Quite contrary

When your opinion is contrary to a newspaper reporter’s angle on a story she’s doing, there’s a high chance your opinion won’t be seen in print:

Hi Mr Lee,

I’m doing an article on the influence of local bloggers and I just have a few questions.

Local bloggers like yourself, mrbrown and Wendy Cheng are treated like mini celebrities, in that your readers are loyal to you and are influenced by your opinions.

– do you think this is a purely local situation, because of Singapore’s size?
– could you tell me one or two instances in which you realised that you were able to influence people?
– do you ever get special treatment at events, eg VIP passes?

I hope you can get back to me really quickly! Thanks so much for your help, I really appreciate it ๐Ÿ™‚

-jennani

Regards,
Jennani Durai
The Straits Times (Digital Life)

Hi Jennani,

Thanks for emailing.

Let me qualify your statement and question: No, I am not treated like a celebrity, mini or otherwise. But there are other bloggers who can be seen to be. Xiaxue, for instance.

– do you think this is a purely local situation, because of Singapore’s size?
No, there are bloggers in the US who are celebrities. Singapore’s size helps make it seem as if it is easy to bump into a familiar face.

– could you tell me one or two instances in which you realised that you were able to influence people?
Yes, a few other bloggers started misspeowling words like I did. Other than that, my (very few) opinions count for naught.

– do you ever get special treatment at events, eg VIP passes?
I once told a bouncer that I had 2000 visitors a day at my website, and he told me, ‘so do we, get back in line’. So, no.

Let me know if you have other questions. Xiaxue and mrbrown are on the cc list. So, consider them asked as well.

Cheers,


Kwai Lan some more lah! Press cut you out totally den you know!

Surf stop: being jennifer garrett
iTunes’ party shuffle is playing a copy of: Jericho – k.d. lang – Hymns Of The 49th Parallel, of which I have the original CD and therefore didn’t steal music.
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36 responses to “Quite contrary”

  1. stoned.nerd Avatar
    stoned.nerd

    haha. perhaps they have no place for your wit and humour in their prissy papers.

  2. stoned.nerd Avatar
    stoned.nerd

    haha. perhaps they have no place for your wit and humour in their prissy papers.

  3. willowink Avatar

    This is funny and should be in print!.. “I once told a bouncer that I had 2000 visitors a day at my website, and he told me, ‘so do we, get back in line’. So, no.”

  4. willowink Avatar

    This is funny and should be in print!.. “I once told a bouncer that I had 2000 visitors a day at my website, and he told me, ‘so do we, get back in line’. So, no.”

  5. mantis Avatar
    mantis

    yo buddy,

    are you going for EX. downunder?

    me still composing my deferment letter !!!

    maybe you can help !!!

  6. mantis Avatar
    mantis

    yo buddy,

    are you going for EX. downunder?

    me still composing my deferment letter !!!

    maybe you can help !!!

  7. Mr Miyagi Avatar

    No plans to defer for Ex Wallaby. Don’t defer lah. Go lah…. hahaha.

  8. Mr Miyagi Avatar

    No plans to defer for Ex Wallaby. Don’t defer lah. Go lah…. hahaha.

  9. Gloria Avatar

    Totally with you on this… not surprised that they didn’t print it. Forgive me for being out of touch but this student blogging competition thing is not real right? right?

  10. Gloria Avatar

    Totally with you on this… not surprised that they didn’t print it. Forgive me for being out of touch but this student blogging competition thing is not real right? right?

  11. mb Avatar

    Gloria, the Interschool blogging thing, IS REAL.

    Be afraid. Be very afraid.

  12. mb Avatar

    Gloria, the Interschool blogging thing, IS REAL.

    Be afraid. Be very afraid.

  13. HellsBel Avatar
    HellsBel

    You went to a Taufik concert?!

  14. HellsBel Avatar
    HellsBel

    You went to a Taufik concert?!

  15. ahmad Avatar

    “- could you tell me one or two instances in which you realised that you were able to influence people?”

    wah…sensitive question siarl. a bit ISD donch u think?

  16. ahmad Avatar

    “- could you tell me one or two instances in which you realised that you were able to influence people?”

    wah…sensitive question siarl. a bit ISD donch u think?

  17. Unknown Avatar

    This post has been removed by the author.

  18. Unknown Avatar

    This post has been removed by the author.

