{"id":98174,"date":"2026-11-08T00:15:29","date_gmt":"2026-11-07T16:15:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=98174"},"modified":"2026-11-08T00:15:29","modified_gmt":"2026-11-07T16:15:29","slug":"sph-media-launches-multilingual-news-editions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=98174","title":{"rendered":"SPH Media launches multilingual news editions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"text-primary article-summary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">SINGAPORE \u2013 <!-- -->SPH Media is making content across its newsrooms accessible to more Singaporeans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/tech\/new-pilot-trials-ai-powered-translations-of-online-govt-resources-in-chinese-malay-and-tamil?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"inline font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"typography-test-id\">through AI-powered translations<\/span><\/a> that will allow them to discover a wider range of stories, insights, and perspectives previously available only in other languages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The initiative reflects the national news company\u2019s ambition to bring Singapore\u2019s diverse language communities closer together by enabling readers to better understand how others see the world, the issues that matter to them, and the perspectives that shape their communities,<!-- --> <!-- -->SPH Media said in a statement on Nov 5.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">SPH Media will progressively make its key news titles available in Singapore\u2019s four official languages, which will allow readers to access stories in their preferred languages, it added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Through this initiative, English-language titles such as The Business Times and The Straits Times have launched their Chinese editions in March and on Oct 28, respectively.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Publications in vernacular languages, starting with Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao, are introducing English editions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The English edition of Zaobao was launched on Nov 5 at the SPH Media Auditorium, with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam as the guest of honour.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"landscape inline-media-wrapper\" data-testid=\"inline-media-test-id\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col items-start relative w-fit\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/cc4a6ce778fc0e42c0e2c47b595440e871aecb9edf5cd4d90b70c83d8cb7665d?w=480\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 720px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/cc4a6ce778fc0e42c0e2c47b595440e871aecb9edf5cd4d90b70c83d8cb7665d?w=720\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 721px and max-width: 3999px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/cc4a6ce778fc0e42c0e2c47b595440e871aecb9edf5cd4d90b70c83d8cb7665d?w=900\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 4000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/cc4a6ce778fc0e42c0e2c47b595440e871aecb9edf5cd4d90b70c83d8cb7665d\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/cc4a6ce778fc0e42c0e2c47b595440e871aecb9edf5cd4d90b70c83d8cb7665d\" alt=\"President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his spouse Jane Ittogi arriving at the SPH Media Auditorium for the launch of the English edition of Lianhe Zaobao on Nov 5.\" class=\"aspect-landscape flex items-start shrink-0 object-cover landscape article-landscape mobile:w-auto tablet:w-auto\" data-testid=\"image-test-id\" loading=\"lazy\" fetchpriority=\"auto\"\/><\/picture><\/div><figcaption class=\"mobile:mx-16 tablet:mx-00 pt-08 pb-16\">\n<p class=\"inline text-secondary font-secondary-captions-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"inline-media-caption-test-id\">President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his spouse Jane Ittogi arriving at the SPH Media Auditorium for the launch of the English edition of Lianhe Zaobao on Nov 5.<\/p>\n<p class=\"inline text-tertiary font-secondary-captions-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"inline-media-credit-test-id\"> <!-- -->ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Tan Kiat How, who was also at the launch, said he was heartened that the newsrooms are using AI technologies to widen their reach to new audiences.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cImportantly, translation is not just about breaking down language barriers; it\u2019s about bringing communities together, bringing people together, especially so for Singapore, which is a multilingual society,\u201d he told the media at the event.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">This is done by helping readers understand the perspectives, nuances and context of how another community sees the world, he added.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Lianhe Zaobao launches English edition amid SPH Media push for multilingual titles\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KdITgEJUuHI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">SPH Media said the company adopts a tailored approach to AI translation, selecting models based on the language pairs, editorial requirements and needs of each publication, allowing the company to draw on the strengths of different technologies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">ST and BT use AI <a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/business\/spore-ai-model-sea-lion-to-offer-more-features-as-businesses-adopt-it-for-south-east-asia-use?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"inline font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"typography-test-id\">Singapore\u2019s (AISG) SEA-LION large language model<\/span><\/a>, which is designed to handle South-east Asian languages and cultural contexts, to automate translation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The English edition of Zaobao uses frontier AI translation models, with a team of copy editors reviewing selected translated content for cultural context and clarity before publication,<!-- --> <!