The Straits Times

This is a big news paper.

It started a long time ago. It began in 1845. A man named Moses helped start it. At first, it came out once a week. It used a machine to print. Later, it came out every day.

The paper tells many stories. It tells news from far away. It also tells news from home. People can read it on paper. They can also read it on a screen. It is a very famous paper in Singapore.

The Straits Times is a famous daily newspaper in Singapore. It was first started on July 15, 1845.

In the early years, the paper had a hard time. It began as a weekly paper with only eight pages. It used a hand-operated press to print. A man named Catchick Moses helped launch it. He worked with an editor named Robert Carr Woods Sr. Woods wanted to make the paper special. He added short stories and news from far away. He also used news from new steamship services.

The paper grew much larger over time. In 1858, it became a daily newspaper. Later, an editor named George Seabridge helped it grow a lot. He added pictures and comics to make it fun to read. He also started a Sunday paper. By then, many people paid to get it.

Today, people can read the news on paper. They can also read it online. The paper is very important in Singapore. It is known as the newspaper of record. This means it is a main source for important news.

The Straits Times is a very important daily newspaper in Singapore. It is known as the newspaper of record for the country. This means it is a main source for important news. People can read it in a large paper format called a broadsheet. They can also read it online, which started in 1994. The paper is owned by the SPH Media Trust. It has a large audience in the surrounding region.

In the beginning, the paper was quite small. It started on July 15, 1845, as a weekly paper. It only had eight pages and used a hand-operated press. The monthly cost was only Sp.$1.75. To make it different from other papers, the editor added humor and short stories. He also used news from new steamship services that carried mail. In 1858, the paper grew into a daily newspaper.

Many people helped shape the paper's history. An Armenian merchant named Catchick Moses helped launch it. He worked with an editor named Robert Carr Woods Sr. Later, an editor named John Cameron ran the paper from 1861 to 1869. He had to save the paper after a huge fire. After him, Arnot Reid was the editor for 12 years. Alexander W. Still also led the paper for 18 years.

Some editors made the paper very famous. Alexander W. Still was known for bold reporting. People called the paper the "Thunderer of the East." This was a nod to a famous London paper. Later, George Seabridge became the editor in 1928. He helped the paper grow very fast. The number of subscribers went from 5,000 to 25,000 under his lead. He also added pictures and comics to make it fun.

The paper has seen many big changes in the world. In the 1930s, it faced competition from the Malaya Tribune. To stay ahead, Seabridge built a new office. He also started delivering papers by air to Kuala Lumpur in 1938. During World War II, things became very difficult. Japanese attacks began in the northern Malay states in December 1941. The paper had to report through these very hard times.

The Straits Times is a major daily English-language newspaper based in Singapore. It is currently owned by the SPH Media Trust and serves as the nation's newspaper of record. This title means it is considered a primary, authoritative source for important historical and current events. The publication uses a large format known as a broadsheet, but it also maintains a digital presence. Its online version was first launched in 1994 to reach modern readers. Today, it holds the position of the most widely circulated newspaper in Singapore and maintains a significant regional audience.

The origins of the paper are a subject of debate among historians. Before 1845, the only English newspaper in Singapore was The Singapore Free Press, founded in 1835. One account suggests an Armenian merchant named Marterus Thaddeus Apcar intended to start a paper. He hired an editor and bought printing equipment from England, but the editor died before the equipment arrived. This caused Apcar to go bankrupt. Consequently, his friend Catchick Moses bought the equipment and launched the paper on July 15, 1845. It originally operated as The Straits Times and Singapore Journal of Commerce. It began as an eight-page weekly published at 7 Commercial Square using a hand-operated press. The monthly subscription fee was Sp.$1.75.

Robert Carr Woods Sr., an English journalist from Bombay, served as the first editor. He worked to distinguish the paper from its rivals by including humor, short stories, and foreign news. He also utilized regular steamship services that carried mail to provide updated information. In September 1846, the paper was given to Woods because the press was not profitable for Moses. To cover financial deficits, Woods used the press for other projects. One such project was the publication of the first directory of Singapore, called The Straits Times Almanack, Calendar and Directory, in 1846. The paper eventually transitioned from a weekly to a daily newspaper in 1858.

The newspaper faced many challenges during its early decades. From 1861 to 1869, editor John Cameron managed the paper through a period of extreme difficulty. A highly destructive fire nearly forced the newspaper out of business. Cameron's assets were sold at a public auction for only $40, and he eventually went bankrupt. However, he successfully managed to revive the publication. Following his death in 1881, Arnot Reid served as editor for 12 years. Under Reid, the paper became a major reporter of political and economic events in British Malaya. It covered shipping news, civil unrest in Siam and Burma, and visits from dignitaries like the Sultan of Johor.

Alexander W. Still led the paper for 18 years following Reid's retirement. During his leadership, the paper earned the nickname "Thunderer of the East." This was a reference to The Times of London. Still was known for bold reporting and fearless commentary. He believed the press had a duty to investigate corruption in both government and business. He often criticized unethical businesses and even challenged the British colonial administration. For example, he attacked Governor Laurence Guillemard for attempting to delay news regarding constitutional changes. Despite these challenges, circulation grew from 3,600 in 1910 to 4,100 in 1920 under Still.

George Seabridge became editor in 1928 and oversaw a period of massive growth. Under his direction, subscribers increased from 5,000 to 25,000. To compete with the Malaya Tribune, which had surpassed its circulation in 1932, Seabridge made several strategic changes. He built a new office and updated the printing equipment. He also hired local journalists and began delivering papers upcountry. In 1938, the paper even began delivering by air to Kuala Lumpur. To make the paper more attractive, he incorporated pictures, comics, and "women's columns." These changes helped the paper regain its competitive edge.

The paper's history is also tied to the geopolitical shifts of the mid-20th century. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, tensions rose in Asia. In July 1941, Duff Cooper arrived in Singapore to investigate defense policy against a potential Japanese invasion. Seabridge, acting as editor, was highly critical of the government's lack of planning. He strongly urged the implementation of civil defense and martial law. In December 1941, Japanese attacks began in the northern Malay states. This period of conflict brought significant changes to how information was managed and reported in the region during the occupation.