https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...ake-news-from-opinion-toc-andrew-loh-10083496
Mr Loh raised the example of Mr Li Shengwu, the nephew of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is being sued by the Government for criticising Singapore’s “pliant court system” and the country’s “very litigious” Government in a Facebook post on Jul 15, 2017.
He reckoned that “it would have been much better if the authorities, in this case the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC), had issued a strong and empathic rebuttal to Li’s remarks”. The AGC’s decision to “take the purely legal route is unfortunate” as “it slams the door shut on any hope of what would have been a beneficial public debate on an important topic”, he added.
This silence “cannot be good for Singapore”, wrote Mr Loh. “(For) such silence borne out of fear or legal threat festers conspiracy theories, half-truths, untruths, or plain lies, the very things which we hope to eradicate in this campaign against falsehoods.
“When people start to speak in hushed tones behind walls, it does not provide opportunities for clarification, or rebuttal. And when these things carry on over prolonged periods of time, what you end up with is a more difficult problem to deal with.”
As such, authorities should “refrain from reaching for the closest knife at hand whenever an infringement is perceived” and instead, opt for dialogue if the actions are not of immediate threat to national security or the community.
“Reasoned and rational debate will bear more fruits than the hard edge of a knife wielded without mercy or on impulse,” said Mr Loh.
ENGAGING ALTERNATIVE MEDIA, CITIZEN JOURNALISTS
Elaborating on his point about the need for the Government to engage, Mr Loh added in his oral submission that “everyone” needs to be on board in the effort to combat deliberate online falsehoods.
“In order to shield ourselves and build this resilience, we need everyone and that everyone must include the alternative media,” he said.
Urging more engagement with citizen journalists, Mr Loh said the Government could consider setting up a fund to help online writers and bloggers improve their writing or journalism skills. Those with relevant knowledge in journalism and law could also offer their expertise by conducting lessons or workshops.
Such a move "would signal to the public that the Government's position is not one of simply meting out punishment and penalties and threats, but also one of going upstream" by helping to equip information disseminators with better skills.
Such initiatives "could also help change the tone of the current 'us-vs-them' situation", he said in his written submission.
Mr Tong commented that the idea was “interesting” and that the committee would consider it.
Mr Loh added that the media, be it mainstream or alternative, traditional or digital, should be given space to raise issues, including those that may be uncomfortable for the Government.
“A freed media will lead to trust in them by Singaporeans, which could then turn to the media for reliable information, an important development in the fight against online falsehoods,” according to Mr Loh's written submission.
“If there is distrust of the media all around, the fight against deliberate online falsehoods will be more difficult.”
Mr Loh raised the example of Mr Li Shengwu, the nephew of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is being sued by the Government for criticising Singapore’s “pliant court system” and the country’s “very litigious” Government in a Facebook post on Jul 15, 2017.
He reckoned that “it would have been much better if the authorities, in this case the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC), had issued a strong and empathic rebuttal to Li’s remarks”. The AGC’s decision to “take the purely legal route is unfortunate” as “it slams the door shut on any hope of what would have been a beneficial public debate on an important topic”, he added.
This silence “cannot be good for Singapore”, wrote Mr Loh. “(For) such silence borne out of fear or legal threat festers conspiracy theories, half-truths, untruths, or plain lies, the very things which we hope to eradicate in this campaign against falsehoods.
“When people start to speak in hushed tones behind walls, it does not provide opportunities for clarification, or rebuttal. And when these things carry on over prolonged periods of time, what you end up with is a more difficult problem to deal with.”
As such, authorities should “refrain from reaching for the closest knife at hand whenever an infringement is perceived” and instead, opt for dialogue if the actions are not of immediate threat to national security or the community.
“Reasoned and rational debate will bear more fruits than the hard edge of a knife wielded without mercy or on impulse,” said Mr Loh.
ENGAGING ALTERNATIVE MEDIA, CITIZEN JOURNALISTS
Elaborating on his point about the need for the Government to engage, Mr Loh added in his oral submission that “everyone” needs to be on board in the effort to combat deliberate online falsehoods.
“In order to shield ourselves and build this resilience, we need everyone and that everyone must include the alternative media,” he said.
Urging more engagement with citizen journalists, Mr Loh said the Government could consider setting up a fund to help online writers and bloggers improve their writing or journalism skills. Those with relevant knowledge in journalism and law could also offer their expertise by conducting lessons or workshops.
Such a move "would signal to the public that the Government's position is not one of simply meting out punishment and penalties and threats, but also one of going upstream" by helping to equip information disseminators with better skills.
Such initiatives "could also help change the tone of the current 'us-vs-them' situation", he said in his written submission.
Mr Tong commented that the idea was “interesting” and that the committee would consider it.
Mr Loh added that the media, be it mainstream or alternative, traditional or digital, should be given space to raise issues, including those that may be uncomfortable for the Government.
“A freed media will lead to trust in them by Singaporeans, which could then turn to the media for reliable information, an important development in the fight against online falsehoods,” according to Mr Loh's written submission.
“If there is distrust of the media all around, the fight against deliberate online falsehoods will be more difficult.”
