CIRCULATION OF CHINESE DAILIES BEFORE PUBLICATION DATE

Mr Yeo Choo Kok asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Culture if he is aware that certain dailies, in the zeal of competition, have been bringing out their newspapers the evening before and whether such a practice (i) is in the interest of the reading public, and (ii) contravenes the permits issued under the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act.

Mr Fong Sip Chee (for the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Culture): Sir, the Ministry is aware that the Chinese dailies - Nanyang Siang Pau, Sin Chew Jit Poh, Shin Min and Min Pao - bring out their newspapers the evening before.

Nanyang and Sin Chew have the more serious news. They start printing around 9.00 pm. About 8% to 10% of their total daily circulation is put on sale between 9.30 pm. and 10.30 pm. The papers which come out at this time cater for the night market and cover news items up to 8.30 pm that evening. However, unless there are major news items later, both newspapers normally continue printing for the following morning's circulation. Usually, by midnight or so, 30% to 50% of the total circulation of the two newspapers would have been printed. It is normal for the two papers to stop press at around 12 midnight to 1.00 am to incorporate the latest news items.

Ideally the two papers should stop printing after catering for the evening market and resume printing only in the early hours of the morning. That would ensure that all morning readers get the latest news. Unfortunately this is not the case. The existing practice saves on overtime costs for the newspapers. It is also preferred by news vendors who find it convenient to collect the papers early.

Shin Min and Min Pao, on the other hand, cater mainly for readers who want light evening news. The evening editions, therefore, form the bulk of their total circulation - 56% to 70% for Shin Min, and 60% to 64% for Min Pao.

The early publication of the dailies does not contravene the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act. The hon. Member may feel that something ought to be done to ensure that as many readers as possible get the latest news. This is a matter outside official control, How, when and what makes a paper sell does not depend on official edicts or regulations. It is competition and consumer preference that decides the result. In an increasingly bilingual society, the Chinese and English papers compete more and more for the same readership. Among other things, it is the paper that is consistently first with the news that will get the readers.

Mr Yeo Choo Kok (Delta): ( In Mandarin): Sir, I would like to ask the Minister of State whether he will agree that with the success of the bilingual policy, more and more people can read both the English and Chinese newspapers. Therefore, if they find that the English newspapers could carry the latest news comparatively ahead of the Chinese newspapers, it will not be necessary for them to read the Chinese newspapers. In the long run, this will not be conducive to the interest of the Chinese newspapers. In fact, it will be a loss not only to the country but also to the Chinese newspapers and their readers as well. Is the Minister of State aware that recently when one of our Minister's speeches was made in Mandarin, it was published in the English newspapers the following day whereas it was published in the Chinese newspapers yet one day later. This is the result of the Chinese newspapers printing their papers too early in the evening before.

Mr Fong Sip Chee: Sir, the Ministry shares the hon. Member's concern for the well-being of the Chinese papers. As much as we like to adhere to our principle that the papers can compete freely, really it is the wisdom of the management of the various papers that finally decide.

I am aware of the example that the hon. Member quoted. It was indeed unfortunate, but I would call upon the dailies, particularly the Chinese dailies, to pay heed to the Member's concern. As I said earlier, and as the Member himself has acknowledged, in a more and more bilingual society, if one goes for news one would read the paper that could give first-hand news, be it English, Chinese, Malay or Tamil. The various vernacular papers are already hampered by more cumbersome editorial problems, like trans- lation from the teleprinters, international news plus local news releases into the Chinese, Malay or Tamil languages. It means a longer time spent on editing. This handicap, together with their policy, might reduce the papers into publishing timeless articles and losing out in the publishing of the latest news.

I would urge the newspapers to pay heed to the Member's concern but the Ministry will still adhere to our stand that we allow free competition to dictate their own fate.