In the previous 2 days of my course, there’s been a growing emphasis and dialogue on the growing trend of “New Media” and how the Singapore Government has to adapt and learn to use these new tools to stay current.
While I think that the Government is still wayyyyyy behind in the New Media frontier, I am glad of the growing interest and study on this. I’ve always believed that if the Government continues to ignore these, it is to their peril and demise. As more and more Singaporeans move into this realm, it has become harder for the Government to address issues and concerns directly. New Media allows for people to become generators of news and opinions, with few regulation. No longer do people have to go to the traditional media, which is somewhat more tempered. People vent, criticise or even support the Government online, me included.
One concern for many Government agencies in using new media is the lack of control. They have to give up some control on the outcome. But this is inevidentable. No longer are Singaporeans mindlessly taking everything in. The new generation has breed more critical, skeptical and expressive people, who do not take kindly to being controlled and no longer blindly follow whatever the Government tells them.
In my capacity as a corporate communications officer, I’m trying to see how I can help my statutory board move forward into this area. This hasn’t been an easy road, having to convince people from all levels of authority and justifying the amount of money that has to be invested into such ventures. Above all, the word CONTROL is constantly being used as an excuse not to move into this unknown territory. I am trying to convince people that the more we try and hold on to control, the faster and more painful we’ll lose it. If we gradually take risks, we can than minimise the fallout, if any.
While it has so much easier to keep quiet and not ‘rock the boat’, I’ve come to realised and accept that being a civil servant is not just about doing a job. It’s about having a vested interest and helping to sculpt my country. I’ve realised that I can’t simply complain about the Government, if I don’t do anything to help. Working in the Government might be very tough, with people being resistant to change and new ideas. And being in such a low position on the hierarchy doesn’t help either. But since I’ve been placed here, I might as well do my best, using my skills and knowledge to help wherever I can.
On that thought, do help to remind me of this when I’m having a bad day at work. 
