenient source for multiple perspectives on issues.
As treditional media is often owned by the State, the perspectives that the people are privyto are likely
to be skewed in the favour of the authorities who own it, Furthermore, certain issues may be censored
o'r avoided in the interest of government interests- The new media presents a means through which
these challenges,can be overcome. However, the benefits of the new media are not limited to citizens
alone. The new media also lends itselfwellto meeting the demands ofgovernments and political parties
as its interactivity allows kev government officials to connect with their constituents in a more diJect
manner, especially younger, lT sawy citizens who may ordinarily be politically apathetic. This could help
them to widen their political reach and reinforce their authority. Thus, the new media ha5 proven itselfa
valuable asset to both governments and the masses in its ability to rneet their needs.

Possible arguments
citizens:

1)

Making voices heard/multiplicity of voices: platform for selt expression

Citizenjournalism, WaYang Party, The Online Citizen, Mr B.own etc.

"power to the people":

The new media altows citizens to express their honest opinions/alternative views on politics, current
affairs or topics such as homosexuality and gay_rights, which are often censored or avoided by

mainstream media.
ease and convenience of the lnternet, people who disagree with government policies or
those who wish to critique government action can do so with little fear ofincarceration Peoplewho

with the

support polltical oppositions also have a channel to express their honest views with minimum
censorship.

The cyberworld allows a certain level of anonymity, with people allowed to exist on pseudonyms
and avatars. With the reduced obligation to credibility and accountability, people feel more
comfortable expressing the dissenting or politically unpopular viewpoints and opinions that one
would notfind on mainstream media which seeks to maintain the potitical hegemony ofa country'
This results in the proliferation of citizen journalism, where ordinary people can publish articles and
editorials based on their own opinions of what is going on in a country. other people can agree or
contest these opinions thus leading to engaging informed debates based on a multiplicity of

Furthermore, the existence of such pluratism provides different sources of information and
perspectives. lnstead of being ted to certain conclusions or being influenced into believing ce'tain
ideologies by the state controlled press, people can make their own decisions by reading or viewing
different perspectives on the same piece of news. (Example: Fox News versus Al lazeera News
regarding the lraq war)
ln certain cases, people's responses to what they read on the new media can prcipitate actual
change or actions in reality- (Example: Propelled by online furor at a suicide note written by Dr Alan
ooi who had stated a change in his scholarship bond as being a motivating factor to his suicide, the
SAF was probed about their scholarship policies.)

Unlike the mainstream media which reserves a neutral and supposedly unbiased stand, people who
employ new media to express themselves create no such faqade. ln contras! the new media allows
them the freeltom to express thei. bias and personal convicdons to tell their versions of a certain

'

situation and, if necessary, garner support for a particular cause. At the same time, the existence o{
citizen journalism leads to a wide_range of independent and relevant information so people can
make well-informed opinions and decisions.
Example: To support/complement articles and editorials in the mainstream newspapers about the
recent AWARE debacle, people can also get information "right from the horse's mouth" by golng
online to read blogs of people who were directlY involved in the saga. AWARE members, including
those who were present at the famed annual general meeting (AGM) and elections, wrore their own
recounts and analysis ofwhat had happened on their blogs while at the same time rallied people to
support the organization and its mission. Ai the same time, numerous Facebook groups were also
created to increase awareness of the situation and to encourage people to take an interest in the

situation and do what they can to pressure the new Exco out of their silence on their future plans

The new media therefore empowers the citizen - both in its capacity to enable them to publish their
views and opinions on issues aswellas in providing a multitude of perspectives which lets people make
informed decisions instead of blindly accepting state'regulated content from traditional media. (Could
one make the argument that the new media is a possible remedyto political apathy?)

2)

The new media, in its capacity as the Fourth Estate, can also empowerciti2ens by Siving
the people" to expose state corruption.

"powerto

Founh Estate: term used to describe the role of the media as the government's "watchdog" which
safeguards public interests in light ofgovernment activities.
Citizens can expose corruption of government offlcials by publishing such intormation on websites

or forums. As the state controlled mainstream media is unlikely io expose such corruption, the
matter or misdeed is likely to be left unnoticed, and citizens are left ignorant. However, boosted by
the capabilities of the new media, ordinary people now have the ability to enlighten their fellow
citizens about the inherent corrupiion in the government.
From lecture notes (p. 121: Chinese netizens moke use of the Intenet to expose incidents of injustice
or d violotion ol public morols- A Nonjing oJficiol wos sacked ofter photos posted online showed him
weoring on expensive wotch ond smoking luxury brond cigorettes.

