Is Singapore's MSM or mainstream media becoming increasingly irrelevant as suggested by this blogger who calls himself/herself Flaneurose?
I recall a recent conversation with a friend who told me she's reading the July issues of the Straits Times. And our conversation was taking place in late October!!
I can empathise with her because I too have many back issues of the ST still unread -- not always because I wasn't in Singapore on the relevant days. It's just that on any one day, I find it increasingly difficult to finish reading the ST, even the more interesting sections.
It's not because I think the paper has declined in quality or that it has massively increased its pages, though both might be partly true. But if there aren't that many competing attractions/distractions in my life, I guess I would still be going thru the ST religiously.
Alas for the ST and other MSM: there are so many alternatives, not necessarily the Internet alone. There are many malls to visit for example. There are many more TV channels. And of cos the Internet besides offering news and views that are more up to date and often more controversial than MSM also offers film and TV shows, information and education on myriad topics...etc
So, one good way to cut down on unnecessary spending and wastage is to cut off my ST subscription and buy only the occasional issue. That way, I will not only save a little money and some space as I won't need to have room for the stacks of the half-read papers with their months' old news.
Trouble is that last year I had in a moment of enthusiasm signed up for a two year subscription and that doesn't end till end-2010.
Moral of this: don't buy in haste and repent at leisure.
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