IT was a fine Saturday morning, the earthy smell after a heavy downpour, the gurgling from the water fountain, birds chirping, and the morning light through the windows. It was a perfect setting to enjoy a cup of freshly brewed tea.
As I sat at the dining table with my lavender tea, I saw a copy of the New Straits Times at the other end of the table. Dad must have gotten it after his morning walk.
As I flipped through the pages, things seemed all too familiar. The environment reminded me of my childhood at Kelan Estate in Kulai, when dad was the plantation manager with Golden Hope Plantations Bhd (now Sime Darby Plantation Sdn Bhd). We could hear Pak Cik Ithnin on his motorbike from our dining room windows.
He was the estate auxiliary police head and the paper man entrusted to deliver the NST to the hilltop colonial bungalow at 7am daily. There was something about Pak Cik Ithnin, who was then in his 50s, that just made our day bright-er. Perhaps, it was his charming personality, broad smile and endearing greeting of Selamat pagi adik while he handed the paper through the window grille.
Three of us siblings were introduced to the NST by my dad. The newspaper was there every day without fail on the brown teak wood dining table. I did not really enjoy the newspapers then; it had small print and was mostly in monochrome, and I was a kid in love with colours and big fonts.
Eventually, I grew to like the paper, reading articles on issues of interest, cutting out letters of the alphabets for my scrapbook and spending time over crossword puzzles. I even had several memorable moments with the paper.
It was the NST that got my name to a comet in 2003 after I came across an article published on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s “Send Your Name to a Comet” campaign. It was a big deal for a person who loves everything about space and astronomy.
In September 2004, I first saw my name in print when the NST published a piece I penned on why school textbooks, as well as revision books, were late going on sale in the bookstores in Tawau, Sabah, in the Letters section.
I used to wonder who the faces behind the news were. How did the newsroom work? Never once did I think I would be serving that very news organisation. Having dreamt of becoming a lawyer, a turn of fate saw me graduating in journalism from Taylor’s University in 2013, subsequently landing a career as a news desk journalist with the NST and working along notable names I have only seen in the paper.
Today, as we read reports on plunging paper sales and closures and layoffs in the newspaper industry, with many organisations penetrating and expanding their digital operations, one may question the survival of the nation’s oldest printed newspaper, which first hit the streets in 1845.
No doubt that digital is here to stay, and so NST embarked on its “digital first” strategy under the “80/20” initiative (80 per cent digital and 20 per cent print). But, the two-time Kajai Award winning newspaper did not vanish from the streets. NST went through a major revamp, not just in looks, but content as well, to ensure it remained relevant today and serve to complement online news.
NST kick-started its ActionLine platform, designed exclusively for the people to seek solutions to their unresolved problems. The paper also came up with the #Hashtag and social media pages, keeping readers informed on what’s trending online.
NST stood by its 4E mantra, promising to deliver exclusive content, while examining, educating and entertaining readers. Special reports and commentaries are more analytical, offering its loyal readers insightful and value-added news.
Readers today, we believe, do not merely want to be told of something, but want to understand the mechanics of an issue and the solutions to resolve it. And, that is exactly what the NST aims to do.
Reporters work tirelessly to produce cutting-edge and exclusive stories on issues that matter to people. Their efforts did not go unnoticed as the stories raised awareness, influenced key stakeholders, and prompted the government to act on the issues.
The paper did well in the second half of 2016 at a time when its competitors experienced a decline in circulation, thanks to various improvements to its content. It also recorded an increase in their digital edition.
NST’s circulation saw an increase of 23.6 per cent between July and December as compared with the first half of 2016. The New Sunday Times saw a circulation increase of 8.2 per cent in the same period.
I love having bite-size news, but nothing beats the feel and smell of the good old newspaper. With a spectrum of content, I believe the NST has something to offer for everyone, be it in print or digital form.
The paper turned 172 years old on July 15. Here’s to many more years of success! Happy Birthday, NST!
Tharanya Arumugam is an NST journalist. While not working, she listens to the 90s songs, or binge-watch her favourite series on Netflix. She can be reached via tharanya@nst.com.my