Media, Migration and Politics: The Coverage of the Little India Riot in The Straits Times in Singapore

Abstract

On 8 December 2013, a group of foreign construction workers (FCWs) were involved in a confrontation with the police in the Little India neighbourhood of Singapore after the death of a worker in a vehicle accident. The confrontation was framed as the ‘Little India riot’ in The Straits Times, the most widely read newspaper in Singapore, often referred to as a state apparatus serving as a tool for nation building. Drawing upon framing theory, we analyze articles published in The Straits Times covering the ‘Little India riot’ over the period of a year. Our thematic analysis suggests that the newspaper framed the workers as ‘rioters’, connecting the riot to alcohol and street justice as a trait of the Indian culture, offering a cultural explanation for the underlying factors stirring and shaping the confrontation. The framing of the workers as criminals also justified increased surveillance and control of FCWs as safety measures to preserve Singapore’s security and national image as an investment and tourism destination. The news stories also presented multiple viewpoints regarding the handling of the riot and subsequent policy responses, allowing room for contesting opinions in the mediated public sphere. Left absent in the frames were the alternative narratives grounded in the voices of the FCWs.