-- -->SPH Media said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"landscape inline-media-wrapper\" data-testid=\"inline-media-test-id\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col items-start relative w-fit\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/4e2ac94d449c4428f561973a262c290f8462cc8e36d2c8903215d3bcdd96383f?w=480\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 720px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/4e2ac94d449c4428f561973a262c290f8462cc8e36d2c8903215d3bcdd96383f?w=720\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 721px and max-width: 3999px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/4e2ac94d449c4428f561973a262c290f8462cc8e36d2c8903215d3bcdd96383f?w=900\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 4000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/4e2ac94d449c4428f561973a262c290f8462cc8e36d2c8903215d3bcdd96383f\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/straitstimes\/4e2ac94d449c4428f561973a262c290f8462cc8e36d2c8903215d3bcdd96383f\" alt=\"The English edition of Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao.\" class=\"aspect-landscape flex items-start shrink-0 object-cover landscape article-landscape mobile:w-auto tablet:w-auto\" data-testid=\"image-test-id\" loading=\"lazy\" fetchpriority=\"auto\"\/><\/picture><\/div><figcaption class=\"mobile:mx-16 tablet:mx-00 pt-08 pb-16\">\n<p class=\"inline text-secondary font-secondary-captions-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"inline-media-caption-test-id\">The English edition of Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao.<\/p>\n<p class=\"inline text-tertiary font-secondary-captions-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"inline-media-credit-test-id\"> <!-- -->ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The news company said its multilingual initiative serves as a bridge to original stories produced by its journalists, while preserving the distinctive editorial identity, investigative focus and dedicated community coverage of each publication.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">By bringing these stories and perspectives to readers across language barriers, it hopes to open up new perspectives to wider audiences, and foster greater understanding and appreciation of Singapore\u2019s diverse communities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">SPH Media\u2019s managing director Kuek Yu Chuang said: \u201cEach of our newsrooms brings its own expertise, voice and understanding of the communities it serves. We want more people to benefit from that reporting, including readers who may not be familiar with the language in which a story was first published.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cBy making more of these stories accessible across languages, we hope to help readers see issues from different perspectives and better understand one another. In a country with different languages and cultures, shared stories enrich the multicultural fabric that bind Singaporeans closely together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Wong Wei Kong, editor-in-chief of SPH\u2019s English, Malay and Tamil Media Group, said: \u201cST and BT provide in-depth reporting and analysis about issues that matter to Singaporeans, from developments at home to major events shaping the region and the world.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cMaking this journalism available in Chinese allows us to share that knowledge and expertise more widely, so that more readers can benefit from the work of our journalists, regardless of their preferred reading language.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Wong added: \u201cWe are grateful to AISG for its collaboration in bringing this initiative to life. Its expertise in developing AI models for South-east Asian languages has been valuable in helping us make our journalism more accessible, and we look forward to continuing to work together to improve the quality of our translations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Lee Huay Leng, editor-in-chief of SPH\u2019s Chinese Media Group, said: \u201cWe believe that English translations can help younger audiences discover and appreciate Zaobao\u2019s journalism, including those who may not yet be comfortable reading complex articles in Chinese.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cWe see this initiative not as a replacement for Chinese-language journalism, but as another way of bringing its value to a wider audience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Ng Siew Quan, chairman of the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, said Zaobao\u2019s English edition will allow a wider swathe of readers, including non-Chinese readers and readers who might not be fluent in the Chinese language, to access its content and its understanding of the Chinese community.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-primary font-tertiary-body-baseline-regular\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">He told ST: \u201cThrough such access, these readers would better understand the sentiments of the local Chinese community and perhaps be motivated to improve their command of the Chinese language or to learn more about aspects of local Chinese culture that interest them.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<center><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/community\/sph-media-launches-multilingual-editions-of-key-news-titles\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article At Source <\/a><br \/>\n<center\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SINGAPORE \u2013 SPH Media is making content across its newsrooms accessible to more Singaporeans through AI-powered translations that will allow them to discover a wider&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":98176,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2611],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz-headlines","wpcat-2611-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=98174"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98174\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/98176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=98174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=98174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=98174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}