Public service media are a source of trust, should be adequately funded: Henry Kwek
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Singapore's public media is the country's source of trust and a key voice of its soft power, said Kebun Baru MP Henry Kwek on Feb 24.
ST PHOTOS: LIM YAOHUI, BRIAN TEO
- Mr Henry Kwek urged sustained funding for public service media like ST and CNA to combat AI disinformation and uphold Singapore's trust.
- He stressed that public service media builds trust and soft power, and appealed for funding to ensure a compelling future for media professionals.
- He suggested the government mandate AI-centric development in its IT contracts to boost industry adoption, and to offer innovation grants to tech-capable SMEs.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – Public service media need to be adequately and sustainably funded in an era of AI-generated disinformation, Mr Henry Kwek (Kebun Baru) said during the Budget debate on Feb 24.
This comes as media outlets such as The Straits Times, Lianhe Zaobao and CNA stand between Singaporeans and a manipulated information environment, Mr Kwek added. He chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for National Development.
He noted that Singapore’s value proposition has long resided in trust, knowledge and connectivity, but that these advantages require institutions that uphold them.
“Our public service media are not just Singapore’s truth infrastructure; they are also our trust infrastructure,” he said.
“ST has a place in the hearts of most of our people. Zaobao is already the most respected international Chinese-language outlet globally. CNA commands credibility far beyond our shores.”
Calling such media a critical source of trust and a key voice of Singapore’s soft power, Mr Kwek urged the Government to ensure the outlets are funded so that media professionals feel they have a compelling future in the industry.
In February 2022, the Government said it would provide up to $900 million in funding support to SPH Media Trust (SMT) over the next five years. Then Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo said that up to $180 million would be disbursed annually
SMT is the parent company of SPH Media, which publishes ST and other titles, including Lianhe Zaobao and The Business Times.
Meanwhile, national broadcaster Mediacorp will be receiving about $380 million annually for five financial years from 2025 to reach domestic audiences in four languages. This is up from the about $310 million per year in funding that the Government provided to Mediacorp between 2015 and 2019.
Mediacorp operates news channel CNA, as well as other TV channels such as Channel 8, Suria and Vasantham.
In his speech, Mr Kwek said technology is reshaping lives in ways that seemed theoretical just a few years ago, and the Budget acknowledges this with a bold vision for the country in an artificial intelligence-charged world.
He suggested a few areas in which Singapore can move even faster, such as for the public service to co-develop Singapore’s own AI-centric development stack with major tech firms.
This is possible as more than 60 companies, such as Google and Microsoft, have established AI Centres of Excellence in the city-state, he added.
To speed up AI adoption among Singapore’s information technology services industry, the Government should also mandate that its IT contracts require AI-centric development methods, Mr Kwek said.
“When the Singapore Government becomes the driver of demand, industry follows,” he noted.
He also urged the Government to offer innovation grants traditionally reserved for larger companies to tech-capable small and medium-sized enterprises so that they can become the Republic’s next generation of high-growth firms.
