Debate on ministries' budgets: Digital Development and Information Public service media outlets still the first place many go to for trusted news, says minister

Credible platforms like ST, CNA crucial in fight against misinformation: Josephine Teo

- Hariz Baharudin

Public service media outlets here are still the first place that many Singaporeans go to for credible news, and having trusted platforms is crucial in the fight against misinformation, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo said.

Speaking during the debate on her ministry's budget on March 7, she said The Straits Times and CNA are among Singapore's most frequented online news platforms, with more than 40 per cent of Singaporeans reading them weekly.

Trust in Singapore's mainstream media remains high, she noted. CNA and ST are the most trusted by Singaporeans at 74 per cent and 73 per cent respectively, even as public trust in mainstream news has fallen in other countries - hovering at 60 per cent or lower, she added.

Mrs Teo told Parliament that the Government is also studying regulatory measures from other countries to ensure mainstream media content remains prominent and easily accessible in Singapore's evolving digital landscape.

She flagged the threat to broadcast television as consumers move to platforms such as YouTube and Netflix.

Public service media (PSM) outlets struggle to stay visible on these platforms due to how they rank content, she noted.

To address this, countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia now require television sets to be pre-loaded with public service media apps like BBC iPlayer and ABC iview, and display them prominently for easy access.

"Given the important national role of our PSM entities to inform, educate and connect Singaporeans, we must be very concerned about their visibility being obscured by the decisions of third-party platforms," Mrs Teo said.