SINGAPORE - As most people work and study from home during the circuit breaker period, 65 per cent of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) print subscribers have been reading newspapers more frequently compared to three months ago, to stay updated on the Covid-19 situation.
This was a key finding of a survey SPH commissioned in April to understand media consumption habits during this period, and key results were released on Wednesday (May 13).
The survey showed that with more time to spare, 40 per cent of the 1,247 respondents are spending over 30 minutes to an hour reading the print newspaper. And 85 per cent of readers are doing so in more detail, including advertisements.
SPH said in a statement the findings are consistent across all SPH titles: The Straits Times, The Business Times, Lianhe Zaobao, Lianhe Wanbao, Shin Min Daily News, Berita Harian and Tamil Murasu.
Audiences have also been engaging more frequently and intensively with SPH's digital sites and applications, the company added.
Visitorship to SPH news sites and apps has nearly doubled, with page views even tripling in April 2020, as compared to April last year.
Time spent on SPH apps also rose about 30 to 40 per cent in April, from the previous year.
Meanwhile, The Straits Times saw a 40 per cent increase in digital subscriptions in April compared to March this year, with Berita Harian and The Business Times each seeing a 100 per cent increase in subscription numbers the same month.
Tamil Murasu had a 780 per cent increase in digital subscriptions, with Lianhe Zaobao growing 138 per cent, Lianhe Wanbao 582 per cent and Shin Min Daily News 820 per cent.
This growth came as SPH gave non-subscribers free access to Covid-19 articles across all its digital platforms from April 2, starting with The Straits Times, as a service to the public.
SPH said: "Overall, the findings are consistent with publishers' experience worldwide, where the readership of mainstream media outlets have increased significantly during this period."
The company added that in response to these changes in consumer behaviour, its publications are offering even more content across platforms, formats and genres to inform and entertain people.
The Straits Times, SPH Magazines and radio stations and other titles have ramped up lifestyle content to keep audiences engaged.
This includes daily #StayHome guides, videos on sewing their own face masks, easy-to-follow recipes for home cooks and bubble tea-drinkers, takeaway and activity recommendations, and workout tips.
These videos can be viewed on #StayHomeWithSPH, a dedicated digital platform launched in mid-April.
Mr Anthony Tan, SPH deputy chief executive officer, said: "The SPH team has been working hard during the Covid-19 crisis to bring up-to-date and trusted reporting to our audience. It is encouraging to see that our subscribers, both print and digital, are more engaged with our content during this period."
SPH has also rolled out initiatives in print and online to support advertisers through these difficult times, he noted.
"We have in fact seen an increase in subscriptions and sales of our physical papers during this period which is testimony to the trust readers put in our content," he added.
He said SPH will continue offering Covid-19 related articles for free on its digital platforms, adding: "It is our hope that these new readers will explore our other content, and eventually become subscribers."
