1. Media a. New vs. Traditional b. New: narcissistic? c. Government Censorship d. Profit-driven Media e. Advertising f. Private life of public figures g. Celebrity as a role model h. Blame media for our problems i. Power + Responsibility of Media j. Media ethics k. New Media and Democracy
2. Science/Tech a. Science and Ethics b. Government and scientist role in science c. Rely too much on technology? d. Nuclear technology e. Genetic modification f. Right tech for wrong reasons
3. Arts/Culture a. Arts have a future in Singapore? b. Why pursue Arts? c. Arts and technology d. Uniquely Singapore: Culture
4. Environment a. Developed vs. 2008 U.S. Presidential Elections (bloggers provide personal opinions about who was likely to win but New York Times invited experts to do a state-by-state analysis presenting results in a full-page spread, culminating in a detailed map showing states Democrats were likely to win) • Anonymity: given free rein to publish any thought that comes to mind • E.g. For every worthwhile video present on the site (think Annie Leonard’s “The Story of Stuff”) there are a multitude of videos featuring otherwise inane and banal individuals indulgently banging away at their pianos or doing less-than-funny spoofs of music videos (think the Two Chinese Boys in their dormitory room) • E.g. Temasek Review: an anti-government news portal • E.g. Political commentary by a certain Kway Teow Man • E.g. “Everyone Draw Muhammad Day” Facebook Page. Emphasis need for freedom of speech and expression that is often curtailed in Muslim communities but ended up causing much unhappiness amongst Muslims because the central religious figure in Islam is not supposed to be visually depicted. Easy, convenient, effortlessly reach the global community without any prior checks • In-depth and broad coverage not found in new media where no profit
