多元声音的再现 ：新加坡华文报中的2011年大选 = Representing different voices : Singapore general elections 2011 in Singapore Chinese newspapers

Abstract

The Singapore General Elections held in the year of 2011 was one of the largest scale, in terms of the number of political parties and parliamentary seats that were contested. A total number of 7 political parties, including the ruling party People’s Action Party, were involved. During the May 2011 election period, the three local Chinese mainstream newspapers, namely “Lian He Zao Bao”, “Lian He Wan Bao” and “Shin Min Daily News” provided an extensive coverage on daily updates and critics on all political parties that were contested. In contrary to what the public perceived the media as a propaganda tool for the ruling party, the three local Chinese mainstream newspapers, in fact, served as a neutral communication platform by providing substantial quantity of fair news on the smaller political parties, other than the ruling party. The representation of these political parties through the news reports, are perceived to be fairly objective, and that it provides a well-balanced overview and opinions over the General Elections. This paper will focus on the news articles released in the year of 2011, during the General Elections period, to further illustrate and prove this stand.