China closes dozens of popular WeChat accounts
To the oft-quoted point that online citizen journalism means the lid on the truth has been removed (as the new media's 'content-creator' feature means everyone armed with a handphone camera and internet access can upload what one knows and sees), a possible rebuttal is that we should not underestimate the power of authoritarian govt in controlling info online through censorship.
Yes, the govt cannot censor everything online as there are countless information sites out there (though the Egyptian govt did, at the height of the Arab Spring, whereby to prevent the people from using social media to organise protests, the govt unplug the entire nation from the internet, resulting in a worldwide unprecedented internet blackout!), but what they could do is target those influential sites with high viewership. Singapore recently jumped onto the same bandwagon last year with the introduction of the MDA online news licensing scheme where those sites with more than 50.000 unique hits per month must apply for a licence with MDA, and along with it, certain conditions apply (see HERE).
And while the govt may censor undesirable content such as pornography and rumours to protect the public from being misguided, recognize that they can also -- and often -- censor politically controversial truths (e.g. Cultural Revolution, Tiananmen massacre, Sanlu Milk Powder scandal, etc.) using the excuse/ under the pretext of protecting public interest.
Sample Qn:
1. Does the mass media misguide the public?
2. 'Censorship has no place in today's society.' Do you agree?
Yes, the govt cannot censor everything online as there are countless information sites out there (though the Egyptian govt did, at the height of the Arab Spring, whereby to prevent the people from using social media to organise protests, the govt unplug the entire nation from the internet, resulting in a worldwide unprecedented internet blackout!), but what they could do is target those influential sites with high viewership. Singapore recently jumped onto the same bandwagon last year with the introduction of the MDA online news licensing scheme where those sites with more than 50.000 unique hits per month must apply for a licence with MDA, and along with it, certain conditions apply (see HERE).
And while the govt may censor undesirable content such as pornography and rumours to protect the public from being misguided, recognize that they can also -- and often -- censor politically controversial truths (e.g. Cultural Revolution, Tiananmen massacre, Sanlu Milk Powder scandal, etc.) using the excuse/ under the pretext of protecting public interest.
Sample Qn:
1. Does the mass media misguide the public?
2. 'Censorship has no place in today's society.' Do you agree?
posted by Dark Shadow | 12:02 PM
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