Third Conversations with ST discusses the role and relevance of media with young professionals
The group discussions were facilitated by 11 members of ST's editorial team, including ST editor Jaime Ho (front row, left) and ST associate editor Zakir Hussain (second row, right). ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
Third Conversations with ST discusses the role and relevance of media with young professionals
SINGAPORE – The third session of The Straits Times' engagement series took place on the evening of May 27, bringing together 40 young professionals to share their perspectives on ST's role as a national news publication.
The event, which ran for two hours, was part of the ST180 celebrations, marking the publication's 180th anniversary in 2025.
Unlike earlier sessions, which were held as panel discussions, the latest event held at PPP Coffee @ New Bahru adopted a more intimate format, with participants divided into six smaller groups for deeper conversations.
The group discussions were facilitated by 11 members of ST's editorial team, including ST editor Jaime Ho, ST associate editor Zakir Hussain and Mr Jeremy Au Yong, ST's associate editor (newsroom strategy).
Topics explored ranged from how the newsroom selects stories for coverage and how ST can remain relevant to younger audiences, to the need for society to retain common spaces amid polarising viewpoints.
Several participants said the session gave them a glimpse into newsroom decision-making, particularly in handling sensitive issues such as suicide coverage.
This event was the first session that was open to the public. The previous sessions in the year-long series called Conversations with The Straits Times were invite-only events, the first in January involving individuals from non-profit organisations and the second in March involving junior college students.
These sessions aim to facilitate candid discussions between ST and its audiences, by offering readers a chance to interact with the ST editorial team in person.
To remain relevant to younger audiences, several participants suggested that ST should make greater use of its Telegram channel to push news updates, noting that many of their peers are active on the platform.
Ms Edith Cheow Rui Xuan, 23, a final-year student at an institute of higher learning, said that the ST mobile app could provide incentives to encourage regular engagement.
'The ST app could provide reward perks for daily check-ins. Given the general inclination towards rewarding individuals for their time and effort, offering micro-rewards, gamified reading challenges or subscription tiers with exclusive benefits could encourage engagement,' she said.
Some participants also suggested that ST develop an applet that could present or recommend relevant stories from its own website, whenever users visit other news sites such as The New York Times.
Some also said they noticed a shift in ST's content over the years, including a growing emphasis on podcasts and short-form content.
An example raised were the short video clips produced during the 2025 General Election, where journalists explained election-related news in a catchy and accessible format.
ST senior columnist Lin Suling (centre) with participants at the third edition of Conversations with The Straits Times on May 27.
ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
Discussions also explored the continued importance of journalistic objectivity in an increasingly polarised world.
Participants reflected on how moderate voices often go unheard, while those with more extreme views sometimes dominate discourse.
Acknowledging these concerns, Mr Ho emphasised ST's commitment to balanced and objective reporting, despite it potentially becoming more challenging with polarising views in society.
Participants in some groups also expressed interest in seeing more coverage on topics such as alternative education pathways and mental health.
ST recently launched a youth-focused series titled More than Grades, which spotlights students beyond their academic achievements.
This follows a separate series – No health without mental health – that began in October 2024 to explore the topic of mental health in the local context.
Ms Linda Lee, 37, a human-experience leadership coach and speaker, said: 'Younger audiences today aren't just passive consumers – they're looking for something that feels real, relevant, and worth their time. ST can really lean into that by covering more stories of the human experience.'
For more information about ST180, visit str.sg/st180
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