List of newspapers in Singapore
The following is a list of newspapers in Singapore, including those that are currently in publication as well as those that have since ceased operations.
In circulation
Singapore's major daily newspapers
| Newspaper | Language | Publisher | Format | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berita Harian | Malay | SPH Media | daily broadsheet | 1 July 1957 |
| Lianhe Zaobao (联合早报) | Chinese | SPH Media | daily broadsheet | 16 March 1983 |
| Tamil Murasu (தமிழ் முரசு) | Tamil | SPH Media | daily broadsheet | 2 May 1936 |
| The Business Times | English | SPH Media | Financial daily broadsheet | 1 October 1976 |
| The Straits Times | English | SPH Media | daily broadsheet | 15 July 1845 |
Secondary newspaper
| Newspaper | Language | Publisher | Format | Founded | Average daily circulation (2013)[1] | Average daily circulation (2016)[2] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| zbCOMMA (早报逗号) | Chinese | SPH Media | weekly tabloid | 1 January 1994 | 54,400 | 40,400 |
| Shin Min Daily News (新明日报) | Chinese | SPH Media | general daily broadsheet | 18 March 1967 | 130,600 | 100,300 (print + digital) |
| tabla! | English | SPH Media | general free weekly tabloid | 10 October 2008 | 30,000 |
Defunct papers
Prior to the dominance of The Straits Times in recent decades, Singapore had a diverse landscape of prominent English-language newspapers. The earliest among them was The Singapore Chronicle, established in 1824 as the first newspaper in Singapore. It served the settlement for over a decade before ceasing publication in 1837. In the early twentieth century, The Malaya Tribune emerged as a major competitor and, at its peak, outsold The Straits Times. However, it experienced a significant decline following the Japanese occupation of Singapore and ultimately ceased operations in 1951.
Other notable publications included the Singapore Tiger Standard, an English-language morning daily founded in 1950, which came under criticism for its editorial stance. It was labelled "anti-Merdeka" by S. Rajaratnam and was closed in 1959 following the rise to power of the People's Action Party (PAP).[3][4] In 1971, the Government initiated a crackdown on media outlets perceived to be under foreign influence or exhibiting subversive tendencies. This led to the closure of both The Eastern Sun and the Singapore Herald.[5]
English language
- Comrade (1946)
- Daily Advertiser (1890–1894)
- Democrat (1946)
- Eastern Daily Mail (1905–1906)[6]
- Eastern News (1940–1941)
- Eastern Sun (closed in 1971 for allegation on receiving money from communist intelligence from Hong Kong)
- Free Press
- Indian Daily Mail (1946–1956)
- Malacca Observer
- Malay Daily Chronicle
- Malaya Tribune[6]
- Malayan Saturday Post Illustrated
- Malayan Saturday Review
- Mid-Day Herald and Daily Advertiser
- Morning Tribune
- My Paper (merged with "The New Paper" on 1 December 2016)
- New Nation (1971–1982)
- Penang Guardian and Mercantile Avertiser
- Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle
- Project Eyeball (folded on 1 January 2002, less than two years after its release)
- Reporter's Advertiser[6]
- Shipping Gazette[6]
- Singapore & F.M.S. Weekly Advertiser
- Singapore Chronicle and Commercial Register
- Singapore Chronicle (1824–1837)[6]
- Singapore Daily News
- Singapore Daily Times
- Singapore Herald (1939–1941)[6]
- Singapore Herald (closed in 1971)
- Singapore Monitor
- Singapore Nippo
- Singapore Tiger Standard or Singapore Standard (1950–1959)
- Singapore Weekly Herald
- Straits Advocate[6]
- Straits Budget
- Straits Echo
- Straits Guardian[6]
- Straits Intelligence (1883–1886)[6]
- Straits Mail
- Straits Maritime Journal and General News
- Straits Produce[6]
- Straits Telegraph and Daily Advertiser
- Straits-Chinese Herald
- Streats (merged with Today on 1 January 2005)
