Framing Singapore

I had the first meeting yesterday afternoon with my dissertation supervisor. It was brief, sharp and business-like, reflecting the person that she is. For anyone even remotely interested in what my topic is, I plan to examine how the mainstream British print media covers Singapore news, using the tool of frames analysis. What are the major scripts, schemas or storylines deployed by titles such as The Guardian, The Times or The Daily Telegraph when reporting on developments from the country?

I’m not sure if this is something I can pull off successfully. It’s certainly an area I’m interested in. But one thing is certain – the volume of coverage annually is not expected to be heavy. Furthermore, it might be difficult justifying the real-world public policy implications of the findings. I may have to look for academic justification instead. Whatever the case, the ride ahead looks uncertain at this stage.

We’re required to craft a 10,000 word dissertation. After having coughed up two previous works, one at 15,000 words, and the other at 20,000 words, this seems much less painful, surely? I doubt I will find myself overwhelmed with the research and data. But at this stage, it really is too early to tell. I’ll truly start worrying about this in the summer.