Authority:
Because ofthe reach and interactivity

ofthe new media, its potential to

shape perceptions an the realm

of politics has become so powe.fulthat even politicians and the State are harnessing its might- fhe new
media can also be utilized by the government and its officials to (1) widen their political reach as wll as
to (2) connect and engage with their constituents.

,
-

Authorities can use online applications such as webpages, Facebook and other di8ital media to
spread their inlluence.
The new media is pervasive and has the power to reach people from all walks of life, from working
adults to teenagers who are usually politically apathetic. While teenagers can remain ignorant of
political affairs by not reading newspapers or ignoring the news, they are more likely to be aware of
a politician's tampaign or platform and be more interested in the goings-on in their countries and
the world when such information is packaged in engaging ways which are more likely to cross their
path -such as through youtube videos and Facebook pagesBy utilizing the various forms of new media, politiians and government officials can extend the
reach of therr intluer, e to a larger audienr e bothlocdllydnd rntFrndlrondlly.
xample: (From lecture notes pg 11) By using o conbinotion of e ndil, text messoges, websites ond
by setting up profiles in morc thon 15 online communities, including focebook, Block Plonet - a
sociol networking site for Africon Americons ond Eon - a network fot baby boomes, Ameicon
ptesident Borrock Obomo wos oble to gdrner more thon 5 million supporters ond eon holf o billion
dollos online in his 27-month long campoign for the presidency. 8y util:zang the new media, Obama

group of digital natives - and spread the

perception that he is a modern and relevant politician whowillcare about theirqoncerns.
Example: (From lecture notes p177l The ruling Chinese Communist Porty (CCP) hos ollowed fonsites
for President Hu Jln Too ond PremierWenJia Boo os wellas o new cyberportol dedicoting itself to oll
was able to effectively reach the younger demographic

Chinese ofJiciols. The Chinese outhorities ote eoger to goin o strcnger foothold in Chino's growing
lntenet community ond ensure its voice is heod as loudly in cyberspace os on the state-wide media.

With on online presence, ofJiciols con respond to sccusotions of corruption by netizensThe State can also utilize digital media to spread propaganda and inspire patriotism, especially in the
weeks leading to NationalDay.
Example: Websrtes are usuatly set up in honour of the National Day Parade in Singapore, where
community songs, photographs and webcast videos of previous parades as well as videos of people
proclaiming their love for the nation are uptoaded online. Furthermore, wallpapeas and icons are
also downloadable from the site so that people can express their patriotism visually. ln addition,
community messages and songs are broadcast on digital media at MRT stations and public

'

transportation to instill in commuters a sense of belonging and inspire loyaltyto the nation.
Creating competitions for schoolchildrn to create digital media incorporating nationalistic themes
also leads to children internalizing State values.

Example: "NEmation", a competition which encourages schoolchildren to use digital technology

create messages communicating national education messages.

2)

The new media can also be used as a channel fo. government officials to interact directly with the

to

people. Both ordinary citizens as well as politicians can directly communicate with each other
without the need of a middleman who may muddl each others' messages.

With more direct communication, real and necessarv actions may be taken more efficiently and
effectively. The relative ease and convenience of these processes may encourage more citizens to
give theirfeedback and communicate thoughts, opinions and ideas to the governmentThe State can then work in close partnership with its citizens in crafting policies and campaigns. 8y
being able to share theirviews, Singaporeans may feela sense ofownership and be more compelled
to be active in grassroots activities which may lead to a more patriotic citizenry.
Example: The Singapore governmdnt's new feedback unit {REACH) allows citizens to direct their
feedback and concerns directly to the government instead of having to go through the

'
-

administrativeJed-tape of communicatingthrough their grassroots leader.

,
ln conclusion, the benefits

ofthe new media can be enjoyed by both citi?ens and the State.

82: 'The traditional media can never be trusted to setve the interest
the public.' Comment.

of

Key terms:

.
.

'Traditional media': forms of non-digital media such as newspapers, magazines, television &
rrdio.
'Can never be trusted to serve the interest of the public': This can be interpreted to refer to
whether the traditional media (as discussed above) can be trusted to provide positive impacts to,
or meet the needs ofordinary people.

