New MDA rules ‘regressive’: NSP

SINGAPORE — The “spirit and the conditions” of the new licensing regime “will have a regressive effect on the development of the local media industry and the quality of journalism at large in our country”, said the National Solidarity Party (NSP) today (May 29).

In a statement issued to the media, the NSP said it is “deeply concerned” by the Media Development Authority’s (MDA) announcement yesterday of the new regime.

“It is puzzling that at a time when it should be promoting more open and frank discussion about national issues, the Government has instead seen fit to increase regulation on a media landscape that is already tightly controlled,” said the NSP’s Secretary-General Hazel Poa in the statement.

She also noted that it was a “curious move” as “according to the MDA itself, online media companies are already subject to regulatory requirements and it expects no change in content standards as a result of the new regulation”.

“The MDA should clarify why, if existing regulation has been able to ensure acceptable content standards, new regulation is required,” she said.

From June 1, websites, including those run by individuals, which have 50,000 unique visitors from Singapore each month over a period of two months, and which publish an average of at least one article a week on Singapore’s news and current affairs, would come under the new licensing regime.

Under the regime, website operators have to comply within 24 hours with any directives from the MDA to take down content that breaches standards. These sites also have to put up a “performance bond” of S$50,000.

The statement raised three aspects that were “especially troubling”.

“While giving itself the authority to demand the takedown of articles containing “prohibited content” within 24 hours, the MDA has not clearly spelt out what constitutes such prohibited content,” said Ms Poa. “One wonders if this rule will also be extended to articles critical of government policy, articles tagged with reader comments that are critical of the government and articles that generally express opinions contrary to prevailing political wisdom.”

The NSP called on the MDA to “clearly articulate the instances in which it may invoke this authority, as well as make transparent which person or group of persons within its organisation is empowered to exercise discretion in the application of this authority”.

The NSP also raised concerns that the performance bond “is calculated to have a disciplining effect on media organisations”, that may then self-censor, and that the rules would “discourage international news organisations from reporting Singapore news regularly”.