Press accreditation of Mothership suspended again for breaking embargo

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) has suspended the press accreditation of local media outlet Mothership for the second time in less than two years.

The move comes after Mothership broke an embargo earlier this week regarding the rise in water prices in Singapore.

The MCI has not specified the duration of the suspension.

On Tuesday, Mothership released an article on its website and posted on Facebook, disclosing details of the upcoming water price hikes, which were under embargo until the following day.

Subsequently, the MCI swiftly suspended Mothership’s press accreditation, rendering the outlet unable to attend government agency briefings and press conferences during the suspension period.

Mothership has been given until October 11 to present their case and respond to the suspension.

This isn’t the first time Mothership has faced such action.

In March of the previous year, their press accreditation was suspended for six months for breaking an embargo regarding Goods and Services Tax (GST) increases during Budget 2022.

The outlet had posted an infographic on Facebook outlining the GST increases before the government’s official announcement.

Managing Editor Martino Tan had previously stated that the suspension would be used to strengthen their internal processes and implement corrective measures.

In response to the recent suspension, Mothership issued an “unreserved” apology, extending their regrets to Singaporeans, stakeholders, particularly PUB and MCI, and industry colleagues.

Managing Editor Martino Tan accepted personal responsibility for the breach and expressed deep disappointment in their lapse.

Tan further vowed to investigate and resolve the issues leading to such incidents, emphasizing their commitment to maintaining higher standards in the future.