What does'public interest' refer to? -{1)The provision ofaccurate and unbiased information
and {2) content that is socially responsible (does not include content that may negatively impact
societysuch as violence and explicit content.)

Thesis
There is the assumption of an inherent conflict of interest in thjs question - that the interests of
corporations and governments who own the traditional media conflact with those of the public, who
consume it. Because the absolut proposition question demands balance, it is important for the thesis
(and subsequently, the essay) to

ij)

acknowledge that it is true that tradr'tional media may sometimes forsake the public's wellbeing for the sake oftheir own motives profit maximization by showing content that is at

times violent and explicit

in order to increase ratjngs and

self preseNation

ije- The

government willwant to reinforce and protect ats author'ty) bythe;nclusion of inaccurate or

biased information and censorship ofmaterialthat may be politically incriminating;
{i,)

reject the absoluteness of the statement by stating that this is not always the

case often,
the government steps in to prevent the transmission of excessively violent or overtly
explicit content in the traditional media to safguard the moral sensibilities and values of
the young, Moreover, in countries where there is freedom of press, information tends to be
more reliable, objective and civic-conscious so that citizens can make informed decistons
and opinions about issues-

Tvoe C Questions
c1. Should the press be completelyfree? (1991A'level question)
C2. 'lt is totally unjustifiable to regulate the press.' Do you agree?
C3. "The new media should be allowed to thrive without any restriction.' Do you agree?
C4. The onlvjustifiable regulation of the media is self-regulation.'Do you agree?

cl.

Should the press be completely free? (1991 A'level question)

Queslion Analvsis

The question word 'Should' usually identifies a JUSTIFICATION question that requires sound
reasoning for the stand taken. Whether the press is completely free today is not the concern ofthe

The use of the absolute term 'completely free' makes it more sensible for the student to disaeree
and state the reasons why complete freedom should not be accorded the press.
Nevertheless, the stude nt needs to acknowledee that in ge neral, freedom of the press is necessa ry.

KevTerms

.
.

'press'- news agencies that are .esponsible forthe gathe.ing and publishing of news
'completely free' - freedom of the press to report/publish whatever they feel is beneficial or
important to the public, or whatever they feel will beneflt themselves, without any restr;ction or
regulation

Possible arFuments tosurface in essav

afu press s6ou0[ir geurd[ ieJtee

1. To report

without interference, where interference can compromise on the obiectivity ofthe news-

E.g lran's conservative leadcrs clamps down on critical publications, jounlalists, and bloggers through

aresLs, detentions,and newspaperclosures. The Iranian authoribesare especially restrictive on

cove rage of women s rights issues, anti gove.nmnt demonsFations, the ajli.g economy, and the
development of nuclear technologj/. lournalists were intimidated o. persecuted by the government for
coverage ofthe couffi/s ethnic minority issue. Kurdlsh journalists Adnan Hassanpour and Abdollahed
Boutimarwere sentenced to death July 2007 forexpressing theirviews on the Kurdish issue, based on
'i
charges ofendangering national secur;ty
and engaging in propaganda against the state.
Withsuchharsh restrictions imposedon the media,therc is widespread self-censorship among
journarists andrranians are denied access(to ilf"'t#lii:.'.:ilH:,''ff',i'j,l.lll?ll;u..,*"..""-,"0-,.0

*-u

2. To effectively fu..rction in its role as the

>

'fourth estate'

gudrdidn of publi. inlprest

E,S.Singapore's Nl(Fscandal h 2005, The St.aitsTimcs exposedthe corrupt practrces beh'nd the
National Kidney Foundation (NKFl, a charitable organization inSingapore. This led to a legal
investigat'on which revealed several malpractices bythe forner board and managemenl and a clcar case
oimisuse oi public tunds. This revclation also led to greater transparensv and accountabiliq/ ofpublic
fu.ds among charities in Singapo..

>

as a watchdog on

the activities ofthe government

E.g. Abuse ofAbu Ghraib prisoners - In 2004, the abuse and toftur ofprisoners held in ihe Abu chraib
prison in Imq came to public atrenrion when a U.S. television news-magazi ne 60 Minutes II and The New
yorker magazine reporred on th story. The exposure led
to rhe convjction of severat US personnel and
apolos/ fi:om the US Secretary of Delense Donald Rumsfield for what was seen as .,un-Anierican,, and
"inconsistent with the vatues of the na6on,,.

