‘Easy reading is hard writing’

Patrick Daniel, 71

Mr Patrick Daniel began his career in the civil service, rising to director at the Ministry of Trade and Industry before joining The Straits Times in 1986 as a senior writer. He held various roles, including economics editor and managing editor, before becoming editor of The Business Times in 1992, a position he held for 10 years. He later returned to The Straits Times as managing editor overseeing the English, Malay and Tamil newspapers, focusing largely on navigating digital disruption.

In 2007, Mr Daniel became editor-in-chief of the English/Malay/Tamil Media Group, and was appointed co-deputy chief executive of Singapore Press Holdings in 2016, retiring in 2017 but continuing as a consultant until 2018. He came out of retirement in 2021

to serve as interim CEO

of the restructured SPH Media Trust, stepping down in 2022 when Ms Teo Lay Lim took over. Mr Daniel, 71, remains on the boards of SPH Media Trust, SPH Media Holdings, and the SPH Foundation. 

Recollections

“What made me join The Straits Times? The short answer is, although I was doing well in the Administrative Service, the pay in the civil service was low then. The Straits Times enticed me with a good offer and I eventually accepted. But how things have changed. These days, the civil service pays more than the media, so the flow has reversed.

From day one, I loved journalism and the media. I found that it suited me down to my toes, which is why I stayed so long. It helped that I am a decent writer. But I like so many things about the media – the headline-writing, the visual design, the photos, the illustrations, even the fonts we use.

I’m also actually better as an editor and re-write man. I organise a writer’s thoughts well, and am good at making their pieces flow. ‘Easy reading is hard writing’ has been a motto of mine.

I was also fortunate that my time in the media coincided with the rise of the internet – it was truly a phenomenon – which quickly brought the onslaught of digital media.

I remember the time when Google and Facebook made no money – they didn’t know how to, and had zero revenues. This was around the year 2000. Then they discovered digital advertising. Some of us could see it spelt big trouble for the news media.

By 2010, in one decade, they made more money from advertising than all the world’s newspapers put together. They literally cleaned out our plates. Part of the reason had to do with the fact that they were unregulated, whereas we were.

At The Straits Times’ 175th anniversary five years ago, I was asked to give a quote as a former editor-in-chief. I said that newspapers can survive only if they are owned by a billionaire or operate as a not-for-profit trust. I didn’t know then about the plan for the SPH Media Trust, but I was not surprised when it happened.

I think the Singapore media is fortunate it has a Government that appreciates the crucial role of a credible and trusted local media, and is prepared to put up taxpayer money to fund it. The Government here has all along believed it has a legitimate role in the stewardship of the Singapore media – ensuring fact-based reporting, no subversion by foreign actors, and survival of the vernacular press. But SPH Media must step up and play its part to continue earning the trust of its readers.

Now there is another onslaught – artificial intelligence (AI). We’ve yet to see where AI will take us. But we have to be alive to the new dangers as well as the opportunities.”