CREDIBILITY DEFICITS

Abstract

Conventional wisdom among professional journalists and within liberal discourse suggests that journalism benefits from the self-righting principle, such that newspapers that lack credibility will eventually fail in the marketplace of ideas. However, in some political contexts, newspapers may continue to thrive despite authoritarian controls, at the expense of more independent media. The case of Singapore, where the press is governed by an astute authoritarian state, illustrates this paradox. Drawing on this case, this essay suggests certain attributes of press systems that may subvert the self-righting principle, enabling unfree media to endure chronic credibility deficits.

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