Ng Yat Chung: Being a direct and blunt-speaking person, I apologise for any offence
The minister was also asked for his thoughts on SPH chief executive Ng Yat Chung's comments at a press conference announcing the move, which have sparked a furore online.
Mr Ng had told the reporter he took umbrage at her question, and a video of his remarks went viral. The reporter, from Mediacorp's CNA Digital, had asked if the company "will now pivot to emphasise editorial integrity, for example, ahead of advertiser interests".
"Both the reporter who asked the question, and her editor, Walter (Fernandez), know that taking money from an advertiser doesn't automatically mean that independence is compromised," Mr Shanmugam said.
"If that were so, most newspapers in the world would not be considered independent because most newspapers do, in fact, completely rely on advertisements."
He added that the question was nevertheless a fair one, given that journalists would be concerned about their independence.
"Mr Ng's reaction, and the way he answered the question, I think was very unfortunate," the minister said. "His outburst can be described in stronger terms, but I want to be careful and understated, because SPH is a listed company, with shareholders, management, and I need to be careful."
Separately, Mr Ng issued an apology on the subject on Saturday. He told The Straits Times: "I had stood up for SPH Media's long-cherished editorial integrity and will continue to do so. Being a direct and blunt-speaking person, I apologise for any offence I might have caused and regret any distraction from the merits of the proposed restructuring."
- Start dateToday at 5:55 PM
The minister was also asked for his thoughts on SPH chief executive Ng Yat Chung's comments at a press conference announcing the move, which have sparked a furore online.
Mr Ng had told the reporter he took umbrage at her question, and a video of his remarks went viral. The reporter, from Mediacorp's CNA Digital, had asked if the company "will now pivot to emphasise editorial integrity, for example, ahead of advertiser interests".
"Both the reporter who asked the question, and her editor, Walter (Fernandez), know that taking money from an advertiser doesn't automatically mean that independence is compromised," Mr Shanmugam said.
"If that were so, most newspapers in the world would not be considered independent because most newspapers do, in fact, completely rely on advertisements."
He added that the question was nevertheless a fair one, given that journalists would be concerned about their independence.
"Mr Ng's reaction, and the way he answered the question, I think was very unfortunate," the minister said. "His outburst can be described in stronger terms, but I want to be careful and understated, because SPH is a listed company, with shareholders, management, and I need to be careful."
Separately, Mr Ng issued an apology on the subject on Saturday. He told The Straits Times: "I had stood up for SPH Media's long-cherished editorial integrity and will continue to do so. Being a direct and blunt-speaking person, I apologise for any offence I might have caused and regret any distraction from the merits of the proposed restructuring."
