TNP remains popular with young readers
According to the latest Nielsen survey, one in four people aged 15-29 reads the paper
The New Paper remained the local paper with the highest proportion of young readers, according to market survey company Nielsen.
About one in four readers – or 25.8 per cent – aged between 15 and 29 reads TNP, said its latest report on Singapore Media, conducted between July last year and June 2016.
It surveyed 4,660 of the Singapore population aged 15 and above.
The paper's popularity with the younger readers could be due to the generation becoming more socially conscious and taking to social issues, said Mr Joe Baladi, CEO of the branding consultancy brandAsian.
Over the years, TNP has established itself for its compelling human interest stories, told with strong visuals.
"Stories that make people feel a perceived sense of injustice tend to gather more traction today," said Mr Baladi.
The paper's extensive sports coverage was also another pull factor, said TNP reader Ismail Rahim, 28, who has been buying the paper since his primary school days.
"I read TNP for the football news and match reports and I will continue to do so," he said.
The combined average daily readership for TNP was 6.4 per cent, with the hardcopy publication's reach at 5.6 per cent, and its digital read at 1.0 per cent reach.
The Straits Times has retained its top spot as the most-read English title in Singapore, with print and digital readership combined at 29 per cent reach on an average daily basis.
The survey showed the combined readership of print and online newspapers reached close to six in 10 adults (58.2 per cent) in Singapore.
Printed newspapers continued to be the staple read for one in two adults (50.7 per cent), while on an average daily basis, digital newspapers were read by 14.9 per cent of local readers.
DIGITAL
The Straits Times was the most-read English title with the print edition read by 22 per cent of Singapore adults, and its digital version scoring 10.4 per cent readership.
The paper was primarily read by higher income groups, with three-quarters (74.7 per cent) of its readers registering a monthly household income of $5,000 and above.
Forty-eight per cent of its readers were professionals, managers, executives and businessmen (PMEB).
Lianhe Zaobao was Singapore's top Chinese-language paper and had a combined daily readership of 14.1 per cent among the Chinese.
The printed copy obtained a reach of 12.7 per cent and the digital edition 2.1 per cent.
Freesheet Today had a combined average daily readership of 12.9 per cent, with its print edition reaching 11.4 per cent and the digital version 1.8 per cent on an average daily basis. About three in four readers (73.9 per cent) had a monthly household income of $5,000 and above. Forty-five per cent of its readers were PMEBs.
The report also said that Internet usage had continued to grow, hitting a daily usage of 80.8 per cent and a monthly usage of 83.3 per cent.
The increased usage came mainly from instant messaging, watching movies/TV/videos and news or e-newspapers access.
Accessing the Internet monthly was prevalent for almost all people aged 15 to 44 years old (98.9 per cent). For those aged 45 and above, there was also a growth, with more than six in 10 (64.3 per cent) adults going online.
More than seven in 10 (76.4 per cent) adults accessed online news or watched movies/TV/videos monthly.
On a weekly basis, close to four in 10 (39.7 per cent) adults accessed local online news or watched movies/TV/videos. At the same time, over nine in 10 (91.7 per cent) adults read local print newspapers or watched local television broadcasts every week.
Ms Annette Kunst, managing director, media, Nielsen Singapore, said: "In spite of the increased Internet penetration...and the availability of a wide potpourri of online content globally, home-grown news and entertainment content remain a fundamental source of information to the Singapore audience as they provide a local perspective and flavour."
Pick up the new TNP from Dec 1 - it's free
The New Paper will continue to engage young readers when it revamps itself next month.
Come Dec 1, you can pick up the new TNP - for free - from Monday to Saturday at many distribution points, including MRT stations.
Targeted at PMEB (professionals, managers, executives and businessmen) readers, the new TNP will have content attuned to their interests and needs.
This includes news on the economy, property market, jobs, personal finance and health in a format that is easily digestible.
The new product is the result of a merger of TNP and My Paper, said Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), which publishes both papers, in a statement last month.
The revamped TNP, which will feature a new masthead, will combine the strengths of both products and have a circulation of up to 300,000.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
