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Jom (magazine)

Jom
EditorSudhir Thomas Vadeketh
FrequencyWeekly
PublisherThe Inquiry Pte Ltd
FounderSudhir Thomas Vadeketh, Charmaine Poh, Tsen-Waye Tay
Founded2022
CountrySingapore
LanguageEnglish
Websitejom.media

Jom is a Singaporean weekly digital magazine covering arts, culture, and politics. Founded in 2022 by Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh, Charmaine Poh, and Tsen-Waye Tay, it operates as an independent, subscription-funded publication.[1] The name "Jom" derives from the Malay word meaning "let's," commonly used as a call to action.[2]

Jom emerged in the context of Singapore's media landscape, which is characterised by government influence over mainstream outlets such as SPH Media Trust and Mediacorp.[3] The publication launched shortly after The Online Citizen suspended operations in 2021.[4]


History

The magazine launched in August 2022. Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh had previously worked for The Economist Group (2006–2013) and authored Floating on a Malayan Breeze: Travels in Malaysia and Singapore and co-authored Hard Choices: Challenging the Singapore Consensus. He holds degrees from the University of California, Berkeley and the Harvard Kennedy School[5]. In 2017, his piece on the Oxley Road dispute was published by Foreign Affairs.[6]

Co-founder Charmaine Poh is a photographer and multimedia artist whose work explores themes of queerness, identity, and agency[7]. In 2024, her work was featured in the main exhibition of the 60th Venice Art Biennale, and in September 2025, she was named Deutsche Bank's "Artist of the Year" for 2025.[8]

Co-founder Tsen-Waye Tay has worked as a news reporter, editor and features producer in print, radio and television mediums in Singapore.[9],[10] Her work has been featured at Alliance Française de Singapour, Objectifs and other galleries.[11]


POFMA correction direction (2023)

In July 2023, Jom received a correction direction under Singapore's Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) related to its coverage of the Ridout Road controversy, involving the rental of black-and-white colonial bungalows by two cabinet ministers. The correction direction, issued by Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong, was issued alongside similar directions to Kenneth Jeyaretnam and Thamil Selvan.[12],[13],[14]

Jom appealed the correction directions. In September 2023, High Court Justice Valerie Thean dismissed the appeals, upholding the correction directions. The court ruled that Jom's article contained statements that were false or misleading regarding the Singapore Land Authority's expenditure on the properties and Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean's parliamentary statements on conflicts of interest.[15]


Position in Singapore's media landscape

Jom has participated in Singapore's independent media ecosystem through involvement in NIMBUS (Network of Independent Media in Singapore), a volunteer-run organisation supporting independent media outlets.[16] Vadaketh has participated in panels at the Singapore Independent Media Fair, organised by Singapore Unbound.[17] Jom has participated in the Singapore Art Book Fair as an exhibitor with the release of their annual print publication.[18]

In media industry coverage, Vadaketh has described what he characterises as a "sea change" in how Singapore's establishment engages with independent media, noting instances where government agencies have responded constructively to coverage rather than through adversarial approaches.[19]

Despite its small size and rather short history, Jom has become recognized by other media sources as a credible source. It has been cited by BBC[20], The Economist[21] and other publications.

References

  1. ^ Guan, Yin Miao (15 September 2022). "Let's talk about "Jom": Singapore's new digital magazine". socialservice.sg.
  2. ^ Soon, Alan (26 January 2023). "Jom's Sudhir Vadaketh talks about a sea change in Singapore's media startup landscape". Splice.
  3. ^ "Singapore: Freedom on the Net 2021 Country Report". Freedom House.
  4. ^ "Singapore: Freedom on the Net 2021 Country Report". Freedom House.
  5. ^ "Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh", ESSEC iMagination Week - Singapore 2024
  6. ^ "The Oxley Road Dispute and Singapore's Future". Foreign Affairs. 19 July 2017.
  7. ^ Yong, Clement (7 August 2024), "Singapore's got talent: Venice Biennale has given Charmaine Poh wider geographical reach", The Straits Times
  8. ^ "Charmaine Poh named Deutsche Bank's "Artist of the Year" 2025", Deutsche Bank, 4 December 2024
  9. ^ "SIGHTLINES by Marc Nair and Tay Tsen Waye". Objectifs. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  10. ^ "Protecting Pangolins in Peril". Earth in Focus. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  11. ^ "New exhibition at Alliance Française de Singapour". Alliance Française de Singapour. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  12. ^ Shan, Chin Hui (16 July 2023). "Pofma orders issued to Kenneth Jeyaretnam, FB user and online site over Ridout Road rentals". The Straits Times.
  13. ^ "POFMA correction directions issued to Kenneth Jeyaretnam, online publication Jom over Ridout Road articles". CNA. 16 July 2023.
  14. ^ "Digital magazine receives correction directions", CIVICUS, 18 August 2023
  15. ^ Devaraj, Samuel (6 September 2023). "Digital magazine Jom loses appeal against Pofma orders for Ridout Road article". The Straits Times.
  16. ^ "NIMBUS". Singapore Unbound. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  17. ^ "Independent Media Fair". Singapore Unbound. July 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  18. ^ "Singapore Art Book Fair". SABF. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  19. ^ Soon, Alan (26 January 2023). "Jom's Sudhir Vadaketh talks about a sea change in Singapore's media startup landscape". Splice.
  20. ^ Wong, Tessa (17 January 2026). "A hotline to report vapers and caning if you're caught: Singapore's e-cigarette crackdown". BBC.
  21. ^ Banyan (13 May 2023). "A winner has emerged in the old rivalry between Singapore and Hong Kong". The Economist.
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