Indonesia, Singapore Voters Trust Legacy Media in Elections
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- Reuters Institute Digital News Report found global trust in news fell to 37%, the lowest level since 2015, with social media and video platforms overtaking news websites and apps on average across markets.
- An Indonesian panel survey of the 2024 presidential election found television remained the most accessed news source, followed by WhatsApp and face-to-face conversations, while nearly 90% of respondents said they never accessed print media.
- During Singapore's 2025 general election, digital editions of legacy outlets CNA, The Straits Times, and Lianhe Zaobao ranked among the most used and trusted sources, with television placing second in trust across demographics.
- Indonesian voters aged 15-24 consumed election content primarily through TikTok, WhatsApp, TV, Instagram, and YouTube, while in Singapore nearly one-third of all voters consumed podcasts daily during election time.
- Only about half of Indonesian respondents watched the presidential debates in full, while 60% watched only post-debate clips that significantly shaped their candidate perceptions.
- Singapore passed the Elections (Integrity of Online Advertising) (Amendment) Act in 2024 to counter digitally manipulated content, while Indonesia's EIT Law and Election Law contain no provisions regulating generative AI in elections; a January 2025 court ruling — issued after the vote — prohibited excessive alteration of candidate images.
- AI-generated content shaped Indonesia's election through satire and viral "Gemoy" cartoons linked to the Prabowo-Gibran campaign; in Singapore, about one-third of voters reported encountering AI-manipulated material at least sometimes.
Why it matters: The regulatory divergence is concrete: Singapore passed its Elections (Integrity of Online Advertising) Amendment Act in 2024, before its 2025 vote, while Indonesia's EIT and Election Laws still do not cover generative AI, with only a post-election January 2025 court ruling addressing candidate image alteration. These two paths will shape how the next campaigns in both countries handle deepfakes and AI-driven propaganda.
