The media landscape is changing, offering diverse points of view and satisfying increasing demands for varied opinions and information. However, there are concerns that this diversity could lead to polarisation.

Digitalisation has democratised and sped up access to news. With so much information at our fingertips, bite-sized, snackable content is often preferred over detailed, time-consuming features.

News aggregators and social media algorithms also play into consumer preferences, creating echo chambers – narrowing rather than expanding the breadth of content available to consumers.

What role and responsibility does the media have in maintaining a well-informed citizenry and encouraging open public discourse?

Find out more about media and diversity in Singapore:
The Straits Times (3 November 2020): The truth about social media
The Straits Times (9 October 2020): Online sites for S’pore media saw surge during GE2020
Channel NewsAsia (1 October 2020): Facebook, CNA and YouTube were channels voters turned to in 2020 ‘online’ General Election: IPS survey
IPS Survey on The Role of Media and Social Media (2015)

About our guests:

Mark Tan, Founder and CEO of Rice Media

Mark Tan is the founder and CEO of Rice Media, a digital media platform that publishes stories and insights into contemporary Asian culture. A die-hard print magazine junkie, Mark fell in love with publishing at the age of 12 after chancing upon an old copy of MAD magazine.

 

Dr Chew Han Ei, Senior Research Fellow at IPS Social Lab

Dr Chew Han Ei is a quantitative research specialist with a keen interest in social issues and technology adoption in societies. Some of his key international projects with UNESCO, where he is concurrently a research consultant, include “Reading in the Mobile Era” and “I’d blush if I could – Closing Gender Divides in Digital Skills through Education”. At the IPS Social Lab, he is the Principal Investigator of the Youth Study on Transitions and Evolving Pathways in Singapore, the first national-level longitudinal study of youths in Singapore.

Find out more about the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), a research centre of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. 

Follow IPS on Linkedin, Facebook and Instagram to keep updated on upcoming events and discussions. 

On Diversity is a podcast series of new insights and fresh discussions, inspired by IPS’ Managing Diversities research programme. In each episode, IPS Deputy Director Ong Soh Chin chats with guests to explore what diversity means to them, the changes they are making, and the changes they hope to see in an increasingly fragmented society. 

More from On Diversity: 

Episode 1: The Cancelled and the Woke, with career journalist Lydia Lim and poet and writer, Theophilus Kwek

Episode 2: Reclaiming Dementia, with Dr Chen Shiling, dementia physician, and Johnson Soh, founder of SanCare Asia

Episode 3: What is Multiculturalism?, with Low Sze Wee, CEO of Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre and singer-songwriter Jamiel Said 

The media landscape is changing, offering diverse points of view and satisfying increasing demands for varied opinions and information. However, there are concerns that this diversity could lead to polarisation.
Digitalisation has democratised and sped up access to news. With so much information at our fingertips, bite-sized, snackable content is often preferred over detailed, time-consuming features.
News aggregators and social media algorithms also play into consumer preferences, creating echo chambers &ndash;&nbsp;narrowing rather than expanding the breadth of content available to consumers.
What role and responsibility does the media have in maintaining a well-informed citizenry and encouraging open public discourse?
Find out more about media and diversity in Singapore:
<ul>
<li>The Straits Times (3 November 2020): <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/the-truth-about-social-media">The truth about social media</a></li>
<li>The Straits Times (9 October 2020): <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/online-sites-for-local-media-saw-surge-during-ge">Online sites for S&rsquo;pore media saw surge during GE2020</a></li>
<li>Channel NewsAsia (1 October 2020): <a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/social-media-facebook-youtube-cna-ge-2020-ips-survey-13169046">Facebook, CNA and YouTube were channels voters turned to in 2020 &lsquo;online&rsquo; General Election: IPS survey</a></li>
<li><a href="https://lkyspp.nus.edu.sg/docs/default-source/ips/S1_Carol-Soon_PEC_Media-Panel_041115.pdf">IPS Survey on The Role of Media and Social Media (2015)</a></li>
</ul>
About our guests:
Mark Tan,&nbsp;Founder and CEO of Rice Media
Mark Tan is the founder and CEO of Rice Media, a digital media platform that publishes stories and insights into contemporary Asian culture. A die-hard print magazine junkie, Mark fell in love with publishing at the age of 12 after chancing upon an old copy of MAD magazine.
&nbsp;
Dr Chew Han Ei,&nbsp;Senior Research Fellow at IPS Social Lab
Dr Chew Han Ei is a quantitative research specialist with a keen interest in social issues and technology adoption in societies.&nbsp;Some of his key international projects with UNESCO, where he is concurrently a research consultant, include &ldquo;Reading in the Mobile Era&rdquo; and &ldquo;I&rsquo;d blush if I could &ndash; Closing Gender Divides in Digital Skills through Education&rdquo;. At the IPS Social Lab, he is the Principal Investigator of the Youth Study on Transitions and Evolving Pathways in Singapore, the first national-level longitudinal study of youths in Singapore.
Find out more about the&nbsp;<a href="https://lkyspp.nus.edu.sg/ips">Institute of Policy Studies (IPS)</a>, a research centre of the&nbsp;<a href="https://lkyspp.nus.edu.sg/">Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy</a>.&nbsp;
Follow IPS on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/institute-of-policy-studies-lee-kuan-yew-school-of-public-policy/">Linkedin</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=136982159795537&amp;ref=br_rs">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/ips_sg/">Instagram</a>&nbsp;to keep updated on upcoming events and discussions.&nbsp;
On Diversity is a podcast series of new insights and fresh discussions, inspired by IPS&rsquo; Managing Diversities research&nbsp;programme. In each episode, IPS Deputy Director Ong Soh Chin chats with guests to explore what diversity means to them, the changes they are making, and the changes they hope to see in an increasingly fragmented society.&nbsp;
More from On Diversity:&nbsp;
Episode 1: The Cancelled and the Woke, with career journalist Lydia Lim and poet and writer, Theophilus Kwek
Episode 2: Reclaiming Dementia, with Dr Chen&nbsp;Shiling, dementia physician, and Johnson Soh, founder of&nbsp;SanCare&nbsp;Asia
Episode 3: What is Multiculturalism?, with&nbsp;Low Sze Wee, CEO of Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre and singer-songwriter Jamiel Said&nbsp;

"On Diversity" is a podcast series of new insights and fresh discussions, inspired by IPS’ Managing Diversities research programme.

In each episode, IPS Associate Director Liang Kaixin will chat with guests to explore what diversity means to them, the changes they are making and the changes they hope to see in an increasingly fragmented society.

On Diversity features new episodes every week.

"On Diversity" is a podcast series of new insights and fresh discussions, inspired by IPS’ Managing Diversities research programme.
In each episode, IPS Associate Director Liang Kaixin will chat with guests to explore what diversity means to them, the changes they are making and the changes they hope to see in an increasingly fragmented society.
On Diversity features new episodes every week.

IPS On Diversity Podcast

"On Diversity" is a podcast series of new insights and fresh discussions, inspired by IPS’ Managing Diversities research programme. In each episode, IPS Associate Director Liang Kaixin will chat with guests to explore what diversity means to them, the changes they are making and the changes they hope to see in an increasingly fragmented society. On Diversity features new episodes every week.

"On Diversity" is a podcast series of new insights and fresh discussions, inspired by IPS’ Managing Diversities research programme. In each episode, IPS Associate Director Liang Kaixin will chat with guests to explore what diversity means to them, the changes they are making and the changes they hope to see in an increasingly fragmented society. On Diversity features new episodes every week.

Advertisement