Setting the Agenda

Note: This is not a comprehensive analysis of the media coverage during this Singapore Election 2011. But these are some of my observations.

In communication studies, there are two theories that are quite prominent. They're called Media Framing and Agenda-Setting. The two theories are often conflated as one, perhaps rightly so, since it is often difficult to distinguish the two. Agenda-setting theory posits the ability of the media to set the agenda for public consideration; the media may not be able to tell us what to think, but they can tell us what to think about. Besides setting the agenda, the media may also frame the topic in such a way that may influence the way we think about it.

Now what has that got to do with this election? Quite a lot, IMO. Needless to say, all the election candidates will be looking to set the agenda and frame the issues that they are championing, in ways that are beneficial to them. And I will highlight this using the examples of Minister George Yeo, and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.

Yeo is a smart politician. He understands the major concerns that voters may have. In fact, the huge turnout at the oppositions' rallies suggest that many are concerned with national issues such as overpopulation due to the increase in the numbers of foreign talents, the lack of jobs and public housings, rising cost of living and health care cost, etc. And indeed, these are the issues that the opposition candidates are trying to set on the agenda for public consideration as we head to the polls.

Given that many of these policies are put in place by the ruling party, Yeo is only wise not to let the oppositions set the agenda. Instead, he played up the GRC-Nation split in his speech. Not surprisingly, the media and supporters of the ruling party also caught on with this. By giving prominence to the issues concerning the GRC, they managed to "focus our attention and influence our perceptions of what [is] the most important issue" in this election i.e. set the agenda for public consideration; the welfare of the constituency is now of salience.

Similarly, Goh also played up this GRC-Nation split - a strategy that I suppose is worth pursuing considering the sentiments on the ground? In the news article, "SM Goh: I can’t get feel of younger voters," he was quoted that

[voters should not] go on the basis of what you hear over the elections. The day after elections what will happen? Who will look after the estate?

He added that

"[we should not] talk about national issues, just talk about the estate."

But the interesting observation is not the fact that they tried to set the agenda as such; certainly, the ruling party has often dangled the "upgrading carrot" during election. It is the way Yeo and Goh use the issues of estate maintenance and upgrading as a frame for the broader national issues that intrigues me. I'll paste the whole quote for you to read:

“Don’t talk about national issues, just talk about the estate. So, for Marine Parade, on 8 May, who is going to attend to the problem of the old folks, the livelihood issues, the jobs and so on. you (sic) see" (Goh, 2011).

Crafty you. ;) Attempting to pull a sleight of hand on us. By first setting the constituency on the agenda, Goh then uses the estate as a frame for national issues; he first created a GRC-Nation split (a false dichotomy in fact), and then conflate the two again so that we might interpret national issues through the constituency frame. And indeed, their ability to manage the country is now framed within their ability to manage the GRC.

Similarly, that was what Yeo did. In the news article, "GE: "Specify your plans", George Yeo tells WP," Yeo attempted to set the agenda back to the GRC by asking the opposition for their local plans. And the opposition fell for it - Pritam Singh opened up a can of worms by saying, in his May 1 rally speech, that

"the Workers Party has one important rule that [they] strictly abide by - [they] will not play politics with the residents of Aljunied GRC by making empty promises to them"

By saying that, the WP candidate has unwittingly admitted that they have no plan yet for the GRC. Not that it matters if he was being truthful in admitting that they do not wish to over promise and under deliver, which is a huge taboo in public relations. Not that it matters that not having a plan yet, does not mean that they will not have a plan in future. Not that it matters that any proposed plan now will possibly be half-truth or half-lie (depending on whether you’re a glass half-full or half-empty person), given the history of withholding public resources from oppositions' wards. It will just be treated as such - the Workers Party has NO PLAN AT ALL for Aljunied GRC.

Of course, Yeo went further having set the agenda. By framing this issue as one of planning (or the lack thereof), it draws our interpretation to that of the Workers Party being disorganized and unready¹. By framing this issue as one of asking the voters to vote for them without any promises in return (or in Yeo's words, "asking for a blank cheque"), it wants us to read the opposition as potentially deceptive or as having hidden agendas. An irony given the opposition's honesty.

Going full circle, Yeo is then able to cue the voters back to the national issues, this time with the glow of the GRC halo. Indeed, he reminded the voters

"[not to be] made use of. You don't have to carry the burden of the whole of Singapore.

You carry your own burden. The burden of your families, your daily livelihoods. The people of Aljunied GRC are beginning to ask, 'well ok, fine, there're national issues which are important but what does it mean for me?'

And it's my job and those of my colleagues' to bring them back to what their interest, their hopes, their concerns, their worries (are), and also what this means for the country."

Well played Ministers. Well played. =) I am now filled with awed-inspiration to become a better communicator.

¹Indeed, that was what Ms Janice Huang from my previous post wrote in her comment. She felt that Low, the leader of the WP was disoriented.