Singapore: Navigating Media Regulation and Digitization

Singapore's media system is closely regulated by the state, which sees media regulation as crucial to preserving racial harmony and political stability in a small, multiracial nation that gained independence only in the 1960s. Singapore is known for its high internet, social media, and smartphone penetration rates, and media consumption is facilitated by some of the fastest and most reliable internet connections in the world. While Singapore is a heterogeneous society, its news media landscape is dominated by just two major players: Mediacorp and Singapore Press Holdings Media Trust. Singapore's media system represents a mix of Western influences, with journalists exposed to liberal-democratic ideals through school or media use, and the persistence of Asian values, marked by a focus on social harmony and community. In 2021, Singapore also introduced the Foreign Interference Act, which allows authorities to investigate hostile information campaigns on social media platforms.