Ian On The Red Dot

Singapore’s main English language newspaper is The Straits Times. I tried finding a definitive history of the newspaper but couldn’t so I’m making a not too presumptuous assumption that the newspaper was named because Singapore was once part of the Straits Settlements - a collection of territories of the British East India Company.

At this current point in its history, the newspaper has been accused of being a mouthpiece of the government. Its journalists and editors have been accused of pandering to the ruling party and writes fluff pieces to further the government’s agenda.

True? A little bit true? Totally unsubstantiated lies?

Who knows.

A strait is defined as:

1. a narrow channel of the sea joining two larger bodies of water
2. pass: a bad or difficult situation or state of affairs

The first meaning is rather ironic considering how there seems to be a general impression (at least online) that the government and the newspaper is out of touch with the rest of the citizens. The divide between both groups cannot possibly be considered narrow. It is more like a gaping chasm wider than whatever Indiana Jones had to swing across.

The second meaning is prophetic in the sense that one could imagine the unenviable position some of the people working at The Straits Times are in. I do not suppose anyone ever dreams of growing up to be in a career where being labeled a stooge of the government is an almost everyday affair. I do suppose that a good number of those who aspired to be a journalist do find it rather unpalatable that there are real and imaginary out of bound markers to what they can investigate, analyze and write.