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Book Cover
E-book
Author George, Cherian, author.

Title Freedom from the press : journalism and state power in Singapore / Cherian George
Published Singapore : NUS Press, ©2012

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Description 1 online resource (1 online resource (xiii, 272 pages) : )
Contents Acknowledgments -- Singapore politics and media: a primer -- 1. Introduction: beyond the Singapore paradox -- 2. Journalism tamed: the mechanics of media control -- 3. Inside the press: routines, values and "OB" markers -- 4. Government unlimited: the ideology of state primacy -- 5. Calibrated coercion: the state strategy of self-restraint -- 6. The harmony myth: Asian media's radical past -- 7. Freedom of the press: a cause without rebels -- 8. Alternative online media: challenging the gatekeepers -- 9. Rise of the unruly: media activism and civil disobedience -- 10. Networked hegemony: consolidating the political system -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index
Summary For several decades, the city-state of Singapore has been an international anomaly, combining an advanced and open economy with restrictions on civil liberties and press freedom. This volume analyzes the republic's media system, showing how it has been structured like the rest of the political framework to provide maximum freedom of maneuver for the People's Action Party (PAP) government. Cherian George assesses why the PAP's 'freedom from the press' model has lasted longer than many other authoritarian systems. He suggests that one key factor has been the PAP's recognition that market forces could be harnessed as a way to tame journalism. Another counter-intuitive strategy is its self-restraint in the use of force, progressively turning to subtler means of control that are less prone to backfire. The PAP has also remained open to internal reform, even as it tries to insulate itself from political competition. Thus, although increasingly challenged by dissenting views disseminated through the internet, the PAP has so far managed to consolidate its soft-authoritarian, hegemonic form of electoral democracy. Given Singapore 's unique place on the world map of press freedom and democracy, this book not only provides a constructive engagement with ongoing debates about the city-state but also makes a significant contribution to the comparative study of journalism and politics
Notes OldControl:muse9789971696054
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 256-267) and index
Notes Print version record
Subject Government and the press -- Singapore
Freedom of the press -- Singapore
Press and politics -- Singapore
Journalism -- Political aspects -- Singapore
SOCIAL SCIENCE / Media Studies
Freedom of the press
Government and the press
Journalism -- Political aspects
Press and politics
Journalism & Communications.
Journalism.
Singapore
Form Electronic book
LC no. 2012330161
ISBN 9789971696054
9971696053