December 2, 2020

Associate Professor Bertha Henson (NUS Department of Communications and New Media) outlines her opinions on politics and journalism in Singapore in a 27 November interview with Yahoo News Singapore’s On the Mic podcast. She highlights the key concerns discussed in her new book titled GE2020: Fair or Foul? (Epigram, 2020), hoping that younger politicians heed the book’s advice.

A/P Henson states that she uses the “layman’s perspective” to detail each facet of the electoral process rather than provide an academic evaluation of election results. She also comments on the increasing number of opposition parties which have facilitated greater debate in Parliament, emphasising the need for sustained high quality discussion to facilitate political growth.

A former professional journalist, A/P Henson voices her disappointment about the poor quality of professional journalism in Singapore. She criticises the opinion-driven pieces that have grown in prominence in recent years and advocates for the “solid reporting” of facts, which she feels should be expected of journalists in Singapore. Expressing annoyance over the lack of personable journalism that reflects the lives of regular people  in Singapore, A/P Henson emphasises the need for journalists to conduct fieldwork and interviews to accurately report on stories about the heartlands.

Listen to the full interview here.

Get the book here.