Editorial: The changing media landscape

It is now official. Singapore Press Holdings’ (SPH) The New Paper (TNP) and My Paper will merge at the end of the year to form a new TNP.

The reason for the merger is to reduce costs of operation, in a “changing media landscape,” announced SPH.

It also revealed that up to 10 per cent of staff will lose their jobs over the next two years.

While some took to social media hailing the decision, mostly pleased that they now have another free paper, other Singaporeans hardly bat an eyelid to the news.

Yet significantly, the merger could mean a different editorial direction for the paper and a change in the stories that it used to churn out.

Soccer, sometimes scantily clad women and shocking crime stories – call it what you like, but TNP speaks to a different demographic The Straits Times did not always capture.

A slice of diversity provided by the large number of human interest pieces in TNP’s coverage that we used to enjoy could possibly be lost.

This merger also seems to be part of a larger shift, with the “changing media landscape” largely affected by changing news consumption habits in Singapore and worldwide.

In a media environment that already lacks diversity, having one less print outlet further signals a steady shift from print to online.

Print journalism is far from dead, but there is an increased emphasis on providing news to readers through social media and online platforms.

For example, a survey conducted earlier this year by Nielsen showed that the reach of The Straits Times’ print edition decreased to 22 per cent from 23.8 per cent last year.

In contrast, its online audience grew from a reach of 9.52 per cent to 10.4 per cent.

This increasing preference for news in the online realm is also highlighted in the proliferation of alternative media websites, some of which provide different viewpoints to breaking news stories.

But such increase in the amount of information online should be confronted by an increase in discernment among readers.

We as readers ought to be selective in what we read, regardless of whether the stories are from established media outlets or independent online sites, whether they are from print or online.