TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF THE REPEAL OF SECTION 377A IN SINGAPORE’S NEWS MEDIA: A STUDY OF HOW STATE-MEDIATED PRESS SYSTEMS PRESENT DIFFERENT VOICES ON DIVISIVE ISSUES

Abstract

Singapore operates under a state-mediated press system, where the press collaborates with the government to disseminate information to the public. This study seeks to investigate how state-mediated press systems report on divisive issues via textual analysis of local news articles covering Section 377A, a law that criminalised sex between men. S377A is used as a case study due to its divisive nature that that intersects with religious, social, moral and legal sensibilities. This study found that politician and government sources were dominant in the news stories. While non-dominant sources have expressed differing and nuanced viewpoints, they were still mostly aligned with the dominant narrative. While there were some expressions of strong dissent, they were countered by other sources. Overall, the findings reveal that while the state-mediated press system does provide in-depth coverage to this divisive issue and present multiple viewpoints, it still privileges the dominant narrative. This raises implications regarding the civic adequacy of the press as the voice of the people in the long run.