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Pub Date:14/05/2005 Pub:ST Page:S18

Column:Foreign Matters

Headline:s ne!s d"ing !it# t#e aged$%":&anadas De'an

Page Heading:(e'ie!

Sub)e*t:Singa+ore Press, -nited States Press

H.(.S a little se*ret: #at ee+s t#is ne!s+a+ers editor, Mr Han Foo !ang, u+ atnig#ts is not t#e +ros+e*t o3 re*ei'ing bri*bats 3rom readers or ro*ets 3rom ne!s

maers t#e net morning6

#at ee+s #im u+ at nig#ts is somet#ing more terri3"ing t#e +ros+e*t o3 not

re*ei'ing an" bri*bats or ro*ets at all be*ause t#e ne!s+a+er #as be*ome irrele'ant6

#at ee+s #im u+ is t#e +ros+e*t o3 nobod" gi'ing a 3ig !#at a++ears or doesnt a++earin t#e +a+er be*ause a d!indling number o3 +eo+le, mostl" abo'e 75 "ears o3 age, are

reading it6

Far3et*#ed$ ot 9uite6 T#e grisl" 3uture #as alread" arri'ed, es+e*iall" in t#e -nitedStates6 Consider t#e +rodu*ts most 3re9uentl" ad'ertised on -S net!or ne!s s#o!s:

iagra and dentures, +ain medi*ation and laati'es6 T#at is be*ause t#e median age o3

net!or ne!s 'ie!ers is no! 70 "ears old6 T#e "oung arent interested in t#e ne!s; onl"t#e rand" and toot#less, t#e *onsti+ated and art#riti* **ording to 3igures +ublis#ed in t#e latest issue o3 ilson ?uarterl", t#e *ombined'ie!ers#i+ o3 net!or e'ening ne!s +rogrammes !as 52 million in 1@806 t is no! onl"

2868 million6 Cs a'erage audien*e o3 about a million #ardl" 3ills t#e ga+6

e!s+a+ers are not doing an" better6 T#e e! Aor Times, 3or instan*e, #as in*reased

its *ir*ulation b" onl" 1B,000 o'er t#e +ast 15 "ears t#is des+ite a massi'e e33ort to

in*rease its *ir*ulation6 T#e as#ington Post and t#e os >ngeles Times, t!o ot#er

leading ne!s+a+ers, bot# sa! t#eir *ir*ulations 3all bet!een 1@@0 and 2004 in t#e *aseo3 t#e > Times, b" almost a 9uarter6 T#e *#ie3 reason 3or t#e de*line is t#at t#e "oung

are abandoning big media ne!s in a big !a"6 Sur'e"s s#o! t#at !#ile more t#an 70 +er

*ent o3 t#ose abo'e t#e age o3 70 read ne!s+a+ers, onl" 2B +er *ent o3 t#ose bet!een 18and 2@ do so6 >nd t#e 3igure 3or t#ose bet!een B0 and 4@ is onl" marginall" better B@

+er *ent6 T#at means t#e o'er!#elming ma)orit" o3 t#e +re*ise age grou+ liel" to be

+arents arent reading ne!s+a+ers6 t is not sur+rising t#eir *#ildren dont eit#er6

> number o3 ot#er 3a*tors #a'e also *ontributed to t#e de*line o3 interest among t#e

"oung6 ne !riter in t#e ilson ?uarterl" *ited t#is: n 1@E0, onl" 7 +er *ent o3 all sit#

graders #ad a T set in t#eir bedrooms6 Toda", an astonis#ing EE +er *ent do6 T#e+roli3eration o3 tele'ision sets diminis#es t#e adult in3luen*e o'er !#at *#ildren !at*#6 3

"ou are in sit# grade and sitting alone in "our room, "oure +robabl" not !at*#ing

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entertainment o+tions o'er t#e +ast 3e! de*ades6 n 1@E0, 3or instan*e, e! Aor Cit"

#ad onl" se'en broad*asting stations6 Toda", tele'ision is an embarrassment meri*ans listed t#e et as a +rimar" ne!s sour*e in a

re*ent sur'e"6 Certainl" an engaged minorit" o3 "oung +eo+le use t#e et to get a lot o3

ne!s, noted t#e ilson ?uarterl",but studies s#o! t#at most use it +rimaril" 3or e

mailing, instant messaging, games, and ot#er di'ersions6

T#e bottom line is, t#e "oung are sim+l" not interested in t#e ne!s6 T#e" are ot#er!iseengaged6 T#e" #a'e s!it*#ed o336

T#e e+e*tation t#at t#e" !ill some#o! s!it*# on as t#e" get older is *ontradi*ted b"t#e e'iden*e6 -S resear*# suggests t#at a +arti*ular age *o#orts reading #abits do not

*#ange mu*# !it# time6 T#us, in 1@E2, nearl" t#ree9uarters o3 t#e B4 to BE age grou+

read a +a+er dail"6 T#ose B0somet#ings #a'e been re+la*ed b" su**essi'e *ro+s o3 B0

somet#ings, ea*# reading less t#an its +rede*essor6 Toda", onl" about a t#ird o3 t#isgrou+ reads a ne!s+a+er e'er" da"6

T#e situation is not so dire in Singa+ore6 T#is ne!s+a+er, 3or instan*e, #as in*reased itsreaders#i+ 3rom 1617 million in 1@@4 to 16B@ million last "ear6 %ut t#ere are some

!orrisome signs6 ne sam+le sur'e" t#e +a+er *ondu*ted s#o!ed t#at 50 +er *ent o3

Se*ondar" 1 students *ame 3rom #omes t#at didnt re*ei'e t#e +a+er6 >nd !#ileSinga+ore +a+ers are not seeing t#eir readers#i+ gre"ing to t#e same etent as -S +a+ers,

ane*dotal e'iden*e suggests t#e general readers#i+ is getting some!#at older6

T#at is !#" t#e !orried Mr Han #as in'ested so mu*# energ" rea*#ing out to t#es*#ools6 T#e Straits Times #as laun*#ed 3or se*ondar" s*#ools, and soon it !ill laun*#

ittle (ed Dot 3or +rimar" s*#ools6 T#ese and ot#er e33orts to s+read t#e reading #abit

#a'e seen s*#ools bu" 100,000 *o+ies o3 t#e +a+er on Monda", bundled !it# 6

T#is is a longterm +roblem t#at *an be met onl" !it# a longterm e33ort to engage t#e

"oung6 #at is at stae$ ell, a great deal, a*tuall"6 t is not +ossible to #a'e a 'ibrantso*iet" !it# a disengaged +eo+le6 t is not +ossible to #a'e a *i'i* so*iet" !it# an

unin3ormed +ubli*6 t ma" not be e'en +ossible to #a'e mu*# o3 a so*iet" o3 an" ind

!it#out t#e *ommon s+a*e t#e mass media +ro'ides6

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Peo+le *ant #a'e a *on'ersation !it# ea*# ot#er, let alone argue, unless t#e" meet on

t#e same +age6