Digital media outlet Today will merge with the CNA digital newsroom on Oct. 1, 2024, and become CNA's digital long-form weekend magazine.

The merger will not result in staff cuts, as all Today staff will be offered roles in CNA, said Mediacorp in an Aug. 28 press release.

Today was first launched as a newspaper in 2000 before it discontinued its print edition and became fully digital in 2017.

Why merger?

According to Mediacorp editor-in-chief Walter Fernandez, this merger comes in "a post-Covid landscape defined by a global surge in news fatigue coupled with active news avoidance".

These trends have been "exacerbated by changes to the algorithm of selected social media platforms to de-emphasise news by reducing its discoverability".

Additionally, CNA digital and Today also noticed that the overlap between their audiences "has increased significantly over the past two years", added Fernandez.

What to expect from Oct. 1

After the merger, Today will focus on "producing analytical features on current issues" under CNA's "Big Read" brand, ground-up news features, human interest interviews, and opinion pieces every weekend, according to Mediacorp.

These will "supplement CNA's current suite of daily digital offerings" and "help to grow CNA's traffic and deepen its engagement", particularly on weekends.

From Oct. 1 onwards, all new content will be found on the CNA website and app, as the Today app will no longer be updated.

However, Today will retain its social media pages, with links directing audiences to the CNA website.

Top image via Google Maps