Stomp Out STOMP!

All these things STOMP has done (Part II).

2009-02-17T22:59:00.003+08:00

Part I here.

Shu Fen has put up a list of STOMP's inanities over here. Do check it out.

Response from Singapore Press Holdings.

2009-02-09T16:22:00.002+08:00

Question to all readers: is this the canned response that you got as well? Please share, and forward the e-mails to us if necessary.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: K---
Date: Mon, Feb 9, 2009 at 3:37 PM
Subject: Re: Stomp Out Stomp
To: stompoutstomp@gmail.com

Hey,

Got this reply. Is it the canned response all the emails get?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Helen Tan NH <tannhh@sph.com.sg>
Date: Mon, Feb 9, 2009 at 3:31 PM
Subject: Fw: Disgusted by STOMP
To: K---

Dear Mr K---,

We refer to your email of 7 February to STOMP and ST Forum.

We regret that you see STOMP as an "unnecessary tool for surveilllance". The vast majority of STOMP users do not hold this view. Most see it for what it is -- a platform for people to air their views and interact with other users, even if at times their expressions may not be as sophisticated as some would like them to be. By doing so, these users highlight trends and happenings in our society and raise awareness of them. But this does not mean that the views and pictures they post on STOMP are "voyeuristic". They feature events and happenings in public places. Note that "voyeurism" is defined as "the practice of obtaining sexual gratification by looking at sexual objects or acts, especially secretively" (American Heritage Dictionary).

We also need to explain the steps STOMP editors have taken to maintain standards. We ensure that postings that violate any law are taken down immediately. Salacious materials are removed, although not everyone will agree with the judgments we make on what is acceptable and what is not. We also do our utmost to protect minors -- for instance, our editors ensure that we mask the faces of minors who are featured in the site. We also believe in giving newsmakers the right of reply.

In adopting these measures, STOMP has distinguished itself from the vast number of other websites that Singapore Internet users have access to. It would therefore be ironic to shut down a site like STOMP while leaving other totally unregulated sites untouched.

We agree with you however that STOMP, which caters to a niche audience, is capable of doing more to meet the needs and standards of its users. Our editors do periodic reviews, and constructive feedback from readers is taken into consideration.

Thank you for sharing your views.

Regards,

Ms Helen Tan
Senior manager
Editorial Services

E-mail exchange with a reporter from Journalism.co.uk

2009-02-09T16:14:00.003+08:00

From: Stomp Out STOMP!

Date: Mon, Feb 9, 2009 at 4:11 PM
Subject: Re: Stomp out STOMP!
To: Laura Oliver

Dear Laura,

Thanks for taking the time to hear us out. In response:

Main Reasons against STOMP.
- Has not met its aims. Upon its inception, STOMP was hailed as 'the next new thing' in citizen journalism in Singapore - it was expected to be a platform for Singaporeans to create news for Singaporeans, by Singaporeans. However, it seems that the type of 'news' that has been covered thus far ranges from the banal to the mundane, to the downright outrageous and inappropriate.
- Has caused more harm than good. Instead of being a boon, the website has become a bane, turning into an unnecessary tool for surveillance, and has resulted in:
- Infantilisation of Singapore society. STOMP may well be encouraging a possible infantilising of Singapore society by endorsing only a certain type of journalism from citizens - sensationalist and scandalous gossip which promotes low-level thinking. In terms of social responsibility, this is entirely inappropriate for an online publication under the umbrella of a national press that has close links with the government, given that one of our national aims is to leverage on the affordances that the Media provides in transforming Singapore into a Renaissance City.
Action taken.
- Raising awareness of the cause through the use of social media and Web 2.0 technology. In particular, we are using a Facebook application called 'Causes' for this.
- Encouraging users to send in e-mails of appeal to Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) with the following template, the rationale for this being - all other forms of protest are not viable in the Singapore state.
We will forward you an e-mail on how this has been received by the SPH shortly.

Do e-mail us again if you have any more queries. We will be glad to assist you.

