Newspaper readership holds firm in Singapore

Survey also finds use of Internet on the rise among adults
Felda Chay, Business Times 23 Oct 09;

NEWSPAPERS and other print media may be in decline in the West, but they continue to do well in Singapore, according to the 2009 Nielsen Media Index survey.

The study, conducted from July last year to June this year, surveyed 4,687 adults aged 15 and over. It found that print readership held firm from last year, with 75.3 per cent of respondents having read a newspaper the previous day - the same as in the 2008 survey.

Overall daily readership of English newspapers, excluding the bilingual My Paper, was about 49 per cent - similar to last year. Similarly, readership of the three Chinese papers remained stable: 29.4 per cent of those surveyed said they read at least one Chinese daily, versus 30.1 per cent a year back.

The Straits Times remained the leading newspaper, with daily readership of 37.7 per cent, slightly down from 39 per cent last year. Readership of The Business Times remained the same year on year at 2.9 per cent. Professionals, managers, executives and businessmen accounted for about 80 per cent of BT's readership.

The New Paper gained readers, upping its share to 13.8 per cent, from 13 per cent in the previous survey.

Free newspapers did not do badly. Readership of My Paper jumped 2.6 percentage points from last year to 8.4 per cent. And readership of Today rose to 18.4 per cent, from 16.8 per cent.

'More people who are reading paid papers are reading free papers as well,' said Rebecca Tan, executive director of Nielsen Media Research. 'The free papers have also attracted other English paper readers, especially My Paper, which was launched with the aim of giving English readers more exposure to the Chinese language.'

Television held its own, with 78.2 per cent of adults tuning in TV daily, versus last year's 78 per cent.

The survey also found that Internet use has increased, with 59 per cent of adults going on line, up three percentage points from the previous survey.

The Straits Times maintains its lead
Nielsen survey also shows its online site increasing its reach
Chua Hian Hou, Straits Times 23 Oct 09;

IN A year when many newspapers around the world lost readership to the Internet, Singapore's most widely read paper, The Straits Times, held on to its 1.4 million readers.

The number was unchanged from last year's, an annual media survey has shown.

The Nielsen Media Index, regarded as the most authoritative here, released its report yesterday confirming this paper's dominant position in Singapore.

And it was not just in print that the 164-year-old broadsheet made its mark.

Its recently relaunched online site, www.straitstimes.com, recorded the largest leap in eyeballs of all newspaper sites, increasing its reach from 3 per cent of total readership to 4.3 per cent, a 43 per cent increase.

Straits Times editor Han Fook Kwang attributed the strong showing to the newspaper's focus on quality journalism.

'It's heartening to know that The Straits Times held on to its readership in a year when many newspapers around the world lost readership to the Internet and to free papers, he said.

'It shows that readers are prepared to pay for newspapers provided we deliver quality content relevant to their lives. That's what we have to continue to do to remain the dominant paper.'

The newspaper has undergone several makeovers over the years to meet changing readership needs, including a major re-design and revamp last year.

Its 22-strong pool of full-time regional correspondents is the biggest such network in the region.

Its Sunday edition, The Sunday Times, also maintained its readership at 1.4 million.

Other products by The Straits Times' publisher, mainboard-listed Singapore Press Holdings, also did well, according to the survey, which polled 4,687 adults over a one-year period ending June.

Bilingual news freesheet My Paper, which recently broke the story of pageant winner Ris Low's brush with the law, was the star performer in achieving the biggest increase in readership reach of all local papers - growing its share of readers here from 5.8 per cent to 8.4 per cent.

Readership of vernacular newspapers like Lianhe Zaobao, Berita Harian and Tamil Murasu remained largely stable.

MediaCorp's freesheet Today was read by 18.4per cent of Singaporeans.

Unlike audiences overseas, 'there are only a few locally-based sources that cover the news thoroughly,' said assistant professor Mark Cenite, of the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at the Nanyang Technological University.

'So those local sources are able to hold on to their market share even in economically turbulent times - the alternative for the audience is not knowing what's happening.

'However, if the mainstream sources get more competition, particularly free or cheaper competition that is trustworthy, audiences may choose those alternatives.'

