TODAY‘s digital newsroom will merge with CNA‘s digital newsroom on 1 October 2024. According to its press release, TODAY will become the digital long-form weekend magazine of CNA.
The aim of the merger would allow TODAY to be served by CNA‘s larger digital platform which comprises readers in Singapore and overseas.
Readers of TODAY familiar with their “high-quality original journalism” need not worry. TODAY will continue to produce the long-form analytical features it is currently known for under its Big Read brand and supplement CNA daily digital offerings with weekend opinion pieces.
Advertisements
In case you’re not familiar with TODAY, here are 11 facts about this digital newspaper and its merger.
TODAY was founded in 2000
TODAY was set up as a free newspaper in 2000 as a joint venture between Mediacorp, SMRT and SingTel Yellow Pages, and as part of the government’s bid to liberalise the media sector.
Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) had launched their own free newspaper, Streats, just before TODAY was founded.
TODAY was the second-most read newspaper in Singapore
In 2005, TODAY became the second-most widely read daily English newspaper in Singapore, with a readership of 537,000. One year later, TODAY’s readership reached 621,000, making it the second-most widely read daily in Singapore across all languages.
TODAY was the first newspaper to go fully digital
The days of free newspapers to tide over the morning commute came to an end in October 2017 when TODAY ceased its print edition and the musty smell of its pages would no longer fill the nostrils of commuters.
Despite the transition, its work in the digital space not gone without notice. Over the last few years, TODAY has won international accolades for its use of short form video on TikTok
and its online seminar series on the findings of its Annual Youth Survey.
TODAY only ran on Sunday for one year
TODAY launched a Sunday edition in May 2011, but it was shelved (no pun intended) one year later in June 2012. The weekend edition was eventually discontinued in 2017.
Advertisements
TODAY turned profitable only after 5 years
TODAY posted its first profit in 2005, an amazing feat considering that it was a free newspaper. This only came about after both SPH and Mediacorp entered into an agreement in 2004 to stymie years of losses.
Under the agreement, SPH would sell its SPH MediaWorks television channels to MediaCorp and Streats would cease publication. In exchange, SPH took a 40% stake in MediaCorp’s publishing business, and a 20% stake in its MediaCorp’s television operations.
No staff will be cut as a result of the merger
Upon the merge between CNA and TODAY, Mediacorp has announced that there will be no staff cuts and all existing staff will be offered roles in CNA. Depending on their skillsets, they would be assigned to be part of the team working on the new TODAY weekend digital magazine or strengthening other teams within CNA.
Advertisers, however, will be offered alternative spots across the Mediacorp Network
Advertisers on TODAY will be offered alternative advertising solutions across the Mediacorp network namely, its stable of news brands that includes CNA, 8 World, Berita and Seithi.
The merger was motivated by increasing news fatigue
Mediacorp editor-in-chief Walter Fernandez cited the worldwide increase in news fatigue and active news avoidance as reasons for merger. This has been exacerbated by changes to the algorithms of certain social media platforms to de-emphasise news and reduce its discoverability.
Advertisements
The merger would reduce cannibalisation of declining readership, given the overlap between CNA and TODAY‘s audiences.
TODAY will retain their social media pages
According to its press release, from 1 October, the TODAY app and website will no longer be updated. All new content will be found on the CNA website and app. Nonetheless, TODAY will retain its social media pages, with links pointing audiences to the CNA website.
Looks like the Gen Zs using the TODAY Telegram Channel need not have to migrate to another news site.
mr brown used to write for TODAY
The comedian mr brown used to have a weekly column in the newspaper as part of a wide move to attract young readers.
This was axed after he came under fire for his satirical piece criticisng the government’s recent measures and cost-of-living increases entitled “S’poreans are fed, up with progress!”.
Advertisements
TODAY had a collaboration with The New York Times
TODAY launched a weekly newspaper with The New York Times called the TODAY—New York Times International Weekly in 2010. This weekly focuses primarily on international affairs, social trends, arts and culture as well as business and finance, containing hand-picked features from The New York Times.
The New York Times has entered into such collaborations for the publication of an international weekly with 30 newspapers across the world.
These five GRCs could see the tightest battle in GE2025; here’s why:
Read Also:
- Trump Exempts Electronics from 125% China Tariffs, Sparing Smartphones and Computers
- Elderly Charity Shop Owner Baffled by Over 50 Boxes of Mystery Donation Blocking Store Entrance
- DNA from Two Men Discovered on Murdered Singaporean Woman’s Clothing as Court Orders Comparison with Main Suspect
- Former Police Officer Convicted in Fatal Maid Abuse Case That Left Victim Weighing Just 24kg
- Teen Arrested in Johor for Selling AI-Generated Fake Nudes of School Peers for RM2 Each
