Continuing to ensure credibility non-negotiable for Straits Times: Editor Jaime Ho

SINGAPORE – Amid the impact social media and technology have had on the news industry, ST editor Jaime Ho set out two key imperatives for The Straits Times: continue ensuring credibility and pushing for greater creative experimentation.

“We are not necessarily just purveyors of information. What is important for us is the credibility that stands behind that information,” said Mr Ho, who was speaking on Aug 20 at PR Asia Singapore 2025, a communications industry conference hosted by Marketing-Interactive.

Credibility is not only non-negotiable, but also how ST differentiates itself from its competition, which includes not just other media outlets but also content creators, he added.

The conference, which was attended by about 150 communications professionals, was held at Shangri-La Singapore.

Ms Rezwana Manjur, editor-in-chief of Marketing-Interactive, hosted the session that featured Mr Ho.

Responding to a question from the audience on the balance between speed and accuracy when competing with user-generated content on social platforms, Mr Ho shed some light on ST’s approach in the use of such photos and videos.

“The Straits Times may be half a step slower than some other outlets – it’s because we do do that extra one or two steps of verifying,” Mr Ho said as an example of ST’s commitment to accuracy.

“You will remember a time... where a 30-second or a minute’s difference between someone (else) posting on Facebook (and yourself) had crazy repercussions in terms of your audiences, but it has evolved over time,” he added. “Speed is still important, yes, but maybe less important than it used to be.”

Mr Ho said ST has a role to play in pushing back on the need for speed because of its potential to result in misinformation.

During their discussion, Ms Manjur pointed out that ST has been embracing new ways of storytelling, especially during the recent general election. This sometimes resulted in content that did not “feel like the brand I grew up with”, she said.

Mr Ho said that may not necessarily be a bad thing, as ST can be intentional with catering to different audiences.

“We can be far more creative if we allow ourselves to, and we have the benefit of our brand across different platforms,” he said.

Amid the many priorities that organisations need to juggle, including measures of success such as page views and social media engagement, Mr Ho said public service journalism is one of the biggest drivers of why ST exists.

He described the role of ST in Singapore society as being more than a receptacle of information from public relations agencies and newsmakers.

“We actually are a fundamental part of society, with a role in shaping discourse and appetites for news and information... We want to aspire to be a model for moderate, balanced, inclusive discourse within society,” Mr Ho said.

“There’s still a role for us to play to... talk about issues that really bring people together.”