A tale of two Southeast Asian states: media governance and authoritarian regimes in Singapore and Vietnam
Abstract Political scientists have crafted intricate taxonomies to classify nations beyond liberal democracy, positioning these societies along an authoritarian continuum. Despite the pivotal role of journalists in accelerating political dynamics, there exists a lack of comparative research on media...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Springer
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Asian Review of Political Economy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s44216-024-00024-6 |
| _version_ | 1827310424699174912 |
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| author | Martin Albrecht Haenig Xianbai Ji |
| author_facet | Martin Albrecht Haenig Xianbai Ji |
| author_sort | Martin Albrecht Haenig |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Political scientists have crafted intricate taxonomies to classify nations beyond liberal democracy, positioning these societies along an authoritarian continuum. Despite the pivotal role of journalists in accelerating political dynamics, there exists a lack of comparative research on media governance in these regimes. Consequently, this study scrutinizes the media governance ecosystems in Vietnam and Singapore. Vietnam is a one-party authoritarian state, whereas Singapore represents a hybrid political system. However, both countries exhibit a stable and uninterrupted rule by the respective ruling party. Our research uncovers the nuances of Singapore’s media regulation, which embeds trusted stakeholders with financial interests in key press roles to reinforce the implicit political norms. Conversely, Vietnam employs a more direct, coercive, and state-centric approach. Media actors in both nations occasionally test the boundaries of acceptable discourses, with each government’s responses being shaped by specific contexts and broader history. Reforms in Vietnam, embracing privatization and commercialization, mirror Singapore’s integration of capitalism, public ownership, and commercial interests when governing media. These findings highlight diverse yet effective authoritarian media governance strategies, unique features, and commonalities in both systems. Overall, media structures in these Southeast Asian countries have undergone profound evolutions towards more sophisticated regulatory tools to manage societal and political transformations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T19:59:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c3fedfd365f64fe9ac76d669bd17581e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2731-5835 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T19:59:35Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Asian Review of Political Economy |
| spelling | doaj.art-c3fedfd365f64fe9ac76d669bd17581e2024-03-24T12:11:00ZengSpringerAsian Review of Political Economy2731-58352024-03-013112310.1007/s44216-024-00024-6A tale of two Southeast Asian states: media governance and authoritarian regimes in Singapore and VietnamMartin Albrecht Haenig0Xianbai Ji1School of International Studies, Renmin University of ChinaSchool of International Studies, Renmin University of ChinaAbstract Political scientists have crafted intricate taxonomies to classify nations beyond liberal democracy, positioning these societies along an authoritarian continuum. Despite the pivotal role of journalists in accelerating political dynamics, there exists a lack of comparative research on media governance in these regimes. Consequently, this study scrutinizes the media governance ecosystems in Vietnam and Singapore. Vietnam is a one-party authoritarian state, whereas Singapore represents a hybrid political system. However, both countries exhibit a stable and uninterrupted rule by the respective ruling party. Our research uncovers the nuances of Singapore’s media regulation, which embeds trusted stakeholders with financial interests in key press roles to reinforce the implicit political norms. Conversely, Vietnam employs a more direct, coercive, and state-centric approach. Media actors in both nations occasionally test the boundaries of acceptable discourses, with each government’s responses being shaped by specific contexts and broader history. Reforms in Vietnam, embracing privatization and commercialization, mirror Singapore’s integration of capitalism, public ownership, and commercial interests when governing media. These findings highlight diverse yet effective authoritarian media governance strategies, unique features, and commonalities in both systems. Overall, media structures in these Southeast Asian countries have undergone profound evolutions towards more sophisticated regulatory tools to manage societal and political transformations.https://doi.org/10.1007/s44216-024-00024-6AuthoritarianismMedia governanceHybrid regimesMedia lawSingaporeVietnam |
| spellingShingle | Martin Albrecht Haenig Xianbai Ji A tale of two Southeast Asian states: media governance and authoritarian regimes in Singapore and Vietnam Asian Review of Political Economy Authoritarianism Media governance Hybrid regimes Media law Singapore Vietnam |
| title | A tale of two Southeast Asian states: media governance and authoritarian regimes in Singapore and Vietnam |
| title_full | A tale of two Southeast Asian states: media governance and authoritarian regimes in Singapore and Vietnam |
| title_fullStr | A tale of two Southeast Asian states: media governance and authoritarian regimes in Singapore and Vietnam |
| title_full_unstemmed | A tale of two Southeast Asian states: media governance and authoritarian regimes in Singapore and Vietnam |
| title_short | A tale of two Southeast Asian states: media governance and authoritarian regimes in Singapore and Vietnam |
| title_sort | tale of two southeast asian states media governance and authoritarian regimes in singapore and vietnam |
| topic | Authoritarianism Media governance Hybrid regimes Media law Singapore Vietnam |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1007/s44216-024-00024-6 |
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