Extracted from the Singapore Media Watch:
http://www.mediawatchsg.blogspot.com
Readership figures: Do Singaporeans have a choice ?
The Straits Times 20 October 2006
Krist Boo
Abstract
Straits Times keeps No.1 spot, drawing 1.35 million readers
The Straits Times has pulled in 30,000 more readers to its news
offerings this year that last year in a world that has seen
declining newspaper readership.
It retained top spot as the favorite daily in Singapore with 1.35
million readers this year, up from last year's 1.32 million.
Its editor Han Fook Kwang, calling this "very good news", said:
"Readership is failing in many newspapers round the world because
news is available free on the Internet, on TV and on radio."
TODAY 20 October 2006
Christie Loh
Without qualifiers, TODAY is Singapore's No 2 daily
Tabloid-sized TODAY continues to defy naysayers into its sixth year
of being.
According to the Nielsen Media Research's annual survey released
yesterday, the free newspaper moved up to become Singapore's second
most-read daily - regardless of language - as consumers defected
from the Chinese to the English media. (Read more...)
Our Review
In a market where the print media industry is monopolized
completely by a single company - the Singapore Press Holdings, such
rankings of readership figures serve little useful purpose other
than an internal QC of the chief editors of the various
dailies.
Do Singaporeans have a choice? Given the absence of variable
alternatives, Singaporeans have no where else to turn except the
mainstream media for their daily news. Only by topping the
readership charts in a free market with real competitors can the
Straits Times claim to be the most popular newspaper read by a
majority of Singaporeans.
Are readership figures alone an accurate reflection of the success
of a newspaper? Without the inclusion of other parameters such as
report authencity and objectivity, press freedom and quality of
analyzes, this figure is meaningless and cannot be used as a
barometer for press rating.
Please read the rest of article at: http://www.mediawatchsg.blogspot.com
Singapore Media Watch
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