Conversations with The Straits Times Year-long series of discussions kicks off with non-profit sector

Sessions aim to bring ST and its audiences closer, as it marks 180th year

- Shermaine Ang

The first of a year-long series of discussions called Conversations with The Straits Times was held with the non-profit sector here on Jan 14, kicking off celebrations to mark ST's 180th year in 2025.

The event drew 45 guests, who spent more than an hour in dialogue with ST editor Jaime Ho, senior social affairs correspondent Theresa Tan, and assistant news editor Audrey Tan, who supervises coverage of environment issues.

The discussion, held in SPH Media's Studio+65, its shared video and audio production facility for its newsrooms, was moderated by ST associate editor Jeremy Au Yong, who oversees newsroom strategy.

These sessions aim to bring ST and its audiences closer, by offering readers a platform to engage with the newsroom directly.

The 45 attendees, who came from various non-profit organisations, asked a range of questions about the role of journalism, media coverage, as well as how the English daily stays updated with changes in the social service sector and keeps up with the use of certain terminologies in its news coverage.

Some raised the need for sensitive coverage of suicides that avoid sensationalised accounts, and doing away with terms of disability such as "wheelchair-bound".