MIRROR ON THE WALL: MEDIA IN A SINGAPORE ELECTION, Eddie C.Y. Kuo, Duncan Holaday, Eugenia Peck

The situation is unique: a city-state completely wired; a multi-cultural society; a stable hegemonic state-media relationship; near monopolistic control of information services by the print and broadcast media.

Then, a national election. The New Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong, handpicked by Singapore's charismatic first leader, Lee Kuan Yew, seeks a mandate from the people.

This pioneering study, the first to focus exclusively on the role of media in Singapore election and to use empirical methods and concepts from mass communication studies, addresses these questions:

Who used which sources to get what sorts of information about the election?
What was the extent and general content of the election coverage in the various media? Did the media favour and party, and to what extent?
What were the campaign issues in the media and the minds of voters?
What level of credibility was accorded to media coverage of the election?
What the coverage perceived as fair and complete?
To what extent did the media's agenda determine public perception of election issues?