SPH now meets readers wherever they are: Chan Yeng Kit

Nine out of ten Singaporeans consume SPH Media's content each week across 120 different channels, according to Chan Yeng Kit, who succeeded Khaw Boon Wan as chairman of SPH Media Trust and SPH Media Holdings on October 1. To stay relevant, SPH Media has adopted a multi-channel, multi-format strategy, reaching audiences through apps, social media, videos, and podcasts.

Chan emphasized that SPH Media goes where its main audiences are, hoping they will come to their platforms, but they also go to where the audiences are to bring them to consume news on their platforms.

For instance, The Straits Times, a flagship title, now reaches readers via 15 channels, including messaging apps. Across the group, SPH Media has more than 120 channels, or 50% more than five years ago when it was incorporated as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee. Each flagship title also has a young audience product and social media accounts to reach the youth.

SPH Media's digital reach is the largest in Singapore, with over 300 million page views each month across owned and operated platforms. Social media reach averages 1.2 billion impressions and video views per month, with 15% of the audience consuming content through video. The media organization is not only a text-based company but also multimedia, according to Chan.

The challenge of reaching audiences has accelerated due to digital and social media developments, artificial intelligence, and the spread of misinformation and disinformation, which have led to societal polarization in multiracial, multilingual, and multi-religious societies like Singapore. SPH Media aims to be a trusted news source, earning the trust of more than three-quarters of Singaporeans according to surveys and internal data.

SPH Media's titles such as ST are evaluated by the government for trust, satisfaction, reach, and engagement, with recognition that for news titles to be effective, they must be trusted and credible.