I{owever, tfre prus s6ou6 ut 6e tota[\fee

nefra fu t6e autEotitl is nccessary

setf-censorsLip

an[reglatbn of tfrc news

1. To ensure credib;lity. Credibility may be compromised

>

bythe press'objective to increase readership in orderto maximize profits

Cardboardbun hoax In order to i ncrease readership ratingr some journal;sts have even
resorted to concocring news reports. Thecardboard bun incidentwas reported in
tuly 2007 on
Beijing Televjsion revealing thar street vendo.s were addingcardboard to rheir porktuns. Corning
after sevenl product recalls of Chinese products, the repoft sparked widesprea; disgusL This
incidentlater turned out to be a hoax - a tocal reportet in a desperate attempt to raise .eaclership
radngs, had faked the news report The repofterwas larerjaited and nned_
E.g.

>

when the news media has ceftain political inclinations

News Cntics, politiciansand obserwers have accuscd Fox News ofhavinga potiticalslant
towards the Republican Parry at the expense ofneurraliry. It portrayed the Irrq *;, .",,,,,..",,,
news reporters were reminded bythcir edjtors o. producers to emphasize on th positivc, when rhe
real situation is farfrom ir In addition, a survey.tone by Knowtedge Networks in 2003 found rhar rhe
more one watches Fox news channels, thc more one lvould h.ve jncorrecr assumprions. For iDsbnce,
Fox viewcrs are more i'kely to think rhat weapons ofmass dcsrructjon were iound ;n traq, and that
world opinion favours the US invasion o raq.
E.g. Fox

2. To curb irresponsible reporting_ trresponsible reporting by the press can lead to,

>

rncitement of racial or religious discord

E.g. Controversial Carroons olprophet Muhammad - In cspousing freedom ofspeech, the editors of
the Danjsh newspaper published the carroons ofprophet Muhammad, which sparked worldwide
o'rtrage. The newspape. violared ts main responsibiliry ofensunng accuracy - the cartoons
generalizedthe Islamicreligion as one that cncournged violence.Italso acred irresponsibly in
inciting religious discord and aggravared international relations unnecessarily.

C2. 'lt is totally unitstifiable to regulate the prcss.' Do you alireel

Question Analvsis

.
.
.

Similarto a'Should'question, where the student should provide reasons tojustify his stand.
However, unlike question C1, the statement posed in the question requires the student to start by
acknowledsine whv there is some truth in the statement - the student would thus need to argue
when it is notjustifiable to regulate the press (i.e. why press freedom is necessary).
The use of the absolute term 'totally unjustifiable'then requires the student to disasree with the
absoluteness and identify the reasons whythe press should not be completelv free.

Kev Words

'.

totally uniustifiable to regulate' absolutely no

reason

to put restrictions on the

press. The press

should be completely free.

Arguments similar to Cl can be surfaced.

C3. 'The new media should be allowed to thrive vithout any restriction.' Do yotl alirec?
Question Analvsis
'Should' question, where the studentshould provide reasons to iusti{y his stand.
The statement posed in the question requires the student to start by acknowledsing whv there is
some truth in the statement, i.e. the new media should be free. The new media is today the media
form with the least control imposed on it, and as a result it provides an alternative platform for
expression, away from the rigidity ofthe traditionalmedia. Hence, it allows a plethoG of views that
enables users to gain exposure and perspective. With such great access to this multiplicity of
viewpoints, people are more ableto engage in meaningful debate on key issues in society.
The use ofthe absolute term 'without any restriction' then requires the student to disaeree with the
absoluteness and identify the reasons why the new media should not be completely free. This is
because this freedom has been abused my many, as evidenced by the large amount of unsavory
content like child pornography, inflammatory materialon race and .eligion, orwebsites promoting
deviant behavior.

.
.

Kev Terms

'new media' - refers to 21it communications technology like the internet, blogs and video games.
Therefore, C3 distinguishes from questions Cl and C2 in thatthefocus of the essay must

be on the new media, drawing upon the characteristics ofthe new media that further
supports the case for/against its freedom

'allowedtothrivewithoutany.estriction'bythisph.aseweareclaimingthatwedonotneedany
regulation or censorship to keep it in check but that we should allowitto develop its influence freely.
It wiil have the complete freedom to publish as it pleases.

