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journalists, who questioned his narrative. Some tices in Malaysia and Singapore under their culsurvived, some paid a heavy price. tures and governments? I wanted to tell the story of this brand of journal- A: My generation was very influenced by Fleet ism. Sixteen years later, the story is out in Reluc- Street journalism. From The Sun to The Times, tant Editor. we read those papers religiously. The language, the headlines and the investigative spirit appealed Singapore journalists are a reticent lot; they carry to many of us. Over time, we also got somewhat their stories to their graves. The former editor in disappointed with what the western press was dochief of ST, Cheong Yip Seng, broke that self-im- ing to chase circulation figures. So many of us felt posed taboo with his book, OB Markers My Straits that Singapore needed to develop its own brand Times Story, in 2012. For the first time, a senior of journalism. We wanted to be professional yet editor broke that taboo by relating in vivid detail responsible. Reluctant Editor has many examples what went on between government and media, of how we did that, sometimes successfully many even the times when ST pushed back against LKY’s times unsuccessfully. orders. That gave me the added impetus to write Reluctant Editor. Q: Many veteran journalists who have witnessed the technological revolution —espeQ: Your chapter titles suggest that, initially, you cially the impact of the internet and social medid not want to be a writer and perhaps did not dia—bemoan the impact on the public’s trust in anticipate the career you had. Yet your long the journalism profession, and even the value and varied career perhaps suggests that you placed on knowledge and truth. What is your came to regard journalism as a calling. Is that perspective? a fair statement? A: I believe this kind of disruption cannot be A: I do say in Reluctant Editor that journalism was stopped. I also believe that well-researched and my interest in school days. My father was a poet. well-written articles with the right balance have Watching him write poems with a lighted cigarette a place in our society. My generation will have to in one hand and a pen in the other late into the learn to embrace technology to get across this form night sparked my interest. From an early age, I of journalism. started reading The Straits Times. I was a hopeless introvert, so interviewing people for stories was a Q: The term “fake news” has become a cudgel torture. A couple of years later, I was charged with used by critics of the media. Now many civil libbribing a group of firemen. I wanted the scoops ertarians are concerned about Singapore’s plans from them and they were reluctant to give us tip- to implement a law that would impose penaloffs. So I paid them. I was caught in the act in a ties on social media platforms like Facebook coffeeshop and had to pay a fine of $1,000 exclu- and Twitter for the distribution of falsehoods. sives. That was a dark period of my early years as a What is your perspective on these efforts? journalist. But it was also a blessing. I asked to be made a sub-editor. My editor agreed and I found A: No responsible and sensible person can support the space in the newsroom that fitted my introvert- fake news. But the devil, as always, is in the details. ed personality. Singapore has just introduced a bill on this. Some, including academics, are uncomfortable with its Q: One chapter emphasizes the practice of sweeping powers. Like the power to be given to “Western-style journalism.” Can you elaborate ANY minister to issue take-down orders to online on the evolution of journalistic values and prac- websites and the definition of fake news and public
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