As a follow up report, you should also do a piece on

a) Student’s reactions on the closing of the store
b) The proprietor’s reasons behind the closing
c) The administration’s view on the issue; did they order for the shop to close?
d) And what is on everyone’s mind – was The Ridge’s report the catalyst for the demise of our comic corner?

As it is now, you are in fact culpable of putting a personal view on the matter because the selection process of news stories and interviewees is never objective.

If you really wish to “provide the facts”, you should, as a matter of editorial fairness, also consider the general state of manga distribution in Singapore. Are these “offensive” titles also carried in reputable book stores like Kinokuniya? This general context-setting story is missing from the above report.

As such, it is not surprising why many readers view your journalistic integrity to be suspect. Coupled with the fact that The Ridge hasn’t shrugged off its image as a lifestyle/info-mercial fodder, your appeal to the ethos of “objectivity” is really, in the words of raydance, “lame”.

But seriously, I hate it when things are censored ‘for our own good’.

Mandy and Zheng Wei’s quotes adopted a more extreme viewpoint as compared to the rest of the six and so I thought it would be interesting to put them in, to show the contrasting views students can have with regards to the issue. So no, they are definitely not made up. Also, close readers would have noted the authorities’ responses when the issue was raised – interestingly they were quick to acknowledge the “wrongness” of the action even though legally, they weren’t wrong to display books tagged suitable for aged 18 and below to a university students who were definitely 18 and above. That to me, rather, was the more interesting bit of the story.

Yes, I do agree that this is a university and we are old enough to be responsible for our actions. But this is not a commentary (it is a news story) and the intent is not to reflect the writer’s point of view. Rather, it is to provide the facts as they are and hope to “thought-provoke” readers which in this case, has already been achieved. I am glad the story has generate so much discussion.

such actions are futile and a collosal waste of time -.- its not gonna decrease or increase the number of rapists,flashers and molesters in this country -.-

and i so tink Mandy and Zhang Wei are just made up so the whole article dosent seem biased…if there is an 18 yr old out there who hasnt seen porn b4 he or she is either a really devoted religous person,has been locked up in a room with no windows since birth with no tv,pc etc or is not human -.-

Mandy Tan and Ong Zheng Wei, seriously? Do you guys really exist or are you some fictional characters? “Intoxicate with lust”? “I don’t think we should promote such an unhealthy culture openly”? Where have you guys been living that such things will incite you to be lustful and go around, I don’t know, flashing other girls or something.

ANYWAY, if this article didn’t get published, or if no one outed the comics, would the larger student population have realised that these mangas existed anyway? I’m sure the eight students who borrowed the two titles have been “intoxicated with lust” and gone around “promoting unhealthy culture”. The whole NUS population is going to pot, because of these two comics, and have turned into sex-crazed fiends.

The students are 18+, not 8. I think many can make decisions for themselves.