Why freedom is important:

1. Altenotive pldtlorm for expression that empoweEthe people

'

E.g In the case oflran, its consewative judiciary hasbeen attemptingto crackdown on the pro reforrn
press. Two of tfie pro refom newspapers are Bonyan and Nourooz have been banned, yet this has not
deterred them. The repofters have instead taken to the internet to set up websites thatwould directly
replace the banned newspapers. It even promoted a joumalist to comment that 'technolog/ always wint
and therefore the closure ofthe reformist newspapers is useless when there the interneL'The Internei
's media would never
is a vitalmedia for Iranians as it communicates opinions that the country s print
publish,with both reform advocatesand conservatives prornoting theirpolitical agendas. Forinstance,it
has provided a key platform forintemational initiatives such as Article 19's Persianimpedimentorg,
Freedom House s Cozaarand RoozOnline thatpromote freedom ofexpressionand inform the I.anian
public on human rights
'ssues.

Points against Total Freedomi

1. Some material published can possiblycause racialo. religious discord
ln such a case, it is crucialthat the new media be regulated because ,'ntorfidtion published inthe
new fiediq spfedds Ioster than those on the traditional media as it is eosy io dccess and more
widely dvoildble.
E g.http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocatnews/vie4 167812 1/ .htmt
/

2.

Some material published can corruptthe readers'minds or encourage undesirable values Toddy's generdtion is mdde up of digitdl ndtives who grow up in the constdnt compdny

of

the new medio.Ihusthe new media is highly influential, making it a more dangerous threat than
mainstream media.
E.g. Child pornogmphy. Findings ofa four month long efforr by The New york Times investigating the
Internet activity ofpaedophiles revealedthattle community's online inf.astructure was suerisingly
elaborate, Paedophiles go online to seektips for getting near chitdrcn, at camps community evenrs and
even tlrough foster care, The members ofthls
community swap daily anecdotes about their sexuat
encountercwith minors. There are radio shows'llicit
run for and bypaedophiles, and even a online jewellery
store that makes pendants proclai ming the wearers as being sexually attracted to children.
E.g. Encouraging deviant behavior TheAnarchist's Cookbookis an onlinc forum contajninglink on how
to make bombs, erplicitsexual acts and so on.Above all, nanyofthm actoalypromote such deviant
behaviorsas absolutely normal ard even celebrate iL

g.

'The only iustifiable regulation of the media is setf-reg[lation., Do you agree?

Qlestion Analvsis

.
.

Justification questions, where student is required to provide reasons to justify his stand
The statement posed in the question requires the student to start by acknowledsine that there is
some truth in the statement, i.e. self-regulation is a justifiable means of regulation as opposed to
external regulation. External regulation may curb creativity and self expression, which may inhibit a
multiplicitv of views.
The use ofthe absolute term'only justifiable regulation'then requires the student to disaeree with
the absoluteness and identifu the reasons why self regulation should not be the only means of
regulation one should not assume that ALL owners of the media are responsible and capable of
being sensitive and deciding what is best forthe general publ:c.

Kev terms

.
.

'onlyjustifiable'

by suggesting that self-regulation is the onlV iustifiable regulation allowed on the

media, one is claimingthat it is the only one that should be allowed and other forms of regulation or
censorship cairnot be condoned.
'self regulation' - the media owner will be the one that keeps a check or keep under controlthe
material that is published. This control is exercised independently ofgovernment supervision, laws

Ihe medio ccrn never be relied lo lell the iruth. Do you

ogree?
ll hos been soid lhol the might of lhe medio is for greoler ihon lhol of o slonding
ormy. Ihis hos been proven lhrough lhe course of history. The medio has been used
by mony io convey informolion and 1o ocHeve

oudience

'o

occeol views or

beiiefs.

ual informotion is o
newe..be- perfecJly lnrelioble in producing facluol informolion- Focludi! ond ied ..
inialmqlioq l! qgitlrely prelctrt irt lhe Illedtq.Ihu!. 1bc aertcrol pllrlic qqlt fgLy qtr
lhe rne.lio lo produce lhese foch.

