Can I trust the Media?
My brief Internet sabbatical has just ended and it was not as bad as some might have thought. I’ve been Internet-less many times before and like I’ve stated in my previous posts (many many months ago…even years I think?) I am capable of being Internetless for a considerable period of time.
Of course, this is will not be the case if you’re expecting urgent mails like your job applications and the like, but in my case, I am not expecting any serious mails. At least not yet. Anyway, I digress.
I’ve managed to finish a considerable amount of books during my Internet-less period. It was very nourishing and I absolutely loved it. I was a little out of touch with News from Around the World but nonetheless, I did read the newspaper. However, I would have preferred reading from some online sources because I find the “neutrality” of the media in this country very much questionable. I am saying this not because I’m aligned to any faction but merely the fact that I would like some unbiased, third-party reporting and where should I expect that if not from the mainstays of either the Star or NST. Both have been disappointing to say the least and I long for a more critical and intellectually-stimulating news coverage.
Not all is lost, as there are some columns that I find to be very interesting and the articles are refreshingly not skewed at all. Arguments were laid out clearly, and details were highlighted, cogent points raised. I wonder how these would articles be allowed when the bulk of the paper seems to be nothing more than a propaganda machine. Alright, that may be extreme, but seriously, I think our newspapers need to be more independent.
It seems to me there are two categories of news here. The politically-controlled (go BN) and the radical (go alternative). Sometimes I don’t know which one to read. Aristotle once said “it is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” I question the maturity and intellectual capacity of our masses to do so.
I’m jaded…tired. Somebody prove me wrong.
Of course, this is will not be the case if you’re expecting urgent mails like your job applications and the like, but in my case, I am not expecting any serious mails. At least not yet. Anyway, I digress.
I’ve managed to finish a considerable amount of books during my Internet-less period. It was very nourishing and I absolutely loved it. I was a little out of touch with News from Around the World but nonetheless, I did read the newspaper. However, I would have preferred reading from some online sources because I find the “neutrality” of the media in this country very much questionable. I am saying this not because I’m aligned to any faction but merely the fact that I would like some unbiased, third-party reporting and where should I expect that if not from the mainstays of either the Star or NST. Both have been disappointing to say the least and I long for a more critical and intellectually-stimulating news coverage.
Not all is lost, as there are some columns that I find to be very interesting and the articles are refreshingly not skewed at all. Arguments were laid out clearly, and details were highlighted, cogent points raised. I wonder how these would articles be allowed when the bulk of the paper seems to be nothing more than a propaganda machine. Alright, that may be extreme, but seriously, I think our newspapers need to be more independent.
It seems to me there are two categories of news here. The politically-controlled (go BN) and the radical (go alternative). Sometimes I don’t know which one to read. Aristotle once said “it is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” I question the maturity and intellectual capacity of our masses to do so.
I’m jaded…tired. Somebody prove me wrong.