- Sunday Mirror
- Syonan Shimbun
- Syonan Shimbun Fortnightly
- The Singapore Free Press (1835–1962)[6]
- The New Paper (1988–2025) (merged with "STOMP on 30 October 2025)
- Today (2000–2024)[7][8]
- Weekend TODAY
- Weekly Sun
Chinese language
In 1982, editorial executives of Nanyang Siang Pau were accused of propagating "Chinese ethnic chauvinism" and was detained without trial for a period of two years, and publication of The Chinese Daily was briefly halted.[9][10]
- Chong Shing Yit Pao (中興日報) – established on 20 August 1907; disestablished in 1910. The newspaper was founded and operated by members of the Tongmenghui and was aimed at promoting the 1911 Xinhai Revolution in China. The members responsible for the newspaper were Tan Chor Lam, Teo Eng Hock and Chan Po-yin. The daily distribution involved 1,000 copies.[11][12]
- Friday Weekly (星期5周报) – established on 21 February 1991;[13] disestablished on 7 January 2009 as zbCOMMA.[14] The newspaper is targeted at secondary school students.[14][15]
- Lat Pau (1881–1932)[6]
- Lianhe Wanbao (联合晚报) – established on 16 March 1983; disestablished on 24 December 2021. Merged with Shin Min Daily News (新明日报).[16]
- Nanyang Siang Pau (南洋商报) – established on 6 September 1923; disestablished on 16 March 1983 as Lianhe Zaobao and Lianhe Wanbao
- Nan Chiau Jit Pao[6]
- Sin Chew Jit Poh (星洲日报) – established on 15 January 1929; disestablished on 16 March 1983 as Lianhe Zaobao and Lianhe Wanbao
- Sin Kuo Min Jit Poh[12]
- Sing Po[17]
- The Union Times (1906–1948)[12]
- Thien Nan Shin Pao (1898–1905)[12]
- Xiao Xian Zhong[12]
- Xin Li Bao[12]
- Ye Deng Bao[12]
- Zhaonan Ribao (1942–1945)[12]
Tamil language
- Singai Nesan (1887–1889)[6]
Malay language
- Lembang Malaya
- Jawi Peranakkan (1876–1895)[6]
- Nujum Al-Fajar
- Sekolah Melayu
- Warta Ahad
- Warta Jenaka
- Warta Malaya
See also
References
- ^ "Annual Report 2013" (PDF).
- ^ "SPH Annual report 2016" (PDF).
- ^ "Ex-journalist leads PAP attack No. 2 on the English Press". Retrieved 19 August 2017.
- ^ "After 9 years paper closes doors". 1 August 1959. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
- ^ "Opposition Paper in Singapore Is Closed on Government Order". The New York Times. 29 May 1971. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Seow, Francis (1998). The Media Enthralled: Singapore Revisited, Volume 10. Lynne Rienner Publishers. pp. 6–9. ISBN 1555877796.
- ^ Abdul Rahim, Zackaria (10 November 2000). "TODAY is here". Today (retrieved from NLB). Retrieved 23 September 2019.
- ^ "TODAY to merge with CNA, become digital long-form weekend magazine". CNA. 28 August 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
- ^ Campbell, Colin (20 July 1982). "Singapore, Citing Unity, Again Reins In the Press". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
- ^ "Nanyang affair raised at C'wealth Press Union". Retrieved 19 August 2017.
- ^ Rebecca Chan Chung, Deborah Chung and Cecilia Ng Wong, "Piloted to Serve", 2012
- ^ a b c d e f g h Lee, Meiyu (21 January 2020). "From Lat Pau to Zaobao: A History of Chinese Newspapers". BiblioAsia. Singapore: National Library Board. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
- ^ "《星期5周报》发行李资政将主持仪式". Lianhe Wanbao. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- ^ a b Oon, Clarissa (31 December 2008). "Hip new student weekly with Zaobao". The Straits Times. pp. B3.
- ^ "各校校长同赞《星期5周报》 学生应有的报纸可作生活指导". Lianhe Wanbao. 19 February 1991. p. 8. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- ^ "年底并入《新明日报》 《联合晚报》结束38年历史" [Merging into Shin Min Daily News, Lianhe Wanbao ends 38 years of history]. Lianhe Zaobao (in Chinese). Singapore Press Holdings. 26 September 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
- ^ "Koh Yew Hean Press | Infopedia". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