Innovations see ST sites forging ahead
Straits Times 23 Oct 09;

AN AUGUST revamp of The Straits Times' online offerings, with more breaking news, blogs and multimedia content, helped it score more readers.

The site's Breaking News section is now the site's most popular section, and readers also flock to the blogs by the paper's journalists, which cover topics as diverse as Bangkok street protests and a blow-by-blow account of a charged meeting at which the ousted committee of a local women's group retook the reins.

The multimedia content by RazorTV was also a hit, with more than one million visitors every month checking out videos like the infamous 'Boomz' interview video of ex-beauty pageant winner Ris Low.

Other innovations include a free iPhone program introduced in January to allow users to catch RazorTV videos. In June, the team worked with Nokia to pre-install a custom-made program onto the phone giant's N97 mobile phone to allow users to read news from the site, and it launched a Twitter feed in May.

Said straitstimes.com editor Joanne Lee: 'The focus has been on building the newspaper's Web presence by reaching out to online readers.

'We aren't just waiting for readers to visit ST.com but we're pushing out content on social networks and mobile applications to connect with readers in whatever medium they feel comfortable.'

CNA remains favourite channel for professionals & managers: survey
Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia 22 Oct 09;

SINGAPORE: From issues affecting Singaporeans at home to latest developments in the region, Channel NewsAsia - which turned 10 this year - brings the Asian perspective to viewers.

And this has made it the television news outlet of choice among professionals and managers in Singapore, reaching two in five of them.

The latest Nielsen survey showed that 42 per cent of that segment watches the channel regularly. Among the general population, the channel retained a steady 20 per cent viewership.

Other MediaCorp channels remain popular, with about 80 per cent tuning in everyday. In particular, Chinese-language channels - 8 and U - being the most popular.

The broadcaster said that it boils down to having a good mix of quality local and overseas programmes.

"We don't want to give them a good reason to say, I need to still subscribe to other channels, because terrestrial TV alone can give them the stuff they need, and we can satisfy their viewing needs," said Chang Long Jong, deputy CEO, Television, MediaCorp.

Despite the growing popularity of the Internet, Nielsen said this does not come at the expense of traditional media in the short term. And that is because presently, most people go online to check emails or surf the web.

"But in the long term, as the young become more Internet-savvy, we foresee that the trend will change. There will be a gradual shift to the young going after information and entertainment via the Internet," said Rebecca Tan, executive director, Media Group, The Nielsen Company, Singapore.

Riding on a global trend, free papers like MediaCorp's TODAY continue to attract those looking for complementary sources of information to paid broadsheets.

TODAY's daily reach rose 1.6 points from last year to hit 18 per cent, with more people aged 25 and above reading the free newspaper by MediaCorp.

Also, radio remains ever popular - with over 9 in 10 tuning in on a weekly basis.

- CNA/sc

Singaporeans more wired than ever
Nielsen survey shows an increase in online messaging
Today Online 24 Oct 09;

SINGAPORE - Not only are more Singaporean adults - three in five - now plugged into cyberspace, the proportion hooking up with social networking sites has doubled, from 12 per cent to 23 per cent of the population.

While email and general surfing remain the top two activities online, the Nielsen Media Index reported, more are using Internet messaging to keep in touch.

"We are seeing at least one in four adults in Singapore using (Internet messaging) on a monthly basis," said Ms Rebecca Tan, executive director for Media Group, The Nielsen Company Singapore.

With faster broadband speeds and connection, more people across all age groups are also watching videos, movies and television programmes (31 per cent, a 6 percentage-point increase), as well as accessing news/current affairs (24 per cent, a 5 percentage-point increase), on the Internet on average every month.

The Nielsen survey involved 4,687 respondents here above the age of 15. Broken down by age group, however, what proved popular online activities varied markedly between generations.

The more Web-savvy Generation Y, those 15 to 29 years old, go online for a broader spectrum of purposes, especially entertainment and social networking. Generation X (aged 30 to 44) log on more for news and information, but a sizeable chunk also go online for entertainment and social networking.

Internet use is generally lower among practical Baby Boomers (aged 45 to 59) but "financial institutions would be interested to know that ... financial services ranked fifth as the most popular Internet feature used by Baby Boomers, and that Generation X and the Baby Boomers are more likely to conduct financial services online compared to Generation Y", said Ms Tan.