Straits Times Online Mobile Print

Straits Times Online Mobile Print
Founded June 2006
Area served Singapore
Parent Singapore Press Holdings
Slogan(s) "Asia's leading citizen-journalism website"
Website www.stomp.com.sg
Alexa rank Decrease 10,345 (May 2014) [1]
Type of site Online journalism blog
Registration Necessary
Available in English
Launched June 2006
Current status Active

Straits Times Online Mobile Print (also abbreviated as STOMP or S.T.O.M.P) is a Singapore-based web aggregator and online journalism web portal managed by the Singapore Press Holdings. Singapore Press Holdings describes it as "Asia's leading citizen-journalism website".

Controversy

STOMP contributors, otherwise known as STOMPers, have been widely criticised for submitting xenophobic, racist and sexist content onto the portal. There are also instances of fabricated submissions targeting National Servicemen and commuters on public transport.[2]

In 2012, STOMP staff, 23 year old Samantha Francis, was sacked after submitting a photo of an MRT train moving with the train doors wide open. It was later revealed that she had taken the photo off Twitter. The editor-in-chief, Mr Patrick Daniel, issued an apology to SMRT.[3]

On 24 March 2014, a STOMPer submitted a photograph of an NS Man not giving up his seat to an elderly woman on the train. This photo was later found to be doctored- in reality, there was an empty seat next to the man which was cropped out of the photo.[4]

In April 2014, an online petition to close down the portal went viral.[5] The petition garnered close to 23000 signatures as of 15 April 2014. Robin Li, owner of the petition, stated: "STOMP has failed to rectify and set simple sensible guidelines before any irresponsible netizen contributes a fabricated story without getting the right facts."[6]

References

  1. "Stomp.com.sg Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved 2013-05-10.
  2. "Why does Stomp even exist?". Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  3. "AsiaOne: Stomp Staff sacked over false MRT open door photo". Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  4. "Straits Times portal’s inaccurate report about NSman on train". Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  5. "Change.org". Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  6. "Change.org". Retrieved 2014-04-15.

External links