16 October 2001

POLITICAL CHILL FORCES CLOSURE OF MEDIA WATCHDOG


Citing a lack of financial backing due to the perceived sensitivity of its media monitoring activities, Singapore's three month-old MediaWatch Community (MWC) closed its doors in September, according to channelnewsasia.com. The fledgling organisation was formed in March by a group of former journalists and intellectuals to promote better media standards, improve media literacy and "encourage fair representation for alternative views" in the press, according to the "Straits Times".

In a press release, Chairman Tan Chong Kee revealed that a meeting with a local foundation on the issue of financial backing gave him a clear impression that "no Singapore institution was likely to offer financial support for such a sensitive project in the best of times, let alone when a general election is looming." In addition, MWC's founders decided to rule out international funding sources, knowing that "the government may not approve of any foreign support." MWC was seeking funding to cover an annual budget of Singapore $220,000 (US$122,600). According to the "Straits Times", it had hoped to produce a semi-annual report on the state of Singapore's media, establish a website which would feature readers' rejected or altered letters to editors and create an award for journalists.




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Also from the Communiqué, 16 October 2001

INTERNATIONAL: FOR HUMAN RIGHTS THROUGH JOURNALISM AWARD 16 October 2001 BANGLADESH: SCORES OF JOURNALISTS ATTACKED AFTER ELECTIONS 16 October 2001 TIBET (CHINA): BEIJING JAMS TIBETAN RADIO SERVICE 16 October 2001 PERU: JOURNALIST FREED AFTER 8 ½ YEAR JAIL TERM 16 October 2001 AFGHANISTAN: FREE EXPRESSION GROUPS URGE GOVERNMENTS TO EASE PRESSURE ON REPORTERS COVERING AFGHAN WAR 16 October 2001 AZERBAIJAN: GOVERNMENT STEPS UP SUPPRESSION OF INDEPENDENT MEDIA 16 October 2001 JORDAN: CHANGES TO PENAL CODE A THREAT TO PRESS FREEDOM 16 October 2001

Singapore

Activist filmmaker under investigation for organising event 17 October 2011 Opposition party under investigation for organising video conference with former detainees 11 October 2011 British author Alan Shadrake freed and deported, status of his book remains unclear 15 July 2011 Appeals court upholds ruling against government critic 30 May 2011 Opposition leader faces prison for conviction violating free speech rights 9 February 2011 See all alerts: Singapore


Asia and Pacific

TIBET (CHINA): PEN American Center concerned over "virtual lockdown" on freedom of expression 9 February 2012 MALDIVES: New government must guarantee safety and rights of journalists 8 February 2012 SRI LANKA: FMM voices concern over allegations in "Dinamina" newspaper article 7 February 2012 INDIA: Danish journalists refused visas 7 February 2012 CHINA: Senior newspaper staff fired for reporting inflation concerns 6 February 2012


 
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