Mediacorp to merge TODAY digital newsroom with Channel News Asia

Mediacorp, a state-owned media company under Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, Temasek Holdings, has announced on Wednesday (28 Aug) that the TODAY digital newsroom will merge with Channel News Asia (CNA) on 1 October 2024.

This merger, which will effectively transform TODAY into a digital weekend magazine under CNA, is presented as an effort to consolidate resources and expand CNA’s reach both within Singapore and internationally.

As part of the merger, TODAY will shift its focus to producing long-form analytical features on current issues, in-depth news reports, human interest stories, and opinion pieces under its Big Read brand, which will be published every weekend. This content is intended to supplement CNA’s existing daily digital offerings, with the goal of increasing CNA’s digital traffic and deepening audience engagement, particularly on weekends.

Starting 1 October, the TODAY app and website will no longer be updated, with all new content being channeled through CNA’s platforms. However, TODAY will maintain its social media pages, which will redirect followers to CNA’s digital sites.

Walter Fernandez, Mediacorp’s Editor-in-Chief, framed the merger as a response to global trends, including increased news fatigue and active news avoidance, trends exacerbated by changes in social media algorithms that de-emphasize news content. Fernandez also cited a significant overlap between the digital audiences of TODAY and CNA as a key factor in the decision to merge the two newsrooms.

The merger will not result in job losses, according to Fernandez, as all TODAY staff will be offered roles within CNA. These roles will involve either working on the new weekend magazine or integrating into other teams within CNA, depending on their expertise.

While Mediacorp presents the merger as a strategic response to the evolving media landscape, critics might view this consolidation as part of a broader trend of centralizing media under state influence in Singapore, particularly given Mediacorp’s ownership by Temasek Holdings and the fact that SPH Media Trust, which runs The Straits Times and other vernacular publications such as Lianhe Zaobao, is funded by the Singapore government through a grant of S$900 million.

TODAY, launched in 2000 as a free newspaper and a rival to Streats, another English-language freesheet published by Singapore Press Holdings, quickly rose to prominence as the second-most widely read daily in Singapore. In 2002, TODAY launched a weekend version, WeekendTODAY, which was distributed to homes as a free newspaper and also sold at newsstands for 50 cents.

In 2004, Singapore Telecommunications pulled out of the newspaper venture by selling its 28.51 percent stake in the company for S$13.66 million, following SMRT Corp.’s sale of its 14.56 percent stake for S$3.5 million.

In April 2017, TODAY discontinued its weekend edition, publishing only on weekdays. Later that year, in September, it ceased print publication of its weekday edition, continuing solely as a digital publication.

Despite its achievements, including international recognition for its short-form video content and coverage of youth issues, TODAY has faced significant challenges, such as the controversial suspension of Mr Brown’s column in 2006 after he criticized the government.

The merger also raises questions about the future of media plurality in Singapore, where Mediacorp already holds a dominant position.

Chief Commercial Officer Jacqui Lim sought to reassure advertisers, promising competitive alternatives across Mediacorp’s network, which includes CNA, 8 World, Berita, and Seithi. Lim emphasized that the merger aligns with Mediacorp’s audience-first approach, aiming to provide innovative and effective media solutions.