TNP, my family
Ex-TNP reporter recounts experiences at tabloid when it was launched in 1988
After years of asking questions as a reporter for Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), Ms Trudy Lim found the tables turned on her on Tuesday.
For The New Paper's 30th anniversary, TNP spoke to the 54-year-old Singapore Polytechnic senior lecturer, who was one of the members of Project 459 - the tabloid's code name before it saw life in 1988.
Former president S R Nathan, who was executive director at Straits Times Press and Singapore Press Holdings in 1988, wrote in his memoirs, An Unexpected Journey: Path To The Presidency: "Why '459'? Apparently this was then the postcode for Toa Payoh, which perfectly represented the readership (young heartlanders) we had in mind."
It is this focus that has guided TNP towards the colourful, human interest-centred coverage it is known for today.
UNIQUE ANGLES
One of Ms Lim's first TNP reports was her coverage of the then Malaysian King's 1988 state visit to Singapore. A blurb appeared on the front page of TNP's first issue on July 26.
After not being allowed into the Istana for lack of a press pass, Ms Lim thought on her feet. She said: "I saw the King's grandchildren playing with the press photographers outside the building and decided to interview them instead.
"I got on my hands and knees and played Lego with them. I talked to them in royal Malay, which I had learnt in school."
The resulting article- The King, Our Baba - was published on July 29, 1988, and portrayed a king who lavished presents on his grandchildren and who never spoke a harsh word to them, giving a human face to the royal office.
Her article perfectly captured the unique story angles TNP reporters were expected to get.
THICK SKIN
Ms Lim devoted nearly 18 years to TNP before leaving in 2007 to lecture at Singapore Polytechnic.
She admitted she was initially sceptical of Project 459 because she thought the reports the tabloid covered were "fluffy".
She said: "Sometimes, newsmakers would refuse to talk to us when they hear we are from TNP. But this taught me to grow a thick skin, gave me courage to knock on doors, and I learnt how to persuade them to give me a chance."
Now as a senior lecturer, Ms Lim trains future journalists.
"The two most important values are accuracy and ethics. Curiosity and resourcefulness are the most important skills journalists need."
She talked about how she grew to love her TNP colleagues, who shared her joy at her wedding and when she had her two children.
Ms Lim said: "It was such a small team. We all knew one another. They were my family. To this day, in my lectures, I refer to SPH as 'we'. My students know my heart is still with them."
TNP has made it to its 30-year birthday
For a person, turning 30 is often a milestone.
It is the age when you find your footing in life, perhaps get married, have children and forge further ahead in your chosen career.
The New Paper turns 30 today, having launched its inaugural edition in 1988 with local football legend Fandi Ahmad on the cover.
I had wondered how big a deal it was for a newspaper to turn 30, considering I know dozens of people who have turned 30. And our sister paper, The Straits Times, is over 170 years old.
But many of my colleagues, all veteran journalists, reminded me what an achievement turning 30 is for a newspaper, especially in light of the disruption that the newspaper industry is facing globally.
In the US, the printing presses of papers that have histories dating back to the 1800s - some of them Pulitzer Prize-winning publications - have gone quiet in recent years.
So how did we make it to 30?
It is all thanks to you, our reader.
Every time you pick up a copy of TNP at the MRT station, or call up the e-paper on the TNP app with your smartphone, or read a report on our website, it is validation that the journalism we do is of value to you.
In recent months, we have broken stories that raised questions about what happened in the death of a Singapore Civil Defence Force full-time national serviceman after an alleged ragging incident.
We also wrote reports that got a local tech firm blacklisted from internship portals of tertiary institutions for inappropriate conduct, and uncovered a baggage touting syndicate operating at Changi Airport.
We have shared stories about two young children who lost both parents in a car crash in Malaysia, a hero diver who gave his life to save a colleague, and an ITE graduate who saved a heart attack victim by performing CPR.
Moving forward, we will make it even easier for you to read our reports.
We will be relaunching our award-winning TNP e-paper app soon. The redesigned app will be easier to navigate, and it will give you more options on how you can read and share stories.
So once again, thank you, dear reader, for all your support for the last 30 years.
With you behind us, we will keep doing what we do best - telling stories about Singapore and Singaporeans.
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