  19. Unknown Avatar

    I’m taking a Mass Media class and for one of my papers, well, two, but for one of them, I mentioned the blogging scene in Singapore.

    Like you said, it’s “easier” for people to bump into familiar faces and the “influence” is just much more noticeable – such as xiaxue’s tongue sticking out pose and its effect, which was really what I wrote about for “blogging and its effects”

  20. Unknown Avatar

    I’m taking a Mass Media class and for one of my papers, well, two, but for one of them, I mentioned the blogging scene in Singapore.

    Like you said, it’s “easier” for people to bump into familiar faces and the “influence” is just much more noticeable – such as xiaxue’s tongue sticking out pose and its effect, which was really what I wrote about for “blogging and its effects”

  21. Merenwen Avatar

    Warrau, you also kena from them? I feel slightly better about myself now knowing that I wasn’t the only blogger interviewed who had her comments completely edited out.

  22. Merenwen Avatar

    Warrau, you also kena from them? I feel slightly better about myself now knowing that I wasn’t the only blogger interviewed who had her comments completely edited out.

  23. powerpuff Avatar

    u know ah miyagi, i first started reading your blog because i thought your photos looks damn cool. then i realised your writing also cool coz damn hilarious in a localised way, everyone from singapore understands…. then you appear in newspapers.. you give them a monkey face expression photo… ๐Ÿ˜

    aiyoh!

  24. powerpuff Avatar

    u know ah miyagi, i first started reading your blog because i thought your photos looks damn cool. then i realised your writing also cool coz damn hilarious in a localised way, everyone from singapore understands…. then you appear in newspapers.. you give them a monkey face expression photo… ๐Ÿ˜

    aiyoh!

  25. Ah 9 Avatar

    rockhampton is a nice place. $5 big burgers, outdated arcade machines in the forest, shower buckets, worm cess pool…wat more can u ask? Hehehehehe the great outdoors.. =D

  26. Ah 9 Avatar

    rockhampton is a nice place. $5 big burgers, outdated arcade machines in the forest, shower buckets, worm cess pool…wat more can u ask? Hehehehehe the great outdoors.. =D

  27. ci'en Avatar

    So is this the end of the papers reporting about blogging? They seem to be trying all angles!

  28. ci'en Avatar

    So is this the end of the papers reporting about blogging? They seem to be trying all angles!

  29. lance Avatar
    lance

    ah 9 – don’t forget the frogs in the toilet bowls!

  30. lance Avatar
    lance

    ah 9 – don’t forget the frogs in the toilet bowls!

  31. sway Avatar

    with an undergrad degree in media (mainly journalism) from one of the most openly left-wing unis in australia, I’m frankly finding the whole media scene in Singapore a little hard to swallow.

    I guess they all have word limits to stick to and pesky sub eds and editors to report to though. *shrugs*

  32. sway Avatar

    with an undergrad degree in media (mainly journalism) from one of the most openly left-wing unis in australia, I’m frankly finding the whole media scene in Singapore a little hard to swallow.

    I guess they all have word limits to stick to and pesky sub eds and editors to report to though. *shrugs*

  33. Rambling Alcoholic Avatar

    Aiyah Mr M, its not that you really wanted your comments in the papers right? You not a media whore mah… Right?

    Anyway, after the last misquote, I think you should just give frivolous takes on any questions from the media that come your way. Its better to be not quoted than misquoted right?

  34. Rambling Alcoholic Avatar

    Aiyah Mr M, its not that you really wanted your comments in the papers right? You not a media whore mah… Right?

    Anyway, after the last misquote, I think you should just give frivolous takes on any questions from the media that come your way. Its better to be not quoted than misquoted right?

  35. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    haha but if that’s the angle of the story then you can’t expect her to put in your comments right? they’re directly in conflict with the whole story. can’t come down hard on the journalist for that. anyway, saw the Who Says I’m… ? (forgot wha it was) thing in Sunday Times. very cool ๐Ÿ™‚ you were interviewed right after Utt??!

  36. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    haha but if that’s the angle of the story then you can’t expect her to put in your comments right? they’re directly in conflict with the whole story. can’t come down hard on the journalist for that. anyway, saw the Who Says I’m… ? (forgot wha it was) thing in Sunday Times. very cool ๐Ÿ™‚ you were interviewed right after Utt??!

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