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5 Dec 2009
Will there ever be a Malaysiakini in Singapore?
In a feature article published on Malaysia’s leading internet newspaper Malaysiakini as part of its 10th anniversary celebration, Singapore veteran journalist Cherian George lamented that Singapore’s new media is stuck in the “kampung”era and wondered why there is no “Singaporekini” here.
The Malaysian new media is at least 10 years ahead of Singapore if not longer. In the last two months alone, two news sites have emerged in Malaysia, adding to an already crowded landscape dominated by big players like Malaysiakini, The Malaysian Insider, Malaysia Today and Merdeka Review (Chinese).
One of them, the Malaysian Mirror is founded by a group of former journalists who are working on it on a full-time basis. The other – Free Malaysia Today, appears to be run by bloggers affiliated to the famous blogger Raja Petra Kamarrudin of Malaysia Today.
After the new media was credited with triggering the political tsunami which hit Malaysia last year, some Singapoeans have harbored the hope that the feat can be replicated in Singapore in its next election.
Being culturally and strategically linked to each other, it is inevitable that comparisons will made between Malaysia and Singapore, both of which are briefly united as one single country between the years 1963 to 1965.
The Malaysian online news sites can be roughly divided into three categories based on their level of professionalism:
1. Professional sites run by full-time journalists, e.g. Malaysiakini, Merdeka Review and The Nut Graph.
2. Semi-professional sites helmed by a few full-time journalists and supported by a large team of freelance columnists, e.g. Malaysian Insider.
3. Amateur sites maintained by bloggers which republish news from other sites, e.g. Malaysia Today.
In order for news sites to survive, grow and expand in any country, they must fulfill three basic criteria:
1. Sufficient resources for long-term sustainability.
2. Large enough readership to influence the public.
3. Managed by trained journalists.
Unlike Malaysia, Singapore simply does not have the necessary conditions for such internet newspapers to develop let alone flourish which explains why there will not be a Malaysiakini in Singapore at least in the near future.
There are three key differences which account for the wide disparities in the new media landscape between the two countries.
1. Size of population:
For a site to generate sufficient revenue from advertising to sustain itself in the long run, it must have a sizable readership.
Malaysia has a population of 26 million compared to Singapore’s 5 million out of which 36 per cent are foreigners who have little or no interest in its affairs.
That’s why though Singapore is more highly wired than Malaysia, its new media industry is still languished in the infantile stages of development.
Though Malaysiakini is a subscription-based site, it can easily attract 2 million readers a day, a readership which even the Straits Times will find it difficult to achieve.
Malaysiakini is the top internet newspaper in Malaysia with an Alexa ranking of 16 followed by the Malaysian Insider at 61 and Malaysia Today at 69.
Singapore has no news sites in the top 30 ranking including those run by the mainstream media. The alternative news sites are way behind out of the top 100.
With such pathetic traffic, it is impossible for owners of news sites to survive on their advertising revenue alone unless they have big sponsors supporting them.
2. Political maturity of citizenry:
In any country, the percentage of the citizenry who is interested in its current affairs and will surf news sites on a regular basis in search of news and opinion pieces amount to no more than 10 per cent.
Politics is seldom a hot selling topic except perhaps during election times or when there is a major scandal involving government officials.
Judging from the enthusiasm and support shown by the Malaysians towards their internet newspapers, it does appear that they are politically more aware and mature than Singaporeans.
Malaysiakini will not have come so far without the support of ordinary Malaysians. Though it is a subscription-based site, it still has a higher readership than free sites run by the major news agencies like The Star and New Straits Times.
The Nut Graph, founded by a group of young Malaysian journalists including the award-winning journalist Jacqueline Ann-Surin who received the Excellence in Opinion Writing Award from the Society of Publishers in Asia in 2007 launched an online appeal for funds to keep the site afloat lately due to the pullout of its sponsors.
Many Malaysians donated generously to The Nut Graph which helps to sustain its operations for another year or two. The site is run by a team of full-time paid journalists ably complemented by a business development team.
Such a level of support is not possible in Singapore where its citizens are either not interested in the nation’s affairs altogether or continues to believe that the state media is a credible source of news.
It is impossible to maintain an internet newspaper run by paid staff like Malaysiakini or The Nut Graph unless one has deep pockets and do not mind losing money continously for the next few years. Malaysiakini has been running in the red for 8 years before it managed to turn a profit.
3. Leadership:
Journalists should be at the forefront of the new media revolution as is the case in Malaysia. Malaysiakini was founded by Steven Gan who was a former editor with The Sun.
The Malaysian Insider was started by two journalists from NTV7 as is the same with the Merdeka Review, Malaysian Mirror and the Nut Graph.
More importantly, these journalists are able to commit themselves full-time to build and develop their internet newspapers instead of blogging on it on an infrequent basis.
Without the leadership provided by trained, experienced and passionate journalists, is it a surprise that there is no Malaysiakini in Singapore?
The senior journalists in Singapore are too ensconced in their positions to ever think of venturing out into the new media. Many are former SPH journalists who do not see the necessity of providing an alternative voice for Singaporeans.
As for the journalists fresh out of school, they lack the gumption, courage, creativity, passion and belief to spearhead an alternative news site to challenge the mainstream media.
