Contested Territory: Social Media and the Battle for Hearts and Minds
CPT Lau Jian Sheng, Jason
Articles
Total copies: 1
Throughout history, military forces around the world have faced a similar challenge—garnering civilian support for their activities. Militaries are cognisant that their potency rests not only on their offensive capability, but also on the resolute backing of the entire population. Consequently, militaries are compelled to actively secure the wider public’s commitment to defence. This is a vital task even for the world’s most powerful military, the United States. Singapore is no exception. It is likely that the formulation of Total Defence as a security philosophy for Singapore was inspired by earlier models such as Switzerland’s ‘General Defence’ and Austria’s ‘Comprehensive National Defence’. Psychological defence is one of the five pillars of Total Defence. The foundation for this robust pillar of psychological defence has been continual engagement with the populace and the media’s impact on fostering commitment to defence is most critical. Singapore’s defence strategy that e ncompasses c ultivating a national consensus has come under mounting pressure in recent years, with media consumption patterns shifting from the mainstream mass media to online social media. The author concludes that in the long run, it is timely to open up to public dialogue and deeper personal engagement, as in the contest for hearts and minds, a tightfisted regulation of social media may yet win the battle but lose the war.
Author:
Source:
Pointer Vol. 41, No. 1
Series:
Pointer Article ; Vol. 41, No. 1
Language:
English
BRN:
129577