Singapore Independent Media Fair 2026
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Foyer (Level 5) — free entry
Exhibition 1–7pm
GV Hall 2 (Level 6) — ticketed
Panel 1 (1.5 hrs) 1:30–3:00pm
Mini-workshop 1 (45 min) 3.15–4:00pm
Mini-workshop 2 (45 min) 4:15–5:00pm
Panel 2 (1.5 hrs) 5:15–6:45pm
[Update: Please note that Mynah will no longer be boothing at the fair due to unforeseen circumstances.]
What is the role of independent media in a time of multiple crises?
Independent journalism is becoming more necessary, and yet more difficult. War, authoritarianism, inequality, climate crisis, and disinformation have all intensified the pressure on journalists and media organisations.
Globally, Reporters without Borders’s World Press Freedom Index is at a 25-year low, with the legal indicator seeing the sharpest decline and Singapore cited as an example where abusive lawsuits are used against journalists.
At the same time, media organisations around the world are laying off journalists, shrinking newsrooms, and experimenting with AI-generated content, precisely when societies most need rigorous reporting, public-interest journalism, and trusted spaces for people to understand the crises around them.
In this context, NIMBUS (the Network of Independent Media for Better Understanding and Support) will organise the fourth Singapore Independent Media Fair on 25 July 2026 from 1pm to 7pm at GV Cineleisure, with a focus on the role of independent media in a time of crises.
The fair will feature two panels. The first will explore how independent media can continue to tell the truth amid increasing polarisation, disinformation, and attacks on media freedom. The second will imagine how independent media can create space for joy and optimism in a time of crises, moving beyond the doom and gloom that dominates public life. For the first time, the media fair will also introduce mini-skills workshops related to ways people can use the media for storytelling and expression in our overwhelming, turbulent world.
Through these events and a dynamic line-up of exhibitors, we remind ourselves that, while these are distressing times, we are not helpless if we act and grow together.
Panel 1 (1.5 hrs) 1:30–3:00pm
What is the role of independent media in a time of crises?
with Jinna Tay, Toh Ee Ming, Shibani Mahtani, Liew Kai Khiun
moderated by Shafeeqah Gill
In today’s destabilising landscape of simultaneously ongoing crises, independent media outlets carry the sole brunt of objective reporting amongst attempts of holding organisations of power accountable. The question then begs - how are said outlets meant to juggle the weight of the numerous responsibilities while serving their purpose to the public? How is the independent media meant to survive in the face of systemic censorship?
Join moderator Shafeeqah Gill (WakeUp Singapore) in conversation with Jinna Tay (National University of Singapore), Toh Ee Ming, Shibani Mahtani, and Liew Kai Khiun as they explore the increasingly challenging responsibility of the independent media in current dynamics.
Panel 2 (1.5 hrs) 5:15–6:45pm
How can independent media create space for joy and optimism in a time of crises?
with Cherian George, Don Shiau, Dion Chan; moderated by Isaac Neo
We often hear about how we live in a ‘polycrisis’, ‘permacrisis’, or whatever buzzword you want to use to describe our increasingly unstable world. However, amidst all this negativity, how can independent media create spaces for joy and optimism, reminding people that a better world is possible?
Join moderator Isaac Neo (SG Climate Rally) in conversation with Cherian George (Hong Kong Baptist University), Don Shiau (@donsayone), and Dion Chan (@projectx.sg) as they unpack how independent media practitioners can use positivity and humour to appeal to their audiences.
Workshop 1 (45 min) 3:15–4:00pm
How to verify online content
by journalist and community advocate Ellis Ng
Description
There is just so much out there. Every time we pick up our smartphones or jump on our computers, we’re overwhelmed with a deluge of content: algorithmic feeds, news articles and blogs, TikTok videos, social media outrage, AI-generated content… it goes on and on. How do we even begin to navigate our way through all this? How do we figure out what’s real and what isn’t? Join journalist Ellis Ng in this 45-minute workshop on verifying online content to gain the skills and tools to stay on our feet amid an era of overload and overwhelm.
Workshop 2 (45 min) 4:15–5:00pm
Cook/ed and Hook/ed:
Telling Stories with Intentionality in an Age of Abundance
by documentary storyteller Ong Kah Jing
Description
How can the stories we tell reach our intended audience? More importantly, how can we do so without losing ourselves in the process?
Join documentary storyteller OKJ as he draws lessons from food to make sense of the storytelling process, showing you the power of your intentionality and the necessity of honing your delivery.
Exhibitors (NIMBUS members)
Established in 1997, Ethos Books, an imprint of Pagesetters Services Pte Ltd, creates fresh, different and enduring books that reflect the ethos of our changing times. We are an independent Singapore publisher of literary fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
Lepak Conversations curates inclusive and thought-provoking conversations so we can view Malay/Muslim issues from a collective lens, where the focus is on you and I together, instead of you versus me.
Mekong Review is a quarterly English-language magazine of arts, literature, culture, politics, the environment, and society in Asia, written by people from the region or those who know it well.
