The Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) announced last week (Oct 17) that it will retrench employees and merging My Paper and The New Paper (TNP) to form a revamped TNP.

Warren Fernandez, Editor-in-Chief of English/Malay/Tamil Media group, said in The Straits Times that the merger was "a bold decision to serve our readers with a strong product and with revamped content."

He also said that TNP has a long tradition of remaking itself to stay attuned to readers' interests and needs.

"That's part of its DNA. So now, we're making it new again, and planning a product that we believe both readers and advertisers will find appealing." The Straits Times, Oct 17

Anyway, how did TNP first begin?

Launched on 26 July 1988, TNP aimed to be a tabloid catering to Singapore's growing English-educated workers.

According to then Editor-in-Chief Cheong Yip Seng in OB Markers: My Straits Times Story, he said that the formula of the paper was to be "80 per cent entertainment and 20 per cent serious-political but retailed in simple language and infographics."

And what was entertainment?

It meant social news, such as "crime, sex and sport, especially English soccer".

Goh Chok Tong's advice for TNP

As Cheong noted in his book, he had lunch with then DPM Goh Chok Tong, who was supportive of their editorial approach.

Goh gave Cheong a surprising suggestion that is worth quoting in full:

"Then he (Goh) surprised me with a suggestion: why not consider a Page 3 girl? Rupert Murdoch had made Page 3 girls famous. For the first time in media history, young topless models were on daily view on page 3 of the Sun newspaper which he bought in 1969. Thanks to them and the paper’s brash, racy journalism, the Sun was an instant success." OB Markers: My Straits Times Story

Before you jump to conclusions, Cheong quickly clarified in his book what Goh meant:

"Of course, DPM Goh was not suggesting topless girls, but 'they can be scantily dressed'. Ever the pragmatic PAP leader, not the prudish one of public perception, he knew what popular newspapers needed to do to sell. I was encouraged by his thinking, because it indicated to me how far I could go with TNP. We did not have a Page 3 girl, but we were not averse to using pictures of young women in daring poses.

That did not go down well with some parents; my neighbour called it a “toilet paper” and a few colleagues took the paper home for their children to read only when that day’s edition did not have racy material."OB Markers: My Straits Times Story

For people who have no idea what the Page 3 girl is all about, UK-based best-selling tabloid The Sun features an interview with a model daily on the third page of the paper. The model is usually featured in provocative outfits/poses and toplessness is almost mandated. The Page 3 feature began in 1970 and finally ended with much controversy last year.

What next for the revamped TNP?

There were talks among the industry that the revamped TNP will be competing with TODAY.

This is because the revamped TNP will also be distributed free, like TODAY.

But what will be TNP's new content formula then? 80 per cent online, 20 per cent offline?

SPH will be taking much risks to compete in the free morning dailies slot, especially if their assumption -- that TODAY is wildly profitable and therefore there is a market for a second free daily -- is wrong.

And more importantly, what will happen to TNP institutions like this?

Get a free TNP in December to find out.

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