"Don't Let News Define You"

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If there was problem so closely associated with the United States, it would be gun control. Last year, more people died to mass shootings than there were days of the year [1]. So its not surprising that despite given the opportunity to visit the States at such a young age, the thought knowing that half the population own assault rifles can at times be overwhelming. Not even mentioning the explosion of acts of violence against Asian-Americans after COVID. So how did it go? My experience in America was, to say the least, one of the best few days of my life with thanks to the chance to do so. The kindness displayed by Americans, espcially cashiers, was more than welcoming and friendly, especially when compared to your average LIHO staff who roll their eyes when you want a carrier…

So why am I writing this? I have been putting off writing this for six months but I felt a need to educate my average teenage audience, all young and impressionable. The fourth estate (otherwise known as the press/media) is, in my opinion, one of the most important part of society especially for the role it plays. The people of the world need to know and understand affairs across the world through unbiased lens. Unfortunately, no news reports unbiased news. All content you consume by the press is biased towards either a certain side (political spectrum), detail and information and agenda. Simply put, if the news you read is biased, you are the only filter to your own interpretation (I know its hard to understand but go along with me). Its so crucial that you don't allow the news define and change us, both our personality and opinions (I literally cannot stress this enough). 

What can one do then? Firstly, read more than one source on the same topic to broaden your scope and see things from a different lens altogether. Second, moderate your news and read/watch news churned out by both sides of the political spectrum (which I know is hard to do in Singapore, read below). Third and most importantly, never let a simple article sway or influence you to support/resist a certain agenda in any way. Don't let the wave of mass shootings make you believe that the United States is a  nation filled with blood-sucking souls. 

Happy Reading!

Footnote (Singapore Content Moderation): 
In Singapore, we have two media giants. Mediacorp (CNA) and SPH (Straits Times). Now because both giants often report the same news, the point of view of Singaporeans is often limited to their news reports (this is especially the case when reporting political news). Content Moderation means to go beyond the mainstream giants and read news, sometimes biased, to get a larger scope of the information at-play. In Singapore, that 'beyond the mainstream' is small and soft. My recommendation would be Bertha Harian or, if you want a bit more anti-PAP, the blogs of opposition politicians such as Yee Jenn Jong (which I read religiously) and Kenneth Jeyaratnem. Don't stick to the mainstream, open up your scope and form your opinions...

It wouldn't be a Farren article if I didn't bully the education system a bit. Yes, Straits Times IN newspapers are good for helping students to learn about current and foreign affairs. But No, they do not help students expand their scope and point of view. If you want to do that dear Minister, ask students to read the Economist or NYT, independent journalism outside of Singapore to increase their perspectives of the world, through as unbiased of a lens as possible. As psychiatrist Rudolf Dreikus said: "Man does not see reality as it is, but only as he perceives it, and his perception may be mistaken or biased".

The relase of this article was meant to coincide with World Press Freedom Day on 3 May
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