Founded in 2016, Mynah is an independent print magazine for the Singapore stories that don't fit the news cycle, the school syllabus, or the status quo. With word counts that run into the thousands, our stories allow for depth, context, and nuance.
New Naratif is a community-driven publication platform based in Southeast Asia that believes in educating, engaging, and empowering people with the knowledge and skills to take collective action to advance their rights and interests. From media to research to capacity-building workshops, we continue to nurture our strength in ‘storytelling’ as an instrument for community-building amongst Southeast Asians.
Plan B Media is a Singapore-based podcast platform that produces bold, thought-provoking conversations on current affairs, politics, and social issues. We aim to spark dialogue, challenge perspectives, and engage the public through accessible, impactful storytelling.
SG Climate Rally (SGCR) is an ecosocialist, climate justice collective which organised Singapore’s first-ever physical climate rally in 2019. We reject the narrative that the climate crisis is caused by insufficient individual action, and seek to unite Singaporeans in the fight for our future by building class consciousness and regional solidarity.
Singapore Unbound envisions and works for a creative life for everyone through the arts and activism by organizing events and publishing books and a literary journal. Gaudy Boy is the publishing arm of Singapore Unbound.
Transformative Justice Collective isa Singapore-based collective that organises for futures free of prisons, policing, surveillance and other systems of punishment and oppression. We organise with communities that are in conflict with the law.
We, The Citizens is a newsletter by independent journalist and activist Kirsten Han about Singapore with a focus on politics, democracy, human rights and social justice.
Workers Make Possible aims to deepen public understanding of labour issues by offering critical labour analysis, rallying workers around key demands, and supporting workers by providing direct assistance when they face crises. WMP is rebuilding worker power in Singapore.
All other exhibitors
AFTERIMAGE (est. Oct 2024) is a Singapore-based publisher of local literature focused on poetry. As the publishing arm of the literary non-profit Sing Lit Station, the press is committed to supporting impactful and efflorescent work that extends and renders anew the country’s rich literary lineage.
Beyond the Hijab is a collective advocating for Muslim women in Singapore to share their stories, experiences and critical perspectives.
End FGC Singapore, founded in November 2020 by local Muslim-raised women and activists, is a community effort led by a diverse group of people who advocate for the end of female genital cutting in Singapore. We hope to encourage conversations about sunat perempuan amongst our communities so as to inspire care and change.
NTU Financial Aid Friends (FNAF) is a student-led organisation calling for access to affordable education for all. By being on the ground, FNAF aims to amplify student voices that are often sidelined in mainstream media on matters such as financial aid, cost of living, and quality of education.
Function 8 is a collaborative endeavour undertaken by a collective of concerned citizens. We recognise the importance of fostering open dialogues about social, political, and economic encounters – both past and present – that contribute to the betterment of society.
HOME runs a women’s crisis shelter and supports all migrant workers who experience abuse and exploitation through casework and welfare assistance. We also provide skills upgrading through HOME Academy and peer-led community development through HOME Family, while advocating for policy changes that improve the lives and rights of migrant workers in Singapore.
Jom was founded to inform and delight with slow journalism, grounded in humility and sensitivity, and guided by the never-ending quest for truth.
Migrant Workers Singapore is an initiative founded by and for migrant workers in
Singapore. At its heart, MWS believes that real change begins with support and
solidarity. We provide a platform for migrant workers to express their talents, share
their cultures, and raise awareness about the challenges they face.
The Nanyang Chronicle is a student-run campus newspaper published by the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University. Every academic semester, the paper aims to provide timely campus news, share vital information, and serve as the voice of the NTU population.
we’re no name distro sharing zines in and around pulau ujong! we’re thinking of mutual aid and zine-sharing as a way to set up relations of exchange that aren’t just grounded in money or capital, but instead grounded in collective liberation, solidarity, connection and care.
People’s Artists Initiative is a collective of artists and cultural workers working together to build cultural capacity towards a people’s culture.
Project X is the only non-profit organisation in Singapore that provides social, emotional and health services to people in the sex industry.
Refractions is a Singaporean publication plugging gaps of discourse in cinema.
Student Actions for Transformative jUstice (SATU) is an abolitionist student organisation. Our current efforts are focused on death penalty and prison abolition, while building transformative justice practices (starting within our communities).
Students for Palestine is a student-led organisation calling for Singapore's divestment from all academic, economic, and political ties with Israel.
The Independent brings an independent perspective on news and current affairs in Singapore. Started on the 9th of August 2013, the news website brings in-depth perspective and analysis on current affairs, economics and politics in Singapore.
The Online Citizen is an independent news and commentary platform focused on public interest reporting, civic discourse, and accountability. We publish original reporting, analysis, and explainers on issues that matter.
Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) is an NGO in Singapore that assists low-wage migrant workers in Singapore. The organization advocates for policies that ensure the fair treatment of all migrant workers, and promotes the socio-political conditions in which exploitation, abuse and injustice become history.