This document provides a detailed explanation of what SingaNews is all about. We would like to thank Mathew Yap for his permission in putting this up.

SINGANEWS.COM is a new News Portal providing balanced and in-depth news reporting and analysis of issues to inform and educate our audience on matters of national and international interests.  Its roots date back to the 1990s when the World Wide Web began to take shape and a group of mainstream journalists tried to set up a news portal but the idea did not take off because of lack of funds.

Today, we are pleased to share with you this project which is in its final stages of completion. SingaNews seeks to encourage and stimulate serious thinking on issues shaping the future of Singapore as a globalised city that is cosmopolitan, multi-ethnic and multi-religious.

– The Context

One constant and enduring challenge facing Singapore is how to strengthen our national soul or “heart-ware” – in terms of values, attitudes, social cohesion, political stability and our collective will as One United Singapore.  In 1997, then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong promulgated the Singapore 21 Vision statement which remains relevant as a good compass to guide us through the 21st century.  Its five key pillars are:

I.            Every Singaporean Matters

II.          Opportunities For All

III.        Strong Families: Our Foundation and Our Future

IV.         The Singapore Heartbeat

V.           Active Citizens: Making a Difference to Society

– Vision

To act with integrity as a credible source of independent and objective news and commentary for the Singapore public, reflecting mainstream values, interests and concerns.

–  Mission

To provide a credible, professionally run, independent news portal of integrity and high quality that complements the traditional mainstream media.

To provide accurate, truthful, fair and up-to-date news reports, views and insights on serious topical issues.

To provide information essential in helping individuals to make enlightened decisions on life and living, for themselves and their families.

To provide a platform for discussion where opinions and views are shared and exchanged in a civil manner, “regardless of race, language or religion to build a democratic society”.

To strive to be objective and fair in reporting and commentary, with a view to serving our common good.

– Values

Mainstream values that our society shares and which regards the generational family structure as the bedrock of the nation. We seek to promote truth, peace, compassion, harmony and justice which we all share, whatever our ideological persuasions. We want to promote civil, democratic and informed debate to facilitate citizen participation in the nation’s affairs

– Legal Entity

SingaNews.com portal is wholly owned by social enterprise Singa Communications Limited, a company limited by guarantee.

The news portal will be managed and run by a Team of Media and Technology professionals and they will work towards self-sustenance by deriving income from advertisements, media training and consultancy. Founding charter subscribers and well wishers have provided seed funding.

The company chief executive will act as Publisher and Editor-in-Chief and together with his team shall be responsible for sourcing, editing and posting news and other relevant content.  A board of editorial advisers and consultants and a panel of expert writers/contributors will assist in further research and production of content which require deeper analysis and scholastic discussion.

–  Emblem

The SingaNews.com logo combines a stylized lion and satellite dish which represents Singapore as a sovereign nation intelligently exploiting cutting-edge technologies for good, with the character and strength of a lion.

– Editorial Policy

SingaNews.com aspires to be a model of a successful national news portal and will strive to report truthfully with integrity and provide a platform for commentaries in a balanced, fair and just manner. We will in our news coverage appeal to youths, adults and older generation of readers of all races, religion and intellectual persuasion.

We will strive to become an excellent “people sector news portal” to strengthen national cohesion, stimulate healthy & fruitful debate and support nation building.

We are inter-generational in seeking to ally with other web communities with the objective of helping both our youths and elders in their pursuit of personal success and fulfillment. In particular, we will raise the potential of the young by providing them a platform that is sensitive and responsive to their generation, a positive healthy avenue in cyber-space where they can express their hopes, dreams and fears. We seek alliance with other web communities to join us in helping both our youths and elders in their pursuit of personal success and fulfillment. Together, we can make Singapore an even better home for us all.

Footnote:

Case for a good citizen journalism model, Singapore-style

1. SingaNews values diversity. As we engage one another and wrestle with our problems, we will encounter different views. We should deal honestly with our differences rather than become an apathetic society with no views. Citizens should debate public issues with reason, passion and conviction, rather than be passive bystanders. Disagreement does not have to be disrespectful. We can help promote a diversity of views and robust, civil debate, even in the face of differing viewpoints.

2. The Government has indicated that “it will pull back from being all things to all citizens”. This is so not only in minor municipal issues, but also in far-reaching questions such as those of public morality and decency.

3. We hope to help promote civic participation and fruitful debate in relation to national policies and issues. We believe that debate needs to be rigorous, issue-focused, well-reasoned, based on facts, logic and sound values, and not just on assertions and emotions. Our objective then is to facilitate the process by which the best and right conclusions can be ascertained, in service of our common welfare as a nation.

4. SingaNews aspires to become an important alternative and independent forum for accurate, well-balanced information and constructive, informed debate in order to promote the maturation of civil society. To cater to a greater plurality of views and more robust, free debate, SingaNews aims to be a trustworthy and informative news portal where independent and serious differing views can be expressed and weighed. We want to help cultivate real consensus through achieving a balanced understanding of issues and to avoid confusion and cacophony which defeats our purpose of this meaningful social activism.

5. We aim to report news accurately and fairly, in order to inform and educate the public, on issues such as the rising tide of global competition and its implications for ourselves, or the need for healthy habits during a pandemic, or to remind ourselves on what coheres us as a nation and the inherent invisible ethnic, religious and other forces which may divide and damage us as a nation. We want to help the public to decide and judge issues for themselves, and provide a valuable channel for them to voice their views. This will help to increase an understanding of the complexities of the many issues we face as a nation.

6. Our media must keep pace as Singapore becomes more globalised and more open, especially given the relentless change and emerging trends brought about by the latest new media communications technology and news content generated by citizens themselves.

7. Singaporeans are now debating with each other, advocating their respective positions. When citizens debate issues among themselves, they begin to understand and take ownership of the policy dilemmas that Singapore faces. So evidently, Singaporeans are increasingly interested in social issues and want to express their opinions as well as to read alternative views of national concerns. Giving voice to a diversity of views is integral to informed public debate and is both necessary and desirable.

8. SingaNews seeks to play its part in facilitating informed and civil debate in which Singaporeans and permanent residents can take part in the nation’s affairs in a manner which promotes social cohesion and unity in our diversities, serving our common good.

9. SingaNews looks forward to creating and sustaining an operating environment which will allow us to tap both mature and young talent, to enhance our capacity to provide serious journalistic content.

10. We have already attracted top veteran journalists like PN Balji, former-editor of TODAY; Suresh Nair, arguably Singapore top sports journalist; Ng Weng Hoong, our nation’s only energy trade publisher with a 15-year track record; other former mainstream journalists like Teo Hwee Nak, Jeffrey Tsang and Wong Sher Maine.  We also have a team of current cyber-space technical specialists like Paul Khoo, Hillary Chan and Dianna Ng to support this venture. We will also be preparing to launch Chinese and Malay pages for Singa News site.

Signed:

Mathew YapManaging Director/Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

On behalf of Singa Communications Ltd Board:

Basskaran Nair

Lee Chong Kai

Victor Ho

Mathew Yap

Date: 090909