Straits Times undergoes SG$1.6 mln revamp, erects paywall for online news

Singapore daily The Straits Times (ST), has revamped its pages on 1 July, in celebration of the newspaper's 170th anniversary this year.The newspaper’s SG$1.6 million revamp includes integrated design, better apps and key content changes.A seamless integrated designST’s team of editors and designers worked with Lucie Lacava, a designer from Montreal, Canada, to come up with a new design.All sections and covers - from World to Home, Business, Sports and Life - have been reworked to be bolder and make more impact. A special new font, called Silane, was customised exclusively for ST.Smarter apps, new metered paywallST's digital apps and website have also been rebuilt from ground up by international digital user interface specialists Tigerspike.More video and interactive graphic content will be rolled out as ST steps up its drive to bring the news in moving images and not just words.ST is moving to a metered paywall, which gives non-subscribers a certain number of free articles a month to read in full and share with their friends and contacts on social media.The revamped ST website will also see an international version of its home page, with greater focus on world news.Key content changesThe new ST products will be more local, global, and visual.- More local: Aside from the news, there will be a new daily features section containing topics of interest to readers - from education to technology, health to community issues.A new daily Briefing page gives readers a quick summary of what's in the news, alerts them to what’s coming up next, as well as why it matters to them.- More global - The newspaper continues to grow its network of correspondents and contributors around Asia and beyond, who will deliver more insights and special reports in the World pages. Every week, ST's correspondents will file a special feature based on their Field Notes while on assignment around the region, while global affairs editor Ravi Velloor will helm a new feature series on regional affairs.ST is introducing a new and separate Business section that has been expanded to cover both local and global news, in line with Singapore's global role as a business and financial hub.- More visual - Bolder use of visuals will be made to give ST's photographers, videographers, graphics artists, designers and cartoonists more room to showcase their skills in both print and online. There will be also be more emphasis on video coverage on the new digital platforms.The new Big Picture page at the back of the front section will feature photographs from around the world curated by our photo editors to inspire readers, get them thinking and talking, or just simply bring a smile to their faces.The Life section has been given a contemporary design which will allow stories and pictures to be displayed with greater impact and elegance.- More social - The move to the metered paywall will allow readers to experience and share ST's content readily, including engaging with its correspondents.A bold new Sunday TimesThe design team has come up with a bright and fresh new design for The Sunday Times, which will come in three distinct sections.Local and international news of the day will be contained in the first section, which is anchored by an expanded Sports section containing the latest newsbreaks from football to Formula One, to perk up Sunday mornings.A new analysis section, Insight, will anchor a brand-new second part of the paper. This will include weekly features on issues of the day, commentaries on various subjects and features from Singapore, ST’s bureaus and contributors.The new Life section, which completes the Sunday offering, will be big on food, with six pages devoted to Singaporeans' favourite pastime.Warren Fernandez, editor of The Straits Times, said:"The Straits Times will be getting a new look, new apps, but readers can rest assured it will have the same Singapore soul. Since 1845, ST has played a key role in giving voice to this Singapore soul. That is something we hope to do for a long time to come. So, do keep on reading ST!"Alan Chan, CEO of SPH, said: " We regularly refresh and rejuvenate to stay relevant and exciting to our readers and advertisers. With this latest revamp of The Straits Times across all platforms, our readers will be able to access timely and accurate news every day, on any device.”