Regards,

The Stomp Out STOMP! Team

On Fri, Feb 6, 2009 at 12:56 AM, Laura Oliver <laura@journalism.co.uk> wrote:
Thanks so much for getting in touch,

I'm really interested to hear that there's such opposition to STOMP.

I have a few questions:
- can you tell me your main reasons against STOMP?

- what action are you taking against it?
- and how has this been received by the Singapore Straits Times?

Many thanks,

Laura

On 3 Feb 2009, at 10:26, Stomp Out STOMP! wrote:

Dear Madam/Sir,

I refer to your article at http://www.journalism.co.uk/2/articles/53076.php .

Singaporeans are actually very against STOMP, and we have set up a cause to protest against STOMP. You may like to check out our blog at http://stompoutstomp.blogspot.com/ for more details.

Do feel free to e-mail us as well, as we are open to answering queries or clarifying certain questions you may have.

Thank you.

Regards,
The Stomp Out STOMP Team.

Online Magazine By TPJCians: Yet Another Anti-STOMP Blog Opened.

2009-02-08T23:18:00.001+08:00

Thanks to the TPJCian Magazine for linking to our site and having written a thoughtful article on the cause.

All these things STOMP has done (Part I).

2009-01-26T11:30:00.005+08:00

A list of the damage wreaked by STOMP and its brand of 'citizen journalism':

JC takes action against petting students: Both stripped of council title.
This was the article that sparked off the cause. The insouciant information gathering by an anonymous individual resulted in a overly-harsh punishment that to most of us, seems purely punitive in nature, and containing no rehabilitative purpose, if one was intended in the first place.
One girl vs 12 bullies: Made to stand, hit with bag straps, and has rubbish thrown at her.
Promotes passive (taking pictures/videos to post online for other people to "discuss") rather than active (stepping in to right the wrong) intervention. Singaporeans are apathetic enough as it is. (Contributed by boogie-chillun.)

What else has STOMP done? Add on to the list by leaving comments on this post, and we'll update the list as we go along.

Instructions on how you can help:

2009-01-26T02:49:00.003+08:00

Join the Facebook Cause.
Send an e-mail of appeal.

Some people have asked, "Why an e-mail to show our displeasure?" The rationale is simple - what other form might be viable in sunny Singapore?

Public protest - out of the picture for obvious reasons.
Member of Parliament - too much red-tape.
Nominated Member of Parliament - likewise, but all NMPs are invited to take up this cause if they are interested.
Feedback form - it's like e-mail, only it goes to a nameless/faceless entity, entitled to reply with nothing but a generic message. A waste of kilobytes, if you ask us.
Petition - like an e-mail or feedback form reply, but consolidated. No point, as we are only making it easier for the people in charge to say 'no'.

An e-mail is the most viable form in this case. For one, we are targeting our message with an audience in mind - the people at the top - because we have their contact information on hand. For another, we hope that the volume/quantity of e-mails might be enough to make the people at the top think about what we have to say.

Last but not least, we're banking on what happened during the DBS-FotF encounter to work again this time round.

Leave comments - anonymous or otherwise - at the bottom of this post with suggestions on what else can be done. We appreciate all the support we can get.

Letter of Appeal for Discontinuation of STOMP.

2009-01-26T02:07:00.012+08:00

Please send to the following addresses: stomp@sph.com.sg, stforum@sph.com.sg, feedback@mediacorp.com.sg, cna@mediacorp.com.sg .

Consider CC-ing to the following: lohys@sph.com.sg (Loh Yew Seng; Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Press Holdings).

Don't worry: you're not committing a crime by sending an e-mail; in fact, you are doing your duty as a concerned citizen of our nation. Which would you rather be, a concerned citizen, or an apathetic soul?

ADDENDUM:

Mon, 26 Jan 2009: Based on feedback received, we have decided to cease e-mailing MICA based on the argument that if we do so, it would imply the need for government intervention in the press - something which we do not desire ourselves.
Tue, 27 Jan 2009: Please include Mediacorp and ChannelNewsAsia in the appeal as well. Our contacts in the media industry have advised us to do so, since Mediacorp and SPH are rivals, which might create more impetus for SPH to move on this issue.

