ZbCOMMA

''Nanyang Sin-Chew Lianhe Zaobao'', commonly abbreviated as ''Lianhe Zaobao'', is the largest Singaporean Chinese-language newspaper with a daily circulation of about 136,900 (print and digital) as of 2021. Published by SPH Media (formerly Singapore Press Holdings), it was formed on 16 March 1983 as a result of a merger between the Singaporean editions of '' Nanyang Siang Pau'' and '' Sin Chew Jit Poh'', two of Singapore's oldest Chinese newspapers.

The paper establishes itself as a broadsheet with local news coverage, while international news tend to be largely centred on the East Asia region, with a section dedicated to China. ''Zaobao'' has an East Asian correspondent network spanning Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul and Tokyo. It is SPH's flagship Chinese daily and the only Chinese-language daily in Singapore. ''Lianhe Zaobao'' is the only Chinese-language overseas newspaper which can be purchased in major cities of mainland China. As with all Chinese-language publications currently based in Singapore, the paper is printed in Simplified Chinese.

History

In 1974, after the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act was passed in Singapore, the Singapore branch of '' Sin Chew Jit Poh'' was reorganised into a public entity under the name Sin Chew Jit Poh (Singapore), while the Singapore edition of '' Nanyang Siang Pau'' became owned by Nanyang Press Singapore. The two Chinese broadsheets in Singapore merged in March 1983 in anticipation of the impending falling readership, due to English being taught as first language in Singaporean schools. The merger led to the formation of Singapore News and Publications, which published the morning paper ''Lianhe Zaobao'' as well as the evening paper '' Lianhe Wanbao''. ''Lianhe Zaobao'' was the most read newspaper in Singapore among all English and Chinese newspapers, according to a survey conducted by Survey Research Singapore in 1983, with a readership of 689,000 on weekdays and 743,000 on Sundays. On 4 August 1984, the company merged with The Straits Times Press Group and Times Publishing Berhad to form Singapore Press Holdings.

From 8 September 2016, the portal also presents news from two other Singapore Press Holdings Chinese-language newspapers, '' Lianhe Wanbao'' and ''Shin Min Daily News''. According to ''The Washington Post'', "Zaobao's combined print and digital circulation in Singapore fell from 187,900 in 2015 to 144,000 in 2020, according to company filings."

According to a 2021 study from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, the paper has a weekly offline reach of 8% and online reach of 7% in Singapore.

Editorial stance

''Zaobao'' is regarded as pro-Beijing by Western media outlets.⁣ The newspaper has included articles from pro-Beijing sources such as ''People's Daily'', '' HK01'', ''Ming Pao, Global Times,'' ''China Times'' and '' United Daily News''. It is one of the few foreign newspapers allowed in China, where all media is tightly controlled and content censored. According to Radio Free Asia, content about the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre has been censored from the ''Zaobao'' website when accessed from Hong Kong.

A 2019 study by Scotland-based researcher Daniel Hammond found that ''Zaobao'' played the role of "China’s critical friend in Southeast Asia", using the region as a means to deliver its concerns and criticisms of the country's actions such as on the South China Sea, while covering the China-Singapore relationship in an overwhelmingly positive manner.

In April 2021, ''Zaobao'' renamed its "Greater China" section, which covers Taiwan, to simply "China." In December 2021, ''Zaobao'' interviewed Peng Shuai following her disappearance. The interview, which critics labeled as scripted, generated criticisms of the newspaper.

In July 2023, ''The Washington Post'' reported that the paper had taken a more pro-Beijing stance by creating a China-specific version of the website to avoid having its website blocked in China. ''Zaobao'' issued a rebuttal in response to the ''WaPo'' article, stressing that it maintained journalistic neutrality and independence. Singapore's ambassador to the US Lui Tuck Yew also responded by saying that in his former role as Singaporean Ambassador to China, he often heard ''Zaobao''’s readers of various nationalities affirm the paper’s balanced coverage and uniquely Singaporean viewpoints, adding that it was "misguided for American news outlets to expect ''Zaobao'' to resemble the Washington Post, or for Singapore to follow either the United States or China."

At the September 2023 centennial celebration of the newspaper, Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong said he was "heartened that ''Zaobao'' has been unwavering in its principles, and has remained independent and objective in its news reporting." He added that when publishing articles by foreign contributors, "Zaobao should also ensure that its readers are aware who these writers are speaking for and recognise that these views do not represent Zaobao’s stance."

Format

Broadsheet

The paper is published daily by SPH and usually hits newsstands and homes by 5 am local time. ''Zaobao'' is currently published in three segments. The first comprises breaking news () and local news under ''ZaobaoSINGAPORE'' (). The second comprises ''ZaobaoChina'' (), the sports section (), obituaries, the daily editorial, commentaries, letters to the press, other international news from the ASEAN, followed by a finance section ''ZaobaoBUSINESS'' (). A supplementary lifestyle, arts and entertainment segment is named ''Fukan'' () with classified advertising at the back of that segment.

The Sunday edition is titled ''zbSunday'' (), with a tabloid-format lifestyle supplement pull-out ''zbWeekly'' ().

Zaobao Digital

The newspaper is available in Southeast Asia, China, Hong Kong as well as organisations such as the United Nations. The online version of the paper Zaobao.com was launched in August 1995 under the name of "''Lianhe Zaobao Online''". It serves as a news portal drawing news not just from the ''Lianhe Zaobao'', but also from other Chinese newspapers in the region. A large proportion of ''Lianhe Zaobao'' daily readership is derived from China, with the official website cites a monthly online readership of 4 million originating from China.

Zaobao.com is targeted at audiences in Greater China, while Zaobao.sg (re-launched in September 2016) targets local and non-China readers. In 2019, ''Lianhe Zaobao'' launched an English-language e-magazine called ThinkChina.

ZBSchools.sg

ZBSchools.sg is an online portal hosting several publications targeted at students such as zbCOMMA (), Thumbs Up (), Thumbs Up Junior () and Thumbs Up Little Junior (). zbCOMMA is targeted at secondary school students, Thumbs Up at upper primary students, Thumbs Up Junior at lower primary students and Thumbs Up Little Junior at kindergarten students.

zbCOMMA used to be known as Friday Weekly () before its revamp on 7 January 2009. It consists of follow-ups on news on Lianhe Zaobao, articles written by Zaobao reporters and blurbs for Zaobao news that serve to connect students with Zaobao.

Blocking in China

The ''Zaobao'' online website is occasionally blocked in mainland China, or has its posts removed on Sina Weibo. In 2009, the ''Zaobao'' website was temporarily blocked in China, analysts in China believed it was likely related to an article ''Lianhe Zaobao'' ran headlined "Cyber Crackdown in China Angers Netizens" which sparked the temporary ban, as discourse against the Chinese government is censored. The paper was again reportedly blocked in 2017 with no official reasons cited.

See also

*List of newspapers in Singapore
* List of newspapers
*Censorship in Singapore
* SPH Media

Print sources

*

', Our 70 years: history of leading Chinese newspapers in Singapore (1993), Published by Singapore Press Holdings

Notes

References

External links

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ZBSchools.sg
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{{Authority control

1983 establishments in Singapore
Newspapers published in Singapore
SPH Media
Chinese-language newspapers (Simplified Chinese)
Newspapers established in 1983
Chinese-language mass media in Singapore
Overseas Chinese newspapers