(1) Increasingly many Singaporean local news reader are reading local news online instead of hardcopy.
(2) And Singaporeans news reader for news of concern will want to participate, make comments, involve in discussion, get attention and influence news events that concern them as part of empowerment.
(3) Straits Times online don't allow online comments - and hence even though it carry very comprehensive news about local and foreign affairs, it is not so well patronised.
(4) CNA on the other hand has attract more readership because it allow readers to post online comments and participate in discussion. But CNA is using one online platform - Facebook plugin - where readers need to create a facebook account before it can comment on the CNA news.
(5) Recently, facebook do a a mass disable of many facebook accounts - where many are valid accounts.
To re-enable the facebook account - it is very onerous and many CNA local news readers have given up and move on to read other foreign news plaform that report on local news.
(6) I have written to CNA news online to request for more ways to post comments on CNA online news eg. yahoo account, gmail account, or CNA created accounts in addition to facebook plugin - but I received a reply that CNA only accept facebook plugin.
(7) As a result, I notice many regular contributors to CNA opinion postings no longer can post in CNA and have move to foreign news online platform to read local news.
(8) Statistics reveal that :-
--- For the same news reported by CNA and foreign news --- CNA recently have attract 0 comments and for more hot button issue news - about 10 or slightly more comments but less than 50 comments the max (never exceed 100 comments).
--- Foreign news platform on the same news - attract double digits comments for less contentious news (close to 50) and few hundred comments for hot button news.
The effect is both ST and CNA will start to lose readership and will lose online advertisement revenue.
(9) This is a grave cause of concern with serious implications :-
a. Straits times and CNA are official news platform for Singaporean readers - with the missions to carry Singapore Government messages, government policies, official views --- to influence, shape opinions, carry messages to Singaporeans that will help in nation buildings.
b. But when more and more Singaporeans switch to foreign news platform to read local news, ST and CNA will not be able to fulfill the above mission impose by the Singapore Government.
c. In addition, foregin news correspondent and reporters often cast Singapore local news based on foreigner's perspective and more often than not in a negative light - as how the news are reported are based on their own foreign culture, ideologies and thinkings that can be very different from local news correspondents and our Governments views, intent and opinions that have Singapore national interest and national security at heart.
d. ST and CNA local news platform need to understand Singapore news readers aspiration, that is :-
- Singaporeans news readers no longer want to be a passive news reader.
- Singaporeans want empowerment, want to involve in news events, current affairs that affect them, want to participate in discussion, debate and want their voice heard.
- By not allowing online comments posting against the reported news like ST and by restricting the means of online posting (eg. only allow facebook plugin - that start disabling accounts) like CNA --- many Singapore active online news readers have move on to other foreign news platform that report on local news.
- This have a serious long term negative effects :-
i. Singaporeans no longer have affection to local news platform - and local news platform will lose online advert revenue.
ii. Singaporeans views, opinion, receiving on news are shape by foreigners rather than local news correspondents - to the detriment of nation buildings.
iii. Some Singaporeans even move to antagonists online news platform like TOC (The Online Citizen) and others that distort Singapore news and carry mostly news that cast Singapore and the Government in a very negative light.
To conclude, I will urge both Straits Times and CNA to allow more means for online readers to make comments on news events -- and not restrict readers from doing so.
It will have the effect of "backfire" - when strong supporters of local news start to move on to other news platform to read on local news.
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