To: stomp@sph.com.sg, stforum@sph.com.sg, feedback@mediacorp.com.sg, cna@mediacorp.com.sg

CC: lohys@sph.com.sg
Subject: Letter of Appeal for Discontinuation of STOMP.

Dear Madam/Sir,

I am writing in to you to appeal for STOMP (Straits Times Online Media Print) to be taken out of service with immediate effect.

Upon its inception, STOMP was hailed as 'the next new thing' in citizen journalism in Singapore - it was expected to be a platform for Singaporeans to create news for Singaporeans, by Singaporeans. However, it seems that the type of 'news' that has been covered thus far ranges from the banal to the mundane, to the downright outrageous and inappropriate.

Moreover, the website has become an unnecessary tool for surveillance, and has resulted in:

the encouragement of the culture of voyeurism in our society,
unnecessary intrusions into the private lives of Singaporeans, and
the inadvertent destruction of the lives of Singaporeans affected by the 'news' that STOMP reports on.

Most importantly, STOMP may well be encouraging a possible infantilising of Singapore society by endorsing only a certain type of journalism from citizens - sensationalist and scandalous gossip which promotes low-level thinking. In terms of social responsibility, this is entirely inappropriate for an online publication under the umbrella of a national press that has close links with the government, given that one of our national aims is to leverage on the affordances that the Media provides in transforming Singapore into a Renaissance City.

While we acknowledge that a niche market within the population might desire an outlet that caters to the kind of news that is currently published, we believe STOMP is capable of so much more. However, STOMP has not been able to demonstrate its potential in working for the greater good of Singapore society, and clearly will not do so until the people in charge do something about it.

Hence, we are adamant in our insistence that STOMP be shut down for good as it provides negligible benefits which are superficial, at best, to Singaporeans. If this is not a viable alternative, then may we suggest that the relevant authorities transform the website into one that encourages a culture of critical thinking through better journalism, which might result in Singaporeans being better able to engage with the social issues of today.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

[Name]

Why this cause?

2009-01-26T01:51:00.002+08:00

Positions

We believe STOMP (Straits Times Online Media Print) has more potential for harm than good.
It is an unnecessary tool for surveillance, and has resulted in unnecessary intrusions into the private lives of Singaporeans.
It infantilises Singaporeans, discouraging them from thinking critically about social issues by encouraging vouyeuristic journalism.
STOMP should be shut down for good as it is a detriment toward the proposed establishment of a Renaissance City.
Alternatively, it should be revamped so that it promotes critical thought about the social issues of our day.

The Short of It
Shut Down STOMP!

Why?
Your life or the lives of your loved ones could be the next that is/are affected by STOMP's current brand of 'journalism'.

The Long of It
Upon its inception, STOMP was hailed as 'the next new thing' in citizen journalism in Singapore - it was expected to be a platform for Singaporeans to create news for Singaporeans, by Singaporeans.

However, it seems that the type of 'news' that has been covered thus far ranges from the banal to the mundane, to the downrightly outrageous intrusion of privacy into the lives of Singaporeans.

As a result, the website has resulted in the:

encouragement of the culture of voyeurism in our society;

inadvertent destruction of the lives of Singaporeans affected by the 'news' that STOMP reports on; and the

possible infantilising of Singapore society by encouraging only a certain type of journalism from citizens;

among other potentiall detrimental effects.

STOMP could do so much more, namely, encouraging a culture of critical thinking through better journalism, which might result in Singaporeans being better able to engage with the social issues of today. However, it has not and will not until we do something about it.

Join the cause today as we work together to stomp out STOMP, or at the very least, facilitate its reformation into a media website that we can all be proud of.

How We Will Do It

NOW - Raising awareness of the cause through the use of social media and Web 2.0 technology.

NEXT PHASE - Sending appeals or petitions to the people in charge of STOMP until we receive a response from them.

Further Reading

Is STOMP 'Citizen Journalism'?

Contact Us.

2009-01-25T12:55:00.000+08:00

Join our cause on Facebook.
Drop us an e-mail at stompoutstomp [at] gmail [dot] com.