The Straits Times marks 180 with digital revamp and shift in news reporting

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Singapore’s oldest English-language daily, The Straits Times (ST), is marking its 180th anniversary with a refreshed website and app designed to meet the demands of today’s digital-first, time-starved readers as well as to reposition the paper as more than just a source of information.

The latest digital revamp centres on three main goals: helping busy readers digest the news quickly, surfacing deeper reads on topics that matter to them, and keeping audiences engaged through innovative storytelling formats, according to ST. At the heart of the upgrade is an AI-powered newsfeed that offers quick summaries of the day’s biggest stories, plus a smart search tool that makes diving into ST’s rich archives easier than ever.

Beyond text, the redesigned site and app put a spotlight on multimedia with the new "Visual stories" section, featuring interactive graphics, podcasts, photos and videos. A cleaner, mobile-first layout means readers see more headlines at a glance, with carousel sliders for easy swiping. A new "Top stories" carousel inside articles lets readers move seamlessly from one story to the next without extra clicks or tabs.

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Other features include an upgraded myST+ for following favourite writers and topics, and a new explore tab showing what others are reading and listening to.

For ePaper fans, stories now expand into a mobile-friendly format with a tap where there will be no more endless pinching and zooming. The refreshed platform is available now via ST's website and the app on iOS and Android.

That said, the transformation goes beyond new features too. Editor Jaime Ho said the 180-year milestone is a chance to rethink how news reporting itself is done where it will now shift from a purely transactional model to one that prioritises community-driven journalism and deeper dialogue with readers.

“We must foster a sense of partnership, actively listen to their voices, understand their perspectives, and create spaces for meaningful dialogue and engagement,” said Ho at a gala dinner at Jewel Changi Airport on 11 July.

"This means investing in community-driven journalism, where we meet and collaborate with those around us, to identify the stories that matter most to them, and to amplify their voices," he added.

To do this, ST is putting more focus on meeting readers face-to-face, listening to their concerns, and amplifying stories that reflect Singaporeans’ shared experiences. This year alone, it launched "Conversations with The Straits Times", a series of forums to understand what readers want. It also ran a quiz competition for 6,000 students to boost news literacy among the next generation.

Ho said the newsroom would keep innovating in how stories are told, from interactive formats to data visualisation, to present information in engaging and accessibly ways.

"In this regard, I am extremely proud that in a little while, we will officially launch a refreshed and new web and app experience, which features a faster, cleaner interface with enhanced ways to personalise your news feeds," said Ho.

"We will continue to meet our audiences where they are, on the platforms they use, while most importantly, remaining true to the integrity and positive impact of our journalism," he added.

An exhibition reflecting the paper’s 180-year history is now open at Jewel Changi Airport and will move to other venues through August, with more community events lined up through the rest of the year.

The new digital push comes amid a rapidly changing media landscape, where newsrooms face challenges such as information overload, misinformation, and evolving audience expectations.

This also marks an important time for brands as recent research suggests that 78% of Singaporean consumers are more likely to trust a brand whose ads appear on credible news sites.

The study, conducted by Integral Ad Science last year, found that when it comes to where consumers expect to see safe and appropriate content, 39% said it was most important for news sites to have such content.

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