Press Freedom in Singapore - PN Balji

Welcome back to the new podcast series from the Asia chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association! AAJA is a community of journalists, academics, entrepreneurs, and students across the world who are committed to advancing diversity in the news industry and promoting the highest standards of journalism.

 

Each year AAJA-Asia holds its annual New.Now.Next Media conference - N3Con - to bring together members from across Asia. The theme for our virtual conference this year is #TheNewFrontlines, covering the pivotal events unfolding across the world - global pandemic, global protest, global recession, and ongoing geopolitical competition. Check out the full conference schedule here. The action starts on 27 August with newsroom tours, and panel discussions start the next day.

 

To lead up to this year's conference, we're publishing this series of interviews, featuring working journalists and news leaders, with an emphasis on diversity.

 

In this episode, we talk to PN Balji, a long-time, top-level newspaper editor in the city-state of Singapore. We discuss:

• The distinction between press freedom and press responsibility
• The "OB" (out of bounds) markers in Singapore and taking calculated risks
• The cultural difference between eastern and western media - and its limits
• The perils of self-censorship

We hope you enjoy the podcast and the series. Please let us know what you think. Reach out to us at aajaasiapodcast@gmail.com. If you like what you hear, please remember - sharing is caring.

 

Also, please consider becoming a member of AAJA. The organization is all the stronger with your support and participation.

 

Thank you, and stay safe.