Letter: SPH Should Remove Their Paywall Since They Are Getting S$900M Of Taxpayers’ Money

[kobayashiGT]

Source: https://mustsharenews.com/sph-should-remove-paywall/

SPH Is Still Gatekeeping Media Content With Paywall Even Though It’s An “Essential Public Good”

Since 2015, The Straits Times (ST) has had a paywall for many of its articles, and in 2018 introduced ST Premium in light of falling profits.

On 15 Oct 2018, Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) reported a 19.7 per cent fall in net profit for the year.

However, that was not enough to stop SPH from becoming a non-profit organisation (NGO), named SPH Media Trust (SMT) in 2021.

Even though the Government promised S$900 million to SMT over the next five years, ST Premium remains.

Currently, a subscription costs S$9.90 a month, or S$24.90/month to read it on a tablet.

If the Government is already funding SPH with taxpayers’ money, why do citizens still have to pay for articles under their paywall?

When announcing SMT’s funding in February 2022, Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo said in Parliament that “preserving local news media remains critical”.

She also referred to the local news media as an “essential public good in our multiracial, multi-religious society”.

If the Government believes that SMT is an “essential public good”, shouldn’t the content on ST and SPH’s other publications be free?

What is a public good if it’s not available to all?

Since SMT is now legally an NGO, there’s no longer a need to seek profit. It also received funding to restructure its operations last year.

Considering the substantial financial support SMT is receiving, there’s no reason why they should charge readers for access to their content.

If anything, their publications should be free, especially for Singaporeans.

Ms Teo mentioned in Parliament that, “SPH had invested almost S$50 million annually in technology investments and digital talent”.

More money than that is flowing into SMT now. How much does ST Premium make for SMT?

And is it still necessary to gatekeep this “essential public good” from readers?

Marcus

[Mustank]

f**k straits time lah

The people money also dare to take 

buay Kia lang too lan

[Mustank]

1 minute ago, yishunite said:

No lah, should keep paywall up so cannot spread propaganda 

Edit: I know any article not behind paywall can either be found elsewhere for free or is actual propaganda. So this is perfect filter service.

Those pap good oppo bad one they don’t put wall one lah 

[Sosaria]

Only the "good news" that people should hear, is not behind the paywall

 

[Mkl22]

@kobayashiGT you forgot to add a 3rd option:

Dont give a shit! 🤣

[Estrangable]

Shitty times is good for picking up dog poo and wiping your windows. 

 

[Inlinefour]

penang $8 cum fatty umbrage unhappy how huh 🙈🙊🙉

[Volvobrick]

15 minutes ago, Estrangable said:

Shitty times is good for picking up dog poo and wiping your windows. 

 

Got to train my furry master to be able to read which is shitty times so she can poo on it! 

[Estrangable]

17 minutes ago, Inlinefour said:

penang $8 cum fatty umbrage unhappy how huh 🙈🙊🙉

hello... u need to keep up with the news....Sammo Hung has replaced fatty kim earlier this year. 

[ToyotaShuttle]

SPH needs to charge more so @kobayashiGTcan have big bonus!

[kobayashiGT]

19 minutes ago, ToyotaShuttle said:

SPH needs to charge more so @kobayashiGTcan have big bonus!

I don't have any shares with SPH anymore, and they are no longer my paymaster. hahahahahaha. 

[ToyotaShuttle]

12 minutes ago, kobayashiGT said:

I don't have any shares with SPH anymore, and they are no longer my paymaster. hahahahahaha. 

omg, just googled it. sold to toyota?

do you get free prius?

[Davidklt]

Every access to any of their website , you must clear a giant advertising pop up. And Umbrage has the cheek to say they put news over money?

[macrosszero]

52 minutes ago, Davidklt said:

Every access to any of their website , you must clear a giant advertising pop up. And Umbrage has the cheek to say they put news over money?

An astute and poetic observation. Clearly, money comes before news.

[Ahwhye]

53 minutes ago, Davidklt said:

Every access to any of their website , you must clear a giant advertising pop up. And Umbrage has the cheek to say they put news over money?

what wrong with collecting more money? somebody once said......

[Tianmo]

I feedback twice to them, they did nothing. So I gave up the paper, not even digital copy. 

I bought their papers for 35 years, and finally gave up ,totally gave up, so paid or free ,I don't care.

 

[inlinesix]

Since Day 1, the model proposed to Govt has always been paywall 1st.

Not enough?
Govt top up.

Govt will need to get more money once govt fully fund it.

[Lala81]

I'm anti subscription for almost everything. Netflix I guess is still worth it.

I paid one year for Dropbox premium but went back to free after that. 

I guess Google drive/photos and Icloud subscription is worth it for Android or Apple users.