Tan Kin Lian's Blog: Can newspapers be trusted ?

Saturday, August 02, 2008

Can newspapers be trusted ?

In the past, newspapers could be trusted to tell the truth. They were objective in their reporting and were not driven by commercial consideration.

This laudable practice has changed in recent years. It is now quite common for newspapers to print articles that give a favorable slant to their big advertisers.

At one time, these articles were printed under the headline "Advertorial". This was intended to warn the readers that the article was contributed by the advertiser and that the newspaper did not verify the statements in the article.

Nowadays, the label of "advertorial" has disappeared. Some journalists are engaged to write a story for a big advertiser. The article has to be approved by the advertiser, in return for a big advertising budget.

This is how some newspapers get advertising revenue to cover the large expenses and to make good profits for their shareholders. This is necessary for the commercial success of the newspaper, and is now more important than independent and honest reporting.

3 comments:

zhummmeng said...: He who pays the pipe piper calls the tune.
Not only the truth is lost, newspapers are writing biasedly in favour of the advertisers . Articles on any particular topic become marketing collaterals for the corporations .
Investigative journalism is selective, who they can bully and get away with. It depends on who is the subject of the report. If it is the man in the street and who is news worthy, famously or infamously they will be sensationalised and written without any restrain to boost the circulation.If it is someone in power you can expect cover up and blackout and some spin.
Look, why aren't the insurance industry's infamy or rampant malpractices, specifically the companies, not given the glaring exposure in the newspaper.Is it because they make up a sizeable account of the advertising revenue?
Product review is skewed
in favour of the company. The Sunday Times 'Invest section" makes no attempt to educate and warn the consuming public of any pitfalls of products of their advertisers.
There is no truth and the only truth you can get is in the blogs.
Mr. Tan's blog serves this purpose, to educate and to warn the consumers of the bad deals and bad products in the market place.
The slew of products is just overwhelming and intimating and the consumers are at the mercy of the unethical and greedy insurance salesmen ans women to bullshit and to con them.
Truth, ethics, conscience and competence and honesty they are no longer the values and guidelines of business activities. Money and more money is and it determines the relationship with the consumers.
Go to any roadshow, particularly Bugis mrt and Compass , you will notice that nothing but money is behind the selling spiel. Posters that misrepresent and deceptive are put up daringly with one underlying aim, to con the consumers.
Truth, where have you gone?; August 02, 2008 7:39 PM
Monsoon said...: we are talking about national interest, commercial interest, sharholders interest, management interest and balancing it to get the most for all these stakeholders - profits come from the consummers like you and me - but of course you can buy shares of these companies and benefits from the system too.

Truth is nowhere in these equation. If anything, It is only used to lull the sonsumers to part with their money.; August 03, 2008 11:00 AM
siewkhim said...: Newspapers not only publish for revenue but will publish for the wealthy, the powerful political masters the way they want stories to go. They are even prepared to mislead, lied, suppress, extrapolate, interpolate information just to benefit the.

In this sticking lousy world what matters is wealth, power and more power. Independent, honest and truthful reporting are not critical except for lips service only.

See for yourself what is going on out there.; August 03, 2008 3:34 PM