SPH Media Trust
7 Feb 2023
Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Communications and Information whether an external investigation on the fraud involving SPH Media Trust’s circulation figures will be conducted and the report made public.
Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Communications and Information whether the Ministry will share with the public SPH Media Trust’s review of the overstated circulation data, including accounts provided by the executives involved in the case.
Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Communications and Information whether the Ministry has been informed of the reasons for SPH Media Trust not breaking the news on the overstated circulation numbers of their own accord but through media queries.
Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Communications and Information whether there are reasons to be concerned about the corporate culture within SPH Media Trust given that it will be Government-funded and that integrity and credibility is of utmost importance to a news media.
Mrs Josephine Teo: These questions have been addressed in my reply to Question Nos. 2 to 18 for Oral Answer on the Order Paper for 6 February 2023, and to subsequent clarifications sought by Members.
In essence, the findings of circulation discrepancy for the period of SPH Media Trust’s (SMT) internal review from September 2020 to March 2022 have not resulted in the loss of public funds. There is no change to the Government’s decision to provide funding to support SMT’s capability development. There is also no change to the amount of funding as it is targeted towards technology development, talent development and the strengthening of newsrooms, particularly vernacular newsrooms.
I had also explained that certain questions would be better addressed by SMT after its Audit and Risk Committee has completed its further investigations and shared its findings. If there is evidence of fraud or other wrongdoing, SMT is obliged to do the right and lawful thing to refer to a relevant agency for follow-up.
SMT’s approach to communications both within and outside the organisation, is a matter for its board and management to consider. Even so, MCI has made clear its expectations that SMT has a responsibility to uphold public trust. It must rectify what needs to be rectified, and be transparent with the public on how it intends to proceed.
Ms Hazel Poa (Non-Constituency Member): One of the roles of a news media is to expose wrongdoing. In this case, we have SMT discovering its own wrongdoing but not breaking the news themselves. Did the Minister seek an explanation from SMT why it did not break the news themselves but instead waited for an online news media platform to break it; and then responded?
Mrs Josephine Teo: Mr Speaker, on a day-to-day basis, many things happen in an organisation and it is up to the management to decide if and how each particular event or incident ought to be communicated, both within the organisation and outside the organisation. Keep in mind that this review was initiated by SMT and they were still in process. In fact, they have decided that they need to investigate more fully and that is why they have asked their own Audit and Risk Committee to take on this work, on an extended basis. Should the manner in which they had communicated been approached differently? I think that is a matter that SMT, the management and the Board, will have to consider.
Disruption of Digital Services
9 May 2023
Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) whether public and private organisations are liable for losses suffered by consumers and businesses as a result of disruptions to their digital services; and (b) if not, whether the Government will consider taking steps to protect consumers and businesses from losses due to such disruptions to digital services or impose minimum service standards on service providers.
Mrs Josephine Teo: As with many types of services, liability for losses incurred due to disruptions of a digital service would be governed under (i) the terms of use for the service and/or (ii) the contractual agreement between buyer and seller.
Where services have significant impact to our economy and society, regulatory agencies have also imposed minimum service standards. For example, the Infocomm Media Development Authority requires telecom operators and internet service providers to comply with Quality of Service standards and audit requirements for network resilience. The Monetary Authority of Singapore has strict requirements for banks with regard to the resilience of their critical services, which include digital banking. These were detailed during the 21 April 2023 Parliament Sitting.
Livestreams of Parliamentary Sittings
2 Apr 2024
Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) for how long will the livestreams of parliamentary sittings be retained on MCI’s YouTube channel; and (b) whether MCI will consider permanently retaining all livestreams of parliamentary sittings on its YouTube channel and, if not, where will they be archived.
Mrs Josephine Teo: As mentioned in MCI’s reply to a similar Parliamentary Question in January 2021, the full video of each Parliamentary Sitting livestream will remain on MCI’s YouTube channel for six months after the end of the Sitting.
The key purpose of livestreaming the Parliamentary proceedings is to allow members of the public to view the Parliamentary proceedings real-time, without the need to be physically present in Parliament. Thereafter, the full records of Parliamentary proceedings are documented through the Hansard and accessible to all online.
Censorship Review Committee
3 Apr 2024
Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) why has the Censorship Review Committee (CRC) that is to be formed once every decade not been convened since 2009; (b) whether the Government intends to reconvene the CRC in view of rapid changes in Singapore’s media and social landscape; and (c) if so, when.
Mrs Josephine Teo: There is no set time frame to convene a content review committee. The Government takes into consideration Singapore’s prevailing media and social landscape in deciding when to convene content regulatory reviews, and the appropriate format for such reviews. For example, in the lead up to the Online Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill of 2022, the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) conducted extensive engagements, including a public consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, to gather their feedback and suggestions on the proposed measures to enhance online safety.
More recently, to develop the Code of Practice for Online Safety which applies to designated Social Media Services (SMSes), the Infocomm Media Development Authority also consulted various stakeholders, including the designated SMSes, to gather feedback before finalising the Code.
On specific content, policies and standards, we also continue to consult a range of advisory committees. These varied approaches provide more flexibility in responding to shifts in the media landscape, community sentiments and societal norms.
SPH Media Trust
3 Apr 2024
Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Communications and Information whether SPH Media Trust has raised funding from sources other than the Government and, if so, how much.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Government funding provided to SPH Media Trust (SMT) is intended to support its talent, technology, and vernacular capabilities. Outside of this, SMT may independently raise funding from other sources, based on its business decisions and operating needs. Information on SMT’s finances can be obtained from ACRA.