5 Dec 2009
Will there ever be a Malaysiakini in Singapore?
In a feature article published on Malaysia’s leading internet newspaper Malaysiakini as part of its 10th anniversary celebration, Singapore veteran journalist Cherian George lamented that Singapore’s new media is stuck in the “kampung”era and wondered why there is no “Singaporekini” here.
The Malaysian new media is at least 10 years ahead of Singapore if not longer. In the last two months alone, two news sites have emerged in Malaysia, adding to an already crowded landscape dominated by big players like Malaysiakini, The Malaysian Insider, Malaysia Today and Merdeka Review (Chinese).
One of them, the Malaysian Mirror is founded by a group of former journalists who are working on it on a full-time basis. The other – Free Malaysia Today, appears to be run by bloggers affiliated to the famous blogger Raja Petra Kamarrudin of Malaysia Today.
After the new media was credited with triggering the political tsunami which hit Malaysia last year, some Singapoeans have harbored the hope that the feat can be replicated in Singapore in its next election.
Being culturally and strategically linked to each other, it is inevitable that comparisons will made between Malaysia and Singapore, both of which are briefly united as one single country between the years 1963 to 1965.
The Malaysian online news sites can be roughly divided into three categories based on their level of professionalism:
1. Professional sites run by full-time journalists, e.g. Malaysiakini, Merdeka Review and The Nut Graph.
2. Semi-professional sites helmed by a few full-time journalists and supported by a large team of freelance columnists, e.g. Malaysian Insider.
3. Amateur sites maintained by bloggers which republish news from other sites, e.g. Malaysia Today.
In order for news sites to survive, grow and expand in any country, they must fulfill three basic criteria:
1. Sufficient resources for long-term sustainability.
2. Large enough readership to influence the public.
3. Managed by trained journalists.
Unlike Malaysia, Singapore simply does not have the necessary conditions for such internet newspapers to develop let alone flourish which explains why there will not be a Malaysiakini in Singapore at least in the near future.
There are three key differences which account for the wide disparities in the new media landscape between the two countries.
1. Size of population:
For a site to generate sufficient revenue from advertising to sustain itself in the long run, it must have a sizable readership.
Malaysia has a population of 26 million compared to Singapore’s 5 million out of which 36 per cent are foreigners who have little or no interest in its affairs.
That’s why though Singapore is more highly wired than Malaysia, its new media industry is still languished in the infantile stages of development.
Though Malaysiakini is a subscription-based site, it can easily attract 2 million readers a day, a readership which even the Straits Times will find it difficult to achieve.
Malaysiakini is the top internet newspaper in Malaysia with an Alexa ranking of 16 followed by the Malaysian Insider at 61 and Malaysia Today at 69.
Singapore has no news sites in the top 30 ranking including those run by the mainstream media. The alternative news sites are way behind out of the top 100.
With such pathetic traffic, it is impossible for owners of news sites to survive on their advertising revenue alone unless they have big sponsors supporting them.
2. Political maturity of citizenry:
In any country, the percentage of the citizenry who is interested in its current affairs and will surf news sites on a regular basis in search of news and opinion pieces amount to no more than 10 per cent.
Politics is seldom a hot selling topic except perhaps during election times or when there is a major scandal involving government officials.
Judging from the enthusiasm and support shown by the Malaysians towards their internet newspapers, it does appear that they are politically more aware and mature than Singaporeans.
Malaysiakini will not have come so far without the support of ordinary Malaysians. Though it is a subscription-based site, it still has a higher readership than free sites run by the major news agencies like The Star and New Straits Times.
The Nut Graph, founded by a group of young Malaysian journalists including the award-winning journalist Jacqueline Ann-Surin who received the Excellence in Opinion Writing Award from the Society of Publishers in Asia in 2007 launched an online appeal for funds to keep the site afloat lately due to the pullout of its sponsors.
Many Malaysians donated generously to The Nut Graph which helps to sustain its operations for another year or two. The site is run by a team of full-time paid journalists ably complemented by a business development team.
Such a level of support is not possible in Singapore where its citizens are either not interested in the nation’s affairs altogether or continues to believe that the state media is a credible source of news.
It is impossible to maintain an internet newspaper run by paid staff like Malaysiakini or The Nut Graph unless one has deep pockets and do not mind losing money continously for the next few years. Malaysiakini has been running in the red for 8 years before it managed to turn a profit.
3. Leadership:
Journalists should be at the forefront of the new media revolution as is the case in Malaysia. Malaysiakini was founded by Steven Gan who was a former editor with The Sun.
The Malaysian Insider was started by two journalists from NTV7 as is the same with the Merdeka Review, Malaysian Mirror and the Nut Graph.
More importantly, these journalists are able to commit themselves full-time to build and develop their internet newspapers instead of blogging on it on an infrequent basis.
Without the leadership provided by trained, experienced and passionate journalists, is it a surprise that there is no Malaysiakini in Singapore?
The senior journalists in Singapore are too ensconced in their positions to ever think of venturing out into the new media. Many are former SPH journalists who do not see the necessity of providing an alternative voice for Singaporeans.
As for the journalists fresh out of school, they lack the gumption, courage, creativity, passion and belief to spearhead an alternative news site to challenge the mainstream media.
