“Mothership Emerges as Singapore’s Most Used Online News Source, CNA Leads for Frequent Users: Reuters Institute Report”

Mothership has surpassed both CNA and Straits Times to become the most widely-used online news source in Singapore, according to the 2023 Reuters Institute Digital News Report. The report indicates that 48 percent of survey respondents accessed Mothership at least once a week.

In comparison, 46 percent of respondents reported visiting CNA weekly, with 32 percent accessing it at least three days a week, slightly higher than Mothership’s 30 percent. Straits Times online secured the third position with 42 percent weekly access.

Straits Times Tops Offline Usage
When it comes to offline news consumption—including print, TV, and radio—Straits Times leads with 37 percent of respondents engaging with its content. MediaCorp follows closely, with CNA at 33 percent, Channel 8 News at 26 percent, and Channel 5 News at 24 percent. CNN rounds out the top five with a 14 percent usage rate.

The report highlights that online and social media continue to be the predominant avenues for news access in Singapore, while print and television have seen significant declines. Only 15 percent of respondents reported paying for online news.

CNA Holds Strong Brand Trust
CNA, Channel 5 News, and Straits Times achieved the highest brand trust scores among various media outlets, with CNA leading at 75 percent. Both Channel 5 News and Straits Times followed closely at 73 percent each. Despite Mothership’s high usage, its brand trust score dipped to 52 percent, down from 53 percent in the previous two years.

The report notes that the proportion of respondents who trust the news “most of the time” remains stable at 45 percent. Respondents rated the trustworthiness of news brands on a scale from zero to ten, where scores of six to ten were considered trustworthy.

Mothership’s Managing Editor, Martino Tan, expressed gratitude for the support received, stating, “We are encouraged by the Reuters Institute report that listed Mothership as the most-used online news source in Singapore.” He emphasized the need for news organizations to adapt to the evolving landscape of social media and audience expectations, stressing that credibility and reliability are essential for success.

Report Methodology
The report, commissioned by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University, was conducted by YouGov through an online questionnaire in late January and early February 2023, with a sample size of 2,025 in Singapore, which has a population of 5.9 million and internet penetration of 92 percent.