ihol lhe medio con somelimes cofiy fohifred informolion con be seen from
severoloreos, ,nosi evidenily ond fomously, from hisJory- Germony ond Russio r,nder
Hillels ond Slolin's rule respeciively hove been infomous odvocoies of
The foct

propogondo onrl broin wolhing uting the medio. Eolh leoders noior'ousty
rnonlpuloted ihe people's minds using poslerl, radio broodcosi, newspopers ond
ihe le evision lhey imposed on lhe people, noiionoislic beiels ond olso negolive
belietu. HilleL for exomplc propogoted onti Semiiic beliefs using ohosi every rnedio
potsible ot thot llme,sloling ihoi Jew5 were of on inferior breed, wilh porieis
i lutlroli.g Jews ln o negoiivo sler--olypicol manner ond inking nrturkr lr.rii5 io th.rnl
This l! obviousy on unirulh. SJolln, lhroughoul lhe Cold Wor, poriroyed Amerlc.rn
ocTions an.l vi.rws os ideo5 of grecd and evil lo the people, usinq ihe medio. !{hich
is ol5o o lie being lold n lhese exomples. [he medio.connoi o]woys b6 .jepended
on foi ihe lruih, in the cose of govemmenf monipulolioir of the medidl
tsut still,

governments hove o50 use.l lhe inedjo

To

convey lrulhs. Such

i5

seen frorn

the Singopore gov,rrnmenl using the medio io educoie ihe public oboul
epidemics iike sARS ond Densue Jever, irhgi; 6nai-olo'iidl

uirjql]J4 tell focia

e.dvCOle :lh:t.publjaa,rnulhflrlly.'riedio
I i!h'' slows lhol lhe
govemrnenl .loes convey lruihs u5ing the r.,-clio ond con thus be reied on for

.rb.jtj

such,'diseoses

.:grq

locluol informrllon.
Nelizens, ihe people using ond contributing to lhe inlernei, ore mojor coni bulor
ond receivers of inforrnolion. The ;ntemet is o ich resource for informolion bul
usuolly on unrelioble one. For exompJe, lhe onl;ne encyclopedio. Wikipeclio hos ils
infornrol'on ond conlenl coniribLried by nelizens ond con be ireely ecliied by
onyone. This brings oboui the problem of unrellabiLity. pronkslers or nclizcns
inodequolely eclucoied, mighl contit,ute senteless or unr-.lioble info..roiion lo the
encyclopecl;o. thus reducins its reriobiriry ih.lihii'!iii;,;J:tGl-m6.dird:.adhn;i.d6
iiliriea io pr;vide o caiaciii infoi'rjciii;i.l

Sornc nelizens. however. hove mocle crucidl conlibutions in uphol!]inq lhe

reliobilily of ihn inlerrel- Animol ond environmcnl.rl ociivisfs.ore especiolly a.lepi ol
.or' o fLa-o reli-e.\.,srro.y. oa 'lon fovernnenrol o go_ioi.ons'rl ^ lhL wMr
o'lo w . i orc u.uoJ,, ll-- one^ who :oFrl fy enrirol.ner'ol riso( pre<en' or loomirg.
lh.' oficn,de ir|I e a ri es evea oal 1- q6.-i.n-n ogFr ce\ do. fh-) l, -.

post ihem online ond on govemmenl websiles lo oled lhe mosses. ln lhis cose,
mony relioble iruths ore promoled wilh lhe medlo by ihe nelizens. And in lhis 5ense
the medio con be kusted in providing lhe kuih.
News orgonizolions like Fox news ond C-spon hove been infomous in providing
"govemment opproved" informolion. meoning informolion lhol is moslly ohroys
p'oovernmenl. k)r e\omple, in lhe koq wor. tox news hos been siding wilh lhe
decision to slori lhe wor
reosons not lo do so-

However, focluol news like the hunomi in 2m4 is occurolely coveted by mony news
orgonizolions, including locol news orgonizoijons like Chonnel News Asio.
mosi reout(lble news

To sum up, govemmenf, nelizens

ond medio orgonizotions hove goi the iendency

lo provide fohe iniormolion lhoi is unrelioble or inoccurote. Bul lhey, 1oo, hove
done o mojor contribution 1o providing lrulhiul ond occuroie infonnotion. Thus lo

soy ihe medio con never be relied on lo lell the lruih, is cleorly on unlrulhtul ond
inoccuroie stolemenl iiself- Nolhing is perfect; there will be lrulhs wilhin unkulhs
ond focts within lies, The verdicl is cleoc lhe medio con be lrusled lo tell ihe truth.

