Why Singaporean Press Are Like Vultures
May 27, 2009 – 11:54 pm | by Daryl TayAs everyone knows by now, Singapore has it’s first H1N1 case, a schoolmate of mine from SMU (I don’t know her name or who she is). She came back from a business study mission to New York, and I was on a similar trip two years ago in 2007, and many of my friends were on trips before, during and after that.
So when the media gets hold of information that
a) The H1N1 case is a student from SMU
b) She was on a business study mission to New York
What do they do? Call/email/sms/instant message anyone and everyone they know who has ever gone on the trip, regardless of which year it was. I personally was contacted for information, so too were other friends who were on the previous trips, and not this year’s. They then start asking for the phone number of the professor in charge.
Look. If you want to do responsible reporting, do responsible reporting. Call the hospital, ask the doctor how she is, ask the ministries if we’re prepared for the flu, whatever. Don’t sensationalise reporting by finding out facts that don’t matter, and don’t harass people who have nothing to do with it!
You know the rules. You want a comment, call the school, not the students.
And for goodness sake, leave the poor girl alone to recover in the hospital. It’s bad enough she has to go through the trauma for having the virus, the last thing she needs are vultures circling around her door, phone and anywhere else to get every juicy tidbit of information that matters.
By the way, Channel News Asia, there’s no point being on Twitter which is meant for instantaneous messaging, if you break the news almost five hours after it’s out.
Tags: business study mission new york, h1n1, h1n1 singapore, singaporean press, SMU, vultures
15 Responses to “Why Singaporean Press Are Like Vultures”
By Daphne Maia on May 28, 2009 | Reply
i think they are too desperate for news, desperate to get an edge over their competitors, etc. but u’re right, harrassing people who are not related to the case is just irresponsible. and that’s not how reporters shd work. these days, reporters even google blogs! while i sit on the fence for that one, i think there shd be a line drawn btwn what is fact and what is opinion.
they probably googled BSM NY and got to your blog! haha.
hope the girl recovers soon. it’s not like she wanted it, and i hope she doesn’t suffer any social repercussions for falling ill. ppl shd be more sympathetic towards her, not trying to dig info abt her.
By the(new)mediaslut on May 28, 2009 | Reply
Since you are such a media “expert”, why don’t you become part of the media and do “real” reporting instead of just whining about how journalists should be doing their job.
I am not surprised that the journalists contacted you for a comment. Though you do not know the student, you could have taken the opportunity to comment on how it was the right thing for the student to go to the docs when she found she had fever or comment if SMU has done enough to ensure precautions are taken if an epidemic would have taken place in your school.
Your comment shows how bad you will fare as a future spokesperson or a PR professional.
By Daryl Tay on May 28, 2009 | Reply
@Daphne Maia: Totally. There’s proper news and there’s sensationalised news, but unfortunately our press doesn’t seem to know which is which!
@Mediaslut: Actually, this comment shows *exactly* how I will fare perfectly as a future spokesperson, seeing as I know and adhere to the standing orders of my organisation, which is not to speak to the press and direct them to the corporate communications office instead. Thanks for bringing that up!
By Daphne Maia on May 28, 2009 | Reply
@Mediaslut : i don’t think anyone should comment anything to the press when they have no first hand experience on the issue at hand. anyone can comment that it was right for her to do such and such, and that SMU is doing so and so, and this and that person is doing whatever. everyone can do that. everyone can have opinions. but are they opinions backed by facts, or just purely guess work or unfounded opinions?
that’s the difference between TNP and ST / CNA.
being the MEDIAslut and supposed authority on media, u shd know the difference. right?
i think Daryl did right to redirect them to corp comm of SMU. he doesnt need that 2 seconds of fame with the press. and oh, when u’re in PR, u shdn’t commit boo boos like trying to represent an organization u do NOT represent.
By Daphne Maia on May 28, 2009 | Reply
sorry, correction, i mean, “supposed self-claimed online authority on media”
By the(new)mediaslut on May 28, 2009 | Reply
You adhere to the rule of the organisation not to comment on the subject but yet you comment on the journalist and the way the media works here.
I take back my words, you do make a great spokesperson for your future organisation.
By yin on May 28, 2009 | Reply
uhm mediaslut, the journalists should have been the one to comment and talk on how the govt is handling the issue rather than harass students who have gone on overseas trips. what’s more ridiculous, they contacted those that went years before the flu hit our shores. so its a BIT pointless for daryl to talk about HOW OUR govt is handling it when the matter at hand is HOW the MEDIA is handling it and intends to report it.
By Daryl Tay on May 28, 2009 | Reply
@Daphne Maia: Thanks and good points about first hand info versus hearsay. Like I really wonder why they intended to find out from people who are so far removed from the poor girl that would be of any public value.
@Mediaslut: Thanks for the compliment!
By Daryl Tay on May 28, 2009 | Reply
@Yin: Oops I missed you! You posted just before I posted. Hur. Yes I’m talking about things I experienced first hand, rather than far removed from me. Which is more than I can say about… well.. fill in the blanks.
By iammyy on May 28, 2009 | Reply
Er..all i want to say is that, give that poor girl a break. She did not ask for this sudden “fame” nor “attention” from the media/public. That applies to the fellow students of SMU as well.
I think there’s no need for students to be commenting on how the school should have handled the case (which I thought they did pretty well this time) or whether the girl has done the right thing or not. Like hello, the main focus isn’t about the organization or the “victim” ?
I think people should be more concerned over the spread of virus or how the government is going to deal with the situation instead of focusing on “the first H1N1 case in Singapore” anyways. Move On please.
By Tri on May 28, 2009 | Reply
The local media just want to look like they are doing some work. Take a look at the news and newspapers and you will see that most of the news are bought from new agencies. This is one of the few chances for them to provide “Breaking News” and sell some news back to the world.
Probably someone’s needing that shot at a promotion?
By Cneil on Jun 3, 2009 | Reply
“Call the hospital, ask the doctor how she is, ask the ministries if we’re prepared for the flu, whatever.”
If the students are not minors, it is totally appropriate for the press to ask for information. I’m sure that the reporter understands that most of the information will be hear-say or guesses anyway. Moreover, students have the ability to say, “Don’t talk to me today,” if they don’t want to talk to a journalist.
However, it would be inappropriate for the hospital or doctors to comment on the situation. These people do know the situation, but unless the patient signs a release there is an inherent expectation of privacy from these organizations.