Media outlet faces suspension after prematurely publishing embargoed water price information
Mothership, an online media outlet in Singapore, has had its press accreditation suspended for six months due to breaching an embargo on an announcement regarding water price revisions by the national water agency PUB. The breach occurred when the outlet published an article and a Facebook post about the price changes on September 26, 2023, one day before the embargo was officially lifted on September 27.
As a result of the suspension, Mothership representatives will be prohibited from attending briefings and press conferences held by government agencies. The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) confirmed the suspension, which will remain in effect until March 27, 2024.
Mothership’s managing editor, Martino Tan, acknowledged the violation and assured that the outlet has implemented stricter protocols for handling embargoed information moving forward. The breach was attributed to an editorial team member failing to observe the necessary procedures, leading to their suspension.
This is the second time in two years that Mothership has faced a similar penalty. In February 2022, the outlet had its press accreditation suspended after prematurely reporting on an increase in goods and services tax ahead of the Budget announcement.