Confenl: I7130
lnlroduciion: 3.5/5

Should we believe everything in the media?

icmle

19JT

rglislrliryi: d"ll!94e qg!!'s co!ri$gt!!yccoq !r c!9!!!y9r

performance and beingableto be trusted. We maybelieve certain information reported

by the media. However, due to str;ct government control or the media's profit
maximisation motive, it may no! betrusted. Yet, the media may be trusted as they are
' ublerlpd to dn In.rpasins .rmount of.h'.ts and baldnce, by rhe new mcdra and
various defamation laws and resulations.
We should not believ intormationfrom the media due to skictgovernment control

which prevents journ alists from pubiishing rhe rruth. This helps to distodfacts and
makesit less believable. May countries which rank low on the Press Freedom lndexdo
not have an independent media and theirjournalists are often persecuted and

information published is censored- More often than not, the government influences rhe
media by ensuring thatarticlesfollow the countq/s politial ideolosv- tn North Korea,
journalist5 undergo id eolosical trainings every weekwhere theyare being updated on
the latcst

'n

ews' that they are allowed to publish.This is to establish North Korea's

how the controlofthe sovernmentcan sevcrely decrase the reliability ofthe media
and prevent us from believing it.
We should not believe eveMhing the media reports becau5e the media is largely drjven
by profits. Ih us they may distort the facts to make the articles more interestine. Many
news media practice sensationalism whre the truth is repackaged and skewed in ordcr
to make it more appealing. ln a bid io win compet'tion and make the most profit, thc
media may distort facts ormdke up stories which are lntrue to attr.ct more buyers.ln

Gu.ntanamo Bay in Cuba, a localnewspaper reported thatAmerican soldiers had

flushed a copyofthe Koran down the toilt bowl- Aweek laterafterthe news had
sprad, it sparked up anti-American feelings in Afghanistan and other lslamic countries.
However, when investiga$ons took pla.e,

incident deteriorated tha rliability ofthe media and proved that we should not believe
everlthing in the mdia.
We should be able to truth the media because they are subjected to checks and

ofth internet and Th'rd Generation (3G)

phones, the media is subjected to more checks that can expose halftruths o. other
,Iesations. Fhe;{tli.&-.i,iiii4?:aiai6li;_qpie.;"d6ldliiisjid oecause ir can act a as a
balances by the new media. With the advent

check on the media, yet it can also propagate lies due to its easy access. Duringthe cruel
crackdown of t}le militaryjunta in Myanmat the Myanmar representative told the

Unitd Nataonsthat theyweretryingto protect political sta bility by stamping out violent
instigators. However, images taken bya 3G video phone provd that whatthe Myanmar
govrnment had been insisting on was false.The "violent instigators" we.e in fact
monks in saffron ropes, holidng a peaceful

d em

onstration- This is a case in point ofhow

technology and the new media can prevent the media and the governmentfrom
propagatingfalshoods. Thus, it helps to increase the reliability of reports. Th;s shows
that with the incr.ase of reliability of the media, we maythen believe in the media.
We may also believe in the media because resulation and laws are in place to keep
them in check. Through various defamation laws and other avenues like forums, the
media is increasingly

su

bjected to scrutiny. False allegations published bythem willrhen

be subje.ted to correction. This deters the media from m aking generalizations and

unsupported statements without thoroughlychecking details before publishingthem.

For xample in October 2007, the Financialllms formally apologazed to Mr. Lee Kuan
Ycw, Mr. Le Hsien Loong and Ms. Ho Ching for alleged nepotism. Theyhnd previously
published an article that suggested that Mr. tee Kuan Yew had practiced nepotism by

allowins Mr. Lee Hsien Loong to

overthe post of prime minister. Fi;;ilMi.fe;

as h;vine hdd Io pull 5tr ins5 in ;raer to rllow hi5 wrlF, M\
Hbldinsa. We maythus believe
the media due to regulations thaa help to cnsure that what we read is tru.
tat<e

Hsien ldona was port'aycd

We may believe rhe media dLre to checks and balances imposed bythe new media and
rlso due to regulations. However, ther arc excptions tothis. This occurs when
its political ideology on the people or ifit is profit
'mpose
ln conclusion, I feel that the media can be believed in to a larse extent as rhe

government uses the medaa to

-d.iven-

ofthe time and.an

preventthe truth from being skewed.