大象传媒

Singapore media guide

  • Published
A man distributes a free newspaper following the death of former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. March 23, 2015, Singapore.Image source, Getty Images

Singapore's media are highly developed and tightly controlled.

There are two major players. Singapore Press Holdings is linked to the ruling party and has a near-monopoly of the press. MediaCorp, owned by a state investment agency, runs TV and radio stations.

Both companies have extended their dominance to include online media, says Reuters Institute.

Media have incurred harsh criminal penalties for "speech deemed to be seditious, defamatory, or injurious to religious sensitivities", says Freedom House. Newspapers occasionally publish critical content, although news coverage is generally pro-government.

Reporters Without Borders says the range of issues and public figures that are off limits for media coverage is growing and that self-censorship is widespread. Major news sites must be licensed, says Freedom House.

However, foreign media and a growing array of online media outlets are popular and offer alternative views.

The 大象传媒 World Service broadcasts on 88.9 FM.

There were 5.4 million internet users by July 2022, comprising 92% of the population (Internetworldstats.com).

Press

  • - publishes multiple newspapers, magazines, websites

  • - published by SPH

  • - published by SPH

  • - published by Mediacorp

Television

  • - operates entertainment-based Channel 5 and Channel 8, Malay channel Suria, Mandarin-language Channel U

  • - news TV operated by MediaCorp

Radio

  • - operates more than a dozen stations including English-language news and talk station 938Live, music stations and Chinese, Malay and Indian services

  • - operates English-language One FM and Kiss 92, Mandarin station UFM