The mainstream media in SG is often referred to as the Govt's mouthpiece. Chua Chin Hon, who as the Straits Times' bureau chief for the US, claimed that the newspaper's editors were pressured into being pro-govt and make sure that reporting of local events meets with the approval of our politicians. Former editor-in-chief, Cheong Yip Seng, claimed that ST has govt-appointed monitors to watch over the newsroom; disapproval from them usually resulted in journalists and editors losing their livelihood. Editors were warned that certain topics